The One Who Can Move The Rock
“Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” - Matthew 19:26
A man heard God tell him to go outside and push against a huge boulder in his front yard. In obedience, he went outside and strained futilely against the huge rock every morning for weeks. And even though he put forth a valiant effort—pushing and groaning, straining, and paining—the rock never budged.
One morning, exhausted and exasperated, the man fell down to his knees and prayed to God in frustration, saying, “Lord, what were you thinking? You told me to push this rock, but it won’t move. I’ve tried every morning to push that rock as hard as I can, but it still is not going anywhere.”
After a brief silence, the man heard a voice from heaven reply, “My son, I told you to ‘push’ the rock. I did not tell you to move it. I’m the only one who can move the rock, and at the appropriate time I will. But for now, I just want you to push against the rock.”
This story is a great example for us as we pursue God in obedience. So often, we want to move ahead of God because we are expecting a desired outcome. We work hard and we want to see results. However, operating in our own effort will only lead to exhaustion.
Matthew 19:26 tells us, “Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Continue to trust in God in the midst of your situation. Keep pushing and you “will reap a harvest if [you] do not give up.” (Galatians 6:9)
A man heard God tell him to go outside and push against a huge boulder in his front yard. In obedience, he went outside and strained futilely against the huge rock every morning for weeks. And even though he put forth a valiant effort—pushing and groaning, straining, and paining—the rock never budged.
One morning, exhausted and exasperated, the man fell down to his knees and prayed to God in frustration, saying, “Lord, what were you thinking? You told me to push this rock, but it won’t move. I’ve tried every morning to push that rock as hard as I can, but it still is not going anywhere.”
After a brief silence, the man heard a voice from heaven reply, “My son, I told you to ‘push’ the rock. I did not tell you to move it. I’m the only one who can move the rock, and at the appropriate time I will. But for now, I just want you to push against the rock.”
This story is a great example for us as we pursue God in obedience. So often, we want to move ahead of God because we are expecting a desired outcome. We work hard and we want to see results. However, operating in our own effort will only lead to exhaustion.
Matthew 19:26 tells us, “Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Continue to trust in God in the midst of your situation. Keep pushing and you “will reap a harvest if [you] do not give up.” (Galatians 6:9)
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