People have always had a tendency to want to “help” God when He seems slow to fulfill His promises.

The Lord had promised Abraham that his descendants would be as countless as the stars and that an heir would come from his own aging body (Gen. 15:1-5). Abraham believed the Lord, but Sarah ran out of patience. She talked Abraham into fathering children through her maidservant Hagar. Ishmael was born, but he wasn’t the son of promise (17:18-21). Fourteen years later, when Abraham and Sarah were very old, God did the impossible—Sarah conceived and the son of promise, Isaac, was born.

A godly woman shared this story: “Once during my husband’s absence, a crisis arose. I needed to act quickly, but I was utterly helpless. Finally I prayed, ‘Lord, this is impossible for me. You’ll have to take over completely. I can’t even help You!’” She testified that God then accomplished the impossible when she admitted her helplessness.

When we depend on ourselves, people see what we can do and our testimony is, “Didn’t I do well!” When we depend on God, people see what He can do and our testimony is, “Didn’t God do well!” Which testimony will you have today?


When sorrows assail us or terrors draw nigh,
His love will not fail us, He'll guide with His eye;
And when we are fainting and ready to fail,
He'll give what is lacking and make us prevail. —Anon.

Facing an impossibility gives us the opportunity to trust God.