IS THERE ANY THING TOO DIFFICULT FOR ME?

What would you think if some one walks up to you and challenges you with these words saying, “Is there any thing too difficult for me? You might think either he must be crazy or you would be overawed by that bold statement. There were certain human figures in the history that displayed extraordinary power for one, Samson in the Bible and according to Greek mythology Hercules who was renowned as having "made the world safe for mankind" by destroying many dangerous monsters.[1] But neither of them claimed that they can do all things and challenged people saying, “Is there anything too difficult for me”

When we see all the progress that has been made by human beings in the world from the Stone Age, Iron age, Bronze age, and now to the digital age and modern technology it appears to us that man is invincible and he can do any and every thing. In addition to that we are bombarded by the skeptics in media where God and Christians are down played on a daily basis. Under such circumstances it would be heard even for sincere Bible believing Christians to hold on to their faith and believe that God was and is and will be all powerful and there is nothing too difficult for Him. As a church like never before we need to reaffirm our faith in the one and the only one who challenges us saying “Is there anything too difficult for me.”?

Our story begins in Jeremiah 32 Chapter. At this time in the history of Judah, the army of the king of Babylon is surrounding Jerusalem. Jeremiah the prophet was imprisoned because he had prophesied that the city will be destroyed and Zedekiah king of Judah will be captured. While he was in the courtyard God told him to buy a piece of land that was to indicate that once again houses, fields and vineyards will be bought in Judah. After completing the transaction Jeremiah prayed a beautiful prayer ascribing greatness to God: Let me read a few verses from this prayer found in Jeremiah 32: 17-26 “ Ah sovereign LORD, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you. O great and powerful God, whose name is the LORD Almighty, great are your purposes and mighty are your deeds,. You have performed miraculous signs and wonders in Egypt and have continued them to this day.”

Jeremiah was in the prison, inspite of his confinement when it came to focusing on God’s greatness he did not waver. He saw Him as the sovereign God who has absolute control over heaven and earth. When we face difficult situations and unsurmountable obstacles how is our perception of God? How do we respond when our prayers are not answered they way we would like? Do we still see God as Sovereign? Or do we fret and sulk in unbelief?
For most readers today the phrases “the LORD of hosts” and God of Hosts” have little meaning. NIV Bible renders them “The LORD Almighty” it actually means “He who is sovereign over all the hosts (powers) in heaven and on earth, especially over the armies of Israel.[2] In the OT people have a healthy and respectful view of God. The Hebrew divine name YHWH, was translated as LORD with capital letters it actually means Sovereign LORD. They saw the marvelous acts of God and were overawed by the magnitude of God’s power.

God warned the people through Moses that they had to consecrate themselves and gather around Mount Sinai because he was going to appear to them. When the time came there was thunder and lightening with a thick cloud over the mountain and a very loud trumpet blast, the smoke billowed up from it like smoke from furnace and the whole mountain trembled violently. Everyone in the camp trembled. (Exodus 19:19)
This was often the case whenever God appeared to people. What made people so afraid? Is there truly nothing too difficult for God? How do I know God is all powerful?

I.God’s amazing creating power:

The creation account in Genesis gives us a glimpse of the power of God. Everything was created simply by God’s command. God’s word brought everything into existence out of nothing. But when it came to man he did not say let there be man but He created man in his image. What an ingenious way God created human beings. Understanding, the intricacies of human bodies will throw light upon God’s ingenuity and creativity. A few facts of the human body:
1. The stomach’s digestive acids are strong enough to dissolve zinc. Fortunately for us, the cells in the stomach lining renew so quickly that the acids don’t have time to dissolve it.
2. The lungs contain over 300,000 million capillaries (tiny blood vessels). If they were laid end to end, they would stretch 2400km (1500 miles).
3. The focusing muscles of the eyes move around 100,000 times a day.
4. No two individuals have the same fingerprints. This is a known fact. But do you know that there is another one? No two individual have the same tongue prints.[3]
5. The eyes receive approximately 90 percent of all our information, making us basically visual creatures.[4]

When we look at these amazing facts of the human body we may say, so what? But David had a different response to the wonder of God’s creation.” Psalm 139:13-14 “For you created my inmost being you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.”

