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The God of the Impossible

The walls were a very real impenetrable force surrounding the entire city of Jericho. They were made of heavy mud bricks designed to keep any enemy out. Though the height varied, some believe it may have been thirty feet at its highest, and the thickness was about five feet. What’s more, a deep perimeter trench circled the wall. Think moat with no water. 

Jericho had heard the Israelites were coming, so the place was on lockdown. The Israelites could see that the scenario they faced was impossible. Swords against a mighty wall—no contest.

Yet, God had promised them the land—freedom—just as He promised freedom for you and me. So just when the people thought, “At last! After forty years in the wilderness, we’re about to make our first conquest. This is awesome!” God said, “I want you to take that new territory right over there, right behind that massive, impenetrable, un-scalable wall.”

They no doubt felt as I did when told I needed to forgive my abusers: “But Lord, how can I do what I cannot do?”

The same way God wants us to do everything—not by our might, but by His Spirit. His power is made perfect in our weakness. It is when faced with the impossible that we experience the power of the Holy Spirit firsthand—when we face walls that we have no hope of tearing down on our own.

God wanted them to see not with their eyes but with their faith. He wanted them to see that even though the circumstances were impossible, He would give them the promised victory, because all things are possible to him who believes.

If there’s one key to watching the walls in your life fall, to moving forward in freedom, to seeing the promises of God at work, then this is it: You must learn to believe the truth of God’s Word over the facts of your circumstances. 

You have to look to God, not at everything around you. Only then can you see what’s going on from His perspective. We have to see that wall torn down even before it is. We have to believe that God is faithful to do what He has promised.