Trusting God when it looks impossible, in hopeless situations, is easier said than done.
Hope. That one word has carried me through so many hard seasons. I hope in Christ because I have seen that God can fix anything.
Today we will see that God saves us and delivers us. That promise means you can trust in the Lord when it looks impossible by being still and setting aside fear.
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Trusting God When It Looks Impossible Is Not New
People have faced impossible situations from the beginning of time. Trusting God when it looks impossible is not a new need for Believers.
Today we will revisit the Israelites at the edge of the Red Sea to understand how to be still and set aside our fear when all hope feels lost.
“But Moses said to the people, “Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of the Lord which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see them again forever.” (Exodus 14:13 NASB)
In our series, as we saw the phrase, “Be still my anxious mind, God will fight for you,” we defined the Hebrew word ‘charash’:
- Be still
- Don’t complain or worry about the enemy (real or imagined) in front of you more than you trust God because God will fight for you.
“Be still or be silent,’ was said when the Israelites were facing an impossible situation. That command… given in this situation… highlights the fact that God works in impossible situations!
The Israelites Knew About The Impossible
Some things to know about the context of Exodus 14:13:
- The Israelites had done nothing wrong.
- God caused this impossible situation.
- Moses was told some of the details, but we don’t see him communicate them to the people.
- The Egyptian army was fierce and angry.
- Without God to save them, this was an impossible situation for Israel.
Those are the facts, but can you just imagine the feelings swirling around their minds?
Uncertainty.
This was a tough situation, but God had gotten Israel out of worse scenarios before… or so they had been told. All of what they knew about God had been passed down through stories from people who had long since died.
Fear.
The Israelites were asking God to do the impossible. The Egyptian army was close and there was nowhere to hide. There was no way across the Red Sea.
Awe.
God told them, “Do not fear; see God save You… be still,” and then God saved them. He really did what He said He would do!
The Lord can save you from your impossible situation today too. Are you believing God for the impossible?
Related: 33 Powerful Bible Verses About Confidence in Christ
How Do You Trust God When It Looks Impossible?
Have you ever read the Bible and just wondered about it? Or wondered about who God really is?
If you peel back all the Sunday School applications and look at the hard messy details you may understand my questions today.
Yes, God delivered Israel, but Y’all, God put Israel in the situation to need to be delivered. That’s hard for me to wrap my mind around. It’s harder still to accept even on a basic level as it applies to my everyday life. Ya’ know what I mean?
God Allows Impossible Situations
Let’s just sit here for a moment and think this through.
The Lord heard the cry of His people who were suffering in Egypt. He raised up a champion in Moses to fight for their deliverance. The deliverance was hard won but it was finally won. Pharoah was utterly defeated when he set the Israelites free.
God won.
Israel won.
They were headed toward a victory party!
Until… God hardened Pharaoh’s heart, stirring him to change his mind and attack Israel. My mind sees that and wonders why God would put Israel through the fear and chaos of this attack after everything they have already been through.
How do you trust God when He seems to be at the heart of the struggle? Is it possible to be still, set aside fear, and be silent in our trust of a God who allows (and sometimes causes) hard things to happen?
Hard Truth: God’s ways and plans are mysterious but His heart is trustworthy.
Related: 40 Encouraging Bible Verses About Choices and Making Wise Decisions
Do You Trust God’s Heart?
When God’s actions lead us to need divine intervention, it’s easy to be angry with God. When there seems to be no way out of the hard place, it’s easy to ask God why.
In our mind, we know God is trustworthy and faithful. That is why we can be still. That is why we can silently set aside fear and trust Him.
How can I fully trust God?
I’ve seen Him be faithful too many times in the past to doubt His faithfulness. There have been countless impossible situations at this point in life. I can look back at everyone, and see God had heart issues in mind that were there desperately needed to be change!
Did you find this mid-series? Go back here and read the intro and keep up with the series.
Trusting God In The Face of Impossibilities
This is one of the countless examples of impossible situations in the Bible. The issue is not how to start trusting God, but how to keep trusting God when things look impossible. Can you relate?
God was acting justly to deal with the pride of Egypt and Pharoh. This was a nation that received the blessing of God, generations earlier when God saved them from starvation through Joseph. Their pride and idolatry was an issue that had to be handled and God took that opportunity to handle it.
You see, God is jealous and majestic.