II. God’s sustaining Power:

Since its creation God has been amazingly sustaining this vast universe and the earth. In Isaiah 42:5 “This is what God the LORD (Sovereign LORD) says he who created the heavens and stretched them out who spread out the earth and all that comes out of it who gives breath to its people and life to those who walk on it.” Scientists have discovered many facts about the world we are living in and there are many still remain a mystery. Have you wondered how this beautiful world we are living in is being sustained all these years? Who can explain how different seasons are formed?

Several scriptures indicate that God is sustaining this world by His power.
In Genesis 8:22 God promises, “While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease. (ESV) 4 Psalm 104:20 “You make darkness, and it is night, when all the beasts of the forest creep about.”
Psalm 104:14; “You cause the grass to grow for the livestock and plants for man to cultivate, that he may bring forth food from the earth.”

Three thousand years ago Job silenced one of his skeptic friends by name Bildad who came to console him; instead of consoling he condemned Job. He explained God’s amazing power, in Job 26:5-8 “He spreads out the northern skies over empty space; he suspends the earth over nothing. He wraps up the waters in his clouds, yet the clouds do not burst under the weight” Job was trying to play God’s advocate here by explaining all what He could do but his understanding was limited.

God asked Job several questions related to nature, the earth and the animal world, (Job 38-42) after that encounter with God Job became speechless and all he could utter was, “I know that you can do all things, no plan of yours can be thwarted. You asked who is this that obscures my counsel without knowledge? Surely I spoke of things I did not understand things too wonderful for me to know. You said, Listen now, and I will speak; I will question you and you shall answer me. My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.”(Job 42:1-5)

Job’s encounter with God changed his total perception of who God really is. God is all what the Bible says he is and much more. When we have an encounter with God like Job did then we understand how little we know and how much more we don’t know and also how small we are and how great he is.

III. God’s unlimited Knowledge:

There is nothing in this world that surprises or amazes God, in other words there is nothing new under the sun, and God knows and sees everything. God’s spirit searches the depths of the human heart. David marveled at God’s all knowing and all seeing ability, Psalm 139: 1-6 “O LORD you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD. You hem me in behind and before you have laid your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me too lofty for me to attain.”

There are many methods to detect and punish those who violate rules and regulations but I wonder whether any one has developed a device to find out what is going on in the human heart? God knows what exactly is going on in your heart and my heart. He is familiar with my secret life as well as my public life. That should put some fear of God in us. Next time when we want to pull the next cigarette, or gulp down another round of bear or cheat on our spouses let’s be reminded that God is watching us. Like David says, where can we go from his Spirit?

IV.Is there anything too difficult for me?

God promised Abram that he would bless his descendents and eventually he will become the father of many nations. According to the promise God changed his name from Abram to Abraham. Twenty-four years had passed since that promise but there was still no sign of the promised child. He was getting older and his wife had well passed the age of childbearing. God sent his angels to convey a message that with in a year Sarah would give birth to a son. Sarah couldn’t believe her ears, she laughed and for that she was rebuked by God saying, “Is there any thing too hard for the LORD.”

Jeremiah acknowledged from the prison saying “Nothing is too hard for you.” In response to Jeremiah’s prayer God’s word came to Jeremiah saying “I am the LORD the God of all mankind. Is anything too difficult for me? Who can question God when he says is anything too difficult for me? During the ministry of Jesus he performed many miracles including raising people from the dead to prove that there is nothing too difficult for God. After his resurrection he had commissioned his disciples with these words, in Matt 28:18, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations.”

God who created the heaven and earth also created you and me. He has been sustaining the world since its creation. His all-encompassing knowledge knows no limits. He is challenging us this morning saying “Is there anything too difficult for me? You may be facing a situation, which is beyond your control. You may be seeing no way out. You could either fret or submit to the all-powerful God. Is anything too difficult for Him?








[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hercules
[2] NIV Bible
[3] http://www.purpleslinky.com/Trivia/Random/Amazing-Facts-About-the-Human-Body.114497
[4] http://listverse.com/science/top-15-amazing-facts-about-the-human-body/