'Cannot' Is Not in His Vocabulary

“Behold, the LORD’S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:” (Isa 59:1 AV)

What a verse considering the circumstances.  This statement is written to a nation that seemed like it would never get it.  Israel was backslidden and stubborn.  A nation that had the foundation to know a follow the LORD, but choose not to, is a nation that many would think would be without hope.  Yet, this verse and others like it are sprinkled throughout the book of Isaiah.  No matter how far we have slid or how deep we are in or how anxious we may be, God is still God.  His hand is not shortened that He cannot meet us where we are.  He has not closed off His ears so that He will not hear our cries.  This verse is not limited to reconciliation and restoration alone.  No.  This truth applies no matter what we might be going through.  God is still God!  Even when we think our situation is beyond even the LORD’s hand, He shows Himself faithful.

There is one word that strikes me this morning.  Cannot.  In other words, there is nothing too big or ambiguous that He cannot address.  The word ‘cannot’ is not part of the divine Godhead.  Although we know God cannot lie, fail, or be taken by surprise, there is nothing too great for God.  Nothing.  There is a children’s song we teach them.  The words go something like this:  “My God is so big; my God is so great; There is nothing my God cannot do.”  We teach this to give faith and courage in the hearts of our little ones.  But how soon do we forget this when we grow out of it?  When we were children, everything was bigger.  Our parents were bigger.  Our teachers were bigger.  Our houses and cars were bigger.  Safety was all around.  Then the world began to get smaller and smaller.  Our problems became bigger.  In childhood, a skinned knee sent us to mom’s lap and she could make it all better.  We knew this.  When our first romance ended in disaster and we felt like we could not live another day, somehow, a day with Dad made it all better.  Then life happens.  Sickness or financial collapse invades our otherwise perfect life.  We don’t know where to turn.  As we age, fear becomes more of a monster than it ever was in our twenties and thirties.  We didn’t know any better back then.  Now, we face permanent change and there is nothing that can stop it or alter our course.

The above verse is one of those verses worth memorizing.  It will be a constant reminder of just how good God can be and is to us.  It is a steady rock upon which to latch when life throws a curve ball and we don’t think we can hang on one more day.  This is one of these verses that can never be overused.  It is a verse that makes the sun shine again.  It is a verse that enables us to take one more step.  It is a truth that rings true in every life of those that walk with God by faith.  This verse had brought comfort to countless overburdened souls and emboldened the fearful.  This truth has motivated great missionary endeavors.  It has been the verse that brought hopeless sinners to their knees and stricken saints to victory.  It is and was the verse of many burned at the stake, sailing to a far country, or simply trying to eke out a living big enough for their family to survive.  This verse is more than a simple childhood song.  It is the anchor to a weary soul, a standard to carry for the battle weary, and a rock of confidence to those who would slip into defeat otherwise.  This verse is a great one.  It is a necessary one.  It is a life-changing one.