The Lord Who Does the Impossible

16 “After I had given the deed of purchase to Baruch the son of Neriah, I prayed to the Lord, saying: 17 ‘Ah, Lord God! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you. 18 You show steadfast love to thousands, but you repay the guilt of fathers to their children after them, O great and mighty God, whose name is the Lord of hosts, 19 great in counsel and mighty in deed, whose eyes are open to all the ways of the children of man, rewarding each one according to his ways and according to the fruit of his deeds. 20 You have shown signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, and to this day in Israel and among all mankind, and have made a name for yourself, as at this day. 21 You brought your people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs and wonders, with a strong hand and outstretched arm, and with great terror. 22 And you gave them this land, which you swore to their fathers to give them, a land flowing with milk and honey. 23 And they entered and took possession of it. But they did not obey your voice or walk in your law. They did nothing of all you commanded them to do. Therefore you have made all this disaster come upon them. 24 Behold, the siege mounds have come up to the city to take it, and because of sword and famine and pestilence the city is given into the hands of the Chaldeans who are fighting against it. What you spoke has come to pass, and behold, you see it. 25 Yet you, O Lord God, have said to me, “Buy the field for money and get witnesses”—though the city is given into the hands of the Chaldeans.’”
Jeremiah 32:16-25
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The Lord Who Does the Impossible
Jeremiah’s prayer begins with confidence. He has just obeyed God’s command to purchase a field even as Jerusalem is surrounded by enemy armies. Looking at the circumstances, the command seems foolish. Looking at God, however, Jeremiah remembers that nothing is too hard for the Lord. The prophet recalls God’s mighty works in creation, the Exodus, and His continual mercy toward His people. Yet he is also honest about the present reality. Judah’s sins have brought judgment. The city is falling. God’s Word has proven true. Jeremiah wrestles with the tension between what he sees and what God has promised. Christians often find themselves in similar circumstances. We see sickness, loss, uncertainty, and the consequences of sin. Yet faith does not rest on what is visible. It rests on the God who keeps His promises. At the cross, God accomplished what seemed impossible. Through the death of His Son, He brought forgiveness and life to sinners. The God who raised Jesus from the dead is still at work, and nothing is too hard for Him.