Is Anything Too Hard for the Lord?
John Piper
@JohnPiper
Question: “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” (Genesis 18:14).
Answer: “Ah Lord God… nothing is too hard for thee” (Jeremiah 32:17).
Evidence: He created the universe out of nothing (John 1:1). He turned Lot’s wife into a pillar of salt (Genesis 19:26). He split the Red Sea (Exodus 14:22). He brought bread from the sky (Exodus 16:15) and water from a rock (Numbers 20:11). He slew 185,000 Assyrian soldiers to save his people (2 Kings 19:35). He caused ravens to bring his prophets food (1 Kings 17:6). He made the jar of meal and the cruse of oil keep on giving till the famine was over (1 Kings 17:16). He shut the lions’ mouths to protect Daniel (Daniel 6:22). He caused a virgin to conceive a child (Luke 1:31). He cleansed lepers (Luke 17:14) and healed the lame (Matthew 15:30) and gave sight to the blind (Matthew 9:30) and hearing to the deaf (Mark 7:37). He fed 5,000 with a few loaves and fish (Matthew 14:20). He raised Lazarus from the dead (John 11:43). He caused Peter to find a coin in a fish’s mouth (Matthew 17:27).
Can God handle this?
| Needed by end of year: Church & Missions | Needed by end of year: Building | Received: Church & Missions | Received: Building | |
| 10/1/95 | 536,000 | 130,000 | 24,200 | 4,700 |
| 10/8/95 | 511,800 | 125,300 | 20,000 | 5,500 |
| 10/15/95 | 491,800 | 119,800 | 20,900 | 5,000 |
| 10/22/95 | 470,900 | 114,800 | 21,500 | 2,700 |
| 10/29/95 | 449,400 | 112,100 | 20,100 | 3,500 |
| 11/5/95 | 429,300 | 108,600 | 22,100 | 3,500 |
| 11/12/95 | 407, 200 | 105,100 | 21,700 | 3,800 |
| 11/19/95 | 385,500 | 101,300 | 25,100 | 3,300 |
| 11/26/95 | 360,400 | 98,000 |
The $360,400 that remains to be given for the church and missions budget commitments represents 30% of the years’ budget of $1,336,996. So in 11% of the Sundays in 1995 we need to give 30% of the year’s budget.
If you wonder how we stay in operation when we are $200,000 behind in our giving, the answer is that there was an unexpected bequest at the end of last year that enabled us to enter the year with a large cushion, which we hoped (and still hope) would be freed for other purposes.
Question: What shall we do?
Answer: Live and give by faith in future grace. In other words, trust that God will supply all your needs as well as all the church’s needs. This will free you to give according to his bounty. Then pray that he will do “exceedingly abundantly beyond all we can imagine.”
Thanks for bearing this burden with me,
Pastor John