In this passage, God was showing off for His people. He was also sowing seeds of fear into the surrounding nations.
The Lord of The Miraculous
God was glorified as He performed a miraculous spectacle no one had ever imagined possible! Parting the Red Sea was an important part of God’s bigger plan.
The Israelites were in no real danger because God was with them… of course, they didn’t know that at the time. Perhaps the Lord was trying to teach them to trust Him in this… Perhaps He was continuing to woo them to Himself through signs and wonders.
We learn from this, that impossible situations can become possible miracles that go on and on. Why? Because God sees the future and has a plan. He is always working things out to pave the way for the abundant life He promised in (John 10:10)!
We can be still and trust Him while we set aside the fear of the impossible things in our lives!
God saves us and delivers us. That promise means you can keep trusting God when it looks impossible by being still and setting aside fear. Share on XWhat is Your Impossible Situation?
Today I write this from my bed, sick and so tired. I’ve been sick for a while now. Doctors throw around the word chronic to cover for the fact that it won’t go away. Chronic Illness looks impossible to me.
My youngest daughter was diagnosed with Autism. Suddenly what I hoped would get better with structure and discipline looks like a life of disability and hardship. Impossible.
After 20 years of marriage, we still struggle to communicate, connect, or grow intimacy. I begin to wonder if things will ever get easier for us. Impossible.
What are your impossible situations?
How To Keep Believing God Can Change Your Impossible Situation
We all face impossible situations. Right?
It is really challenging… seriously… really challenging… to keep believing God in our impossible situations when they just keep happening. Who else?
Who else wonders how to keep joy in their faith when they know God allowed the impossible thing? When the impossible thing hurts and feels overwhelming…
How do we keep believing? How can we trust Him in the hard moments and seasons when we can’t see any sense in the impossible?
To apply what the Lord is teaching, I want to look at Exodus 14:13 from another perspective. Through this, we will ask a different question. What has to happen differently to allow us to walk with joy through trails or wallow in despair?
Yes, God can do the impossible, Scripture testifies to it. Also, sometimes He causes or allows the impossible situation for His purposes and our good.
To keep trusting God (with joy) when things look impossible you need to do three things.
- Understand that seeing God move changes things for others around you.
- Remember how God has been faithful in the past.
- Keep trusting God to help us grow in faith.
1. Seeing God Move Changes Things For Others Around You
What happened as a result of God delivering Israel through this impossible situation?
- Israel saw God in a new light.
- Fear/ reverence for God grew all through the land.
- God’s people saw the fulfillment of a promise.
- Do not fear for I will save you
- Be still, I will fight for you
- Do not fear, I will deliver you.
It’s one thing to know that God works in impossible situations, but it’s another thing to see the Lord work. To see HIM at work often requires an impossible situation… a situation where no one but HIM could save you.
I love the Bible. It’s great! Seriously, search out Bible verses that say “Nothing is impossible with God” or “With God all things are possible.” Even better? Listen to testimonies of Impossible prayers answered. Amazing!
All that’s great, but Y’all it’s another thing to see God fight your impossible situation with your own eyes. Every time I see God move mountains, my faith grows in huge ways and I can more easily be still and not fear!
We may not like impossible situations, but God uses them in ways comfortable situations never could be used.
2. Remember When God Moved In Your Life
Have you seen God work and move in your life?
Listen, I know God can do the impossible because I’ve seen Him do it in my life! I’ve watched God transform my story into something beautiful. I know what a hot mess it was before God got involved!
One area where God has transformed my story is in trusting God to restore my marriage. I’m talking about an impossible marriage restored… LOL, I can’t even say restored because that would imply it was ever good.
Our marriage was a mess from the beginning. Today it is nothing like the dysfunctional, one-sided, divorce-destined thing it was. God restored it to His design (we still struggle in a lot of ways but it’s on the right track finally)!
Remembering how God has been faithful helps me know He will change this impossible situation!
Related: 14 Characteristics of a Godly Wife That Will Save Your Marriage
3. Keep Trusting God To Help You Grow in Faith
Chances are you are here because you want to grow in faith. Let me tell you, trusting God in the face of the impossible grows your faith like little else in life!
When you see Scriptures on trusting God like this it stirs something inside of you to look within. It shows the truth about who you are relying on; God, or yourself.
Remember those impossible prayers that were answered miraculously and keep leaning into Him!
