“Is anything too hard for the Lord?” Genesis 18:14
I want to talk to you about our amazing God, the God with whom all things are possible, the God of miracles. This message is to encourage you older ones that you haven’t gone past your ‘use by date.’ With God, you are never too young for a miracle and you are never too old. If you are still breathing, there is still hope. All God is looking for is a people who will believe Him, for He can turn your situation around and give you the desire of your heart.
Look at Mary the mother of Jesus and her cousin Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist. They both had miracle babies. One when she was most likely too young (a teenager) and the other when she was too old and barren.
Sarah the wife of Abram is the mother of miracles, for she had a baby when she was 90. When she was first told that she would have a child, the bible says that she laughed. It was the cynical laugh of doubt.
“Then one of them said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son.” Now Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent, which was behind him. Abraham and Sarah were already very old, and Sarah was past the age of childbearing. So Sarah laughed to herself as she thought, “After I am worn out and my lord is old, will I now have this pleasure?” Then the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Will I really have a child, now that I am old?’ Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return to you at the appointed time next year, and Sarah will have a son.” Genesis 18:10-14
But Sarah did get the last laugh after the birth of their son Isaac, the child of promise.
“Now the Lord was gracious to Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah what he had promised. Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised him. Abraham gave the name Isaac to the son Sarah bore him. When his son Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him, as God commanded him. Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. Sarah said, “God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me.” Genesis 21:1-6
Sarah got the last laugh after a long trial of faith and you can too in your trial. The Lord said to Sarah. “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” And He is still saying it today to the true children of Abraham.
This story of Abraham and Sarah means a lot to me after an incident that happened back in 2015. My wife was having trouble with her back, so I decided to go on a fast. Not a complete fast, but more of a Daniel fast where I was having soup and bread at the end of each day along with tea and coffee. It wasn’t just for my wife but also about other promises that I wanted to see happen in my life. I wasn’t sure how long I would fast for and thought it would be all over before we went to Australia in May. As the day approached I felt strongly that I was to continue fasting. I hate fasting as I’m thin enough as it is. When people asked me why I was looking so thin and I would joke and say. “Narrow is the Gate that enters Eternal Life and few there be that enter therein.” I’m just making sure I’m thin enough. Lol.
I don’t know whether it was due to the fast of not but just before we left the airport for Sydney I was struck with ‘Gout.’ Oh the pain. When our son came to pick us up at the airport he was met by 2 oldies hobbling along struggling with their suitcases. It wasn’t funny for either of us. On the first Sunday we went to the C3 Church and a lady spoke on Abraham and Sarah having their miracle baby. She shared how she was not able to have a child and was told it wasn’t possible by the doctors. She needed a miracle, and refused to give a laugh of doubt, but believed God for a child. To cut a long story short she had finally her miracle baby and laughed, and laughed. The Devil said she wouldn’t have a child but she got the last laugh. This message really encouraged me to keep on believing even if we are getting older and older. The next Sunday the sermon was on Jacob wrestling with the Angel and coming away with a limp. There is often pain involved in our prayers and struggles for success.
Things got worse for me but praise God Bernice got better. At one stage, my son had to push me around in a wheelchair at the Taronga Zoo. Was I embarrassed? The fast ended on the 40th day and my reading was, “Rejoice for your God will be faithful, He absolutely will come through for you.” In true Hotter tradition I ended the fast by having a curry. Lol.
It’s been 7 years now since all that happened and the Lord still keeps saying to me that He will come through for me. I keep arguing that I’m getting older and don’t have as much strength but the Lord says. “Nothing shall be impossible for those who believe.” As I look back I see how much stronger I have become spiritually.
“So, when God told Abraham that he would give him a son who would have many descendants and become a great nation, Abraham believed God even though such a promise just couldn’t come to pass! And because his faith was strong, he didn’t worry about the fact that he was too old to be a father at the age of one hundred, and that Sarah his wife, at ninety, was also much too old to have a baby. But Abraham never doubted. He believed God, for his faith and trust grew ever stronger, and he praised God for this blessing even before it happened. He was completely sure that God was well able to do anything he promised. And because of Abraham’s faith God forgave his sins and declared him “not guilty.” Romans 4:18-22
In Gods eyes we are never too old, in fact He loves blessing and coming through for those who don’t have any strength left, for then only He can get the glory.
We have the example of barren Sarah having a baby in her old age along with Samson’s mother. Also Hannah the mother of Samuel and Elizabeth the mother of John the Baptist. Their trials of faith produced great men of God. Your trial could be an indicator that something wonderful is ahead, and not just an average blessing. Don’t give up, believe that all things are possible with God.
He’s looking for a people of prayer who believe His promises. The problem is, not that God can’t, its because we don’t believe as we should. One of the problems of the End Time Church is that people will have a form of godliness but deny the power of God.
Remember that faith comes by hearing God’s word. How much of the word are we reading and thinking about? How much time are you thinking about His promises compared to how much time you spend watching TV. You can say Amen or Oh my.
The pray of faith can draw in miracles from the age that is to come. He wants His will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. Hebrews says that we can taste the powers of the age that is to come.
“And have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come.” Hebrew 6:5
We have a few examples of this happening in scripture. Enoch the 7th from Adam saw the Lord’s return and longed for that day. Wouldn’t you, for it must have been so exciting to see? He wanted it so bad that God took him. He was translated like those who will rise up to meet the Lord in the air. He tasted the power of the age that is to come way back then.
Mary wanted Jesus to perform a miracle at the wedding of Cana but Jesus said it wasn’t His time. She must have prevailed upon Him for He did this miracle before His time and turned water into wine.
The Syrophenican woman prevailed on Jesus to give her a miracle and He eventually did this for her even though it was not yet time for the Gentiles to be blessed. She called in the power of the age to come.
Jesus Himself showed His glorified body to his disciples before the time on the mount of transfiguration.
Don’t limit God. If its in the word then its possible. All His promise are Yes and Amen.
“For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God.” 2 Corinthians 1:20
Psalm 119:111 says that the word of God and His promises are our inheritance. Like Canaan Land they belong to us, but you need to fight for them.
I read this amazing word in Romans 8:17 in the Passion Translation.
“And since we are his true children, we qualify to share all his treasures, for indeed, we are heirs of God himself. And since we are joined to Christ, we also inherit all that he is and all that he has. We will experience being co-glorified with him provided that we accept his sufferings as our own.”
We need to take our eyes off the problems and troubles around us and remind ourselves of the good word of God.
My wife and I have communion often and remind ourselves, the Devil and the Lord that Jesus not only forgave all our sins but healed all our diseases. Psalm 103:2-3
“Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof the Lord spake in that day; “Joshua 14:12"
I live under the shadow of Mount Taranaki and most days remind myself of my gigantic inheritance. If Caleb could get his mountain at the age of 85 then how much more can I, for we have far better promises than Caleb did.
So my question to you today is. “Will you laugh at the promises of God in unbelief, or will you be those who laugh as you see them come to pass in your life.”
Your desire and prayers can draw in the power of the age that is to come. The secret is to do what the first part of this verse says and make God’s word precious and tasting the good word of God.
“And have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come.” Hebrew 6:5