Related: When We Must Trust God To Work Everything Out For Good
Will You Continue Trusting God When It Looks Impossible?
Are you in a hopeless situation today?
Trusting God when it looks impossible can be so hard.
I understand that place of longing to trust Him. We know that trust is the only way toward obedience, submission, and pleasing the Lord… But when life has handed you hard season after chaotic season and impossible problem after huge mountain it can feel so overwhelming! So impossible to keep trusting, to keep walking…
We see that being still is about trusting God day by day no matter what situations come at us. This is the only way to grow in faith.
This is a promise we can claim, “God will fight for you, save you, and deliver you” as we stand being still… believing God for the impossible. Honestly, sometimes we don’t even stand, we just lean into Him as we fall to our knees.
Exodus 14:13-14 is one of those answered prayer stories. You look at it and know God can change your situation because this Bible verse shows He has done it before. Done it before way bigger than anything you need.
The question is not, “Can God change my impossible situation?” No, The question is, “Will you continue trusting God, even when the situation looks impossible?”
To be still in your trust of God and set aside fear when faced with the impossible will always bring miracles – even if they look different than you imagine. And they will absolutely look different thank you imagine.
To keep trusting God when things look impossible keep these three things in mind.
- Understand that seeing God move changed things.
- Remember how God has moved in the past.
- Keep trusting God to grow in faith
A Prayer To Be Still, Not Fear and Trust God
Jehovah Tsaba, our Mighty Warrior,
Thank you for the promise that you will save me, you will deliver me from trouble, and you will fight for me. I want to lay my fear down at Your mighty feet. Help me to be still, to stop complaining about my impossible situations, and to stop worrying about them more than I pray about them.
Today I give You glory for all the impossible situations You’ve fought for me recently. Thank You, God, for my husband and all that You have changed and redeemed in our marriage. I pray for trust in God’s plan for my life no matter what that includes. Father, if the sickness is Your plan for my life I trust You.
Take this life, a living sacrifice, surrendered fully for You to use as You please.
Amen
in HIM,
Tiffany of Hope Joy in Christ inspires Christian Women to grow in faith, live out Biblical Marriage Principles and raise Godly Children. Join the Wives Only Facebook Group here or keep up with her through Pinterest.
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Please pray for my healing in body mind and spirit. Take away the pain an fear hand restore my life. Thank you
Covering you in prayer today, Kim. Father, wrap Kim in Your healing arms, anoint her with the healing balm of gilead and cover her in Your peace that passes understanding. Amen.
Dear Tiffany,
I am too facing an impossible financial situation. I have a large sum of debts that will only take a miracle to pay, and i have no money. literally no money.
I have been praying, declaring God’s promises and even prophecies, but nothing happens. and troubles keep coming into my life. for example : flood in my house almost every night, refrigerator suddenly broke down, car’s lamp not functioning, motor cycle broke down.
It is hard for me to understand why it looks like that God shut His ears and eyes on my plea for help. I know God never shuts His ears and eyes from me….but it does make me sad and desperate knowing that my prayers don’t get answered.
Today i went to work with a very heavy heart..and i came across your vlog. it gave me hope, knowing that someone out there, who faced impossible situations could actually make it through with God.
please pray with me, that my faith will increase and i will not easily be afraid. Thank u
I am standing with you in prayer over this right now, Karina! God is mighty to fight our battles!
Please pray for my 23 year old daughter, she may have a serious blood disorder I am scared!
Oh Father, heal and show Your merciful hand of peace and hope to this family. Amen.
This write up has encouraged me. I have been praying for marriage restoration, the situation seems impossible and many times I have decided to give up. I have tried to fix things on my own, the more I try the worse things become. I have decided to completely give the situation to God. Please pray for me to trust God and his will fory situation.
Praising God even now, because it is often not until we fully surrender that God begins to move. Praying that He will guide you and lead you in prayer and show you the next right step on the path He has for you.
This write has encouraged me.. Please pray for my happiness. I’ve been in stress for past 4 months.. But i was praying daily with hope and trust in God.. But recently my situation seemed very much impossible.. Still i have trust in God , but i don’t know when all things will change around… I request you to pray for me.. And make me to beleive that I’ll get back my happiness… Praise the Lord
Father God, cover Helan in YOUR peace that passes understanding. Move in her situation in a way that she sees YOU and knows YOU are for her. Amen.