Is Anything Too Hard for God?

Overview

No. Nothing is too hard for God, and both Genesis 18:14 and Jeremiah 32:27 put it as a rhetorical question: is anything too hard for the Lord? Rev. Jon Ryan works through Hebrews 11:6, the Red Sea, Joshua telling the sun to stand still, the promise of a son to Abraham and Sarah when they were old and well stricken in age, Jeremiah with the city given into the hand of the Chaldeans, and two storms on the Sea of Galilee. Knowing who God is produces an attitude he sums up in an Australian phrase: no worries, mate. Philippians 4:6 says be careful for nothing, and Matthew 6:25 says take no thought, a Greek word meaning to be full of worry or anxiety which divides and distracts the mind.

Transcript

Believing That God Is: Where Confidence Begins in Hebrews 11:6

Is anything too hard for God? Please take your Bibles and turn to Hebrews chapter 11. Hebrews chapter 11. This phrase, is anything too hard for God, or there is nothing too hard for the Lord, comes up at different places in the Word of God. And it really depicts an attitude that we can have. If we recognize who God is, we can walk with great confidence. We can walk through obstacles and challenges with amazing success because of God.

In Hebrews 11, in verse 6, we read, We must believe that He is. Who is God? God is the creator of the heavens and the earth. Men and women that walk with God are recorded in the pages of the Bible. And we see amazing things that they did. Turn to Genesis chapter 18. Genesis 18.

Moses at the Red Sea and Joshua Telling the Sun to Stand Still

We can read about Moses leading Israel out of captivity. They’ve been in captivity for years and years in Egypt. And God sends Moses to lead them out when Moses is 80 years old. And as Moses is leading them out of Egypt to bring them back to the land that was promised to Abraham, they come up against the Red Sea. And the Egyptian army is pursuing after them. And Moses tells Israel not to be afraid. Rather, to stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. And then with God’s direction, he parts the Red Sea. Wow.

That’s amazing confidence in God. But he knew who God is. He knew that God didn’t lead them to this point to be defeated and overrun by the Egyptian army.

Then, sometime later, as Moses has fallen asleep, he died. And Joshua is leading Israel into this promised land. In Joshua chapter 10, Joshua is in the middle of a battle and needs to finish the battle and defeat this enemy. And it says, he spake to the Lord and said, Sun, stand thou still. Joshua 10:12. Joshua tells the sun to stand still so he can finish the battle. And the sun stands still. He knew who God is.

Abraham and Sarah: Twenty-Five Years Waiting in the Promised Land

Here in this record in Genesis 18, Abraham and Sarah have been in this land that Joshua was retaking, the promised land, for a number of years. They had arrived there when Abraham was 75 years old. And now he’s about 100 years old. So they’ve been 25 years in the promised land. And God had promised he and Sarah that they would have a child together. Sarah is 10 years younger than Abraham.

And here we can pick up the record in Genesis 18. It says in verse 1, [the reading of Genesis 18:1-2 is missing from the transcript here] He recognized these were God’s men. These were angels that had come. Now Abraham, in Romans chapter 4, it says, [the quotation from Romans 4 is missing from the transcript here] Sarah has never had a child. It said when we were first introduced to her in Genesis 11 that she was barren. It states in different ways in the Word. Here in this record it’s going to say, [the quotation from Genesis 18 is missing from the transcript here] But that’s no obstacle. So here these angels come.

Genesis 18:14: Is Anything Too Hard for the Lord?

In verse 9, [the reading of Genesis 18:9 is missing from the transcript here] And he said, As soon as he saw these angels come, God’s messengers come, he told her to prepare a meal for these men. Verse 10, and he said, [the reading of Genesis 18:10 is missing from the transcript here] This is the angel speaking. Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age. And it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women. Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, [the rest of Genesis 18:12 and the opening of 18:13 are missing from the transcript here] And the Lord said unto Abraham, this is the angel, Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the time appointed I will return unto thee according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son. Amazing.

Is anything too hard for the Lord? That’s a rhetorical question. No, there’s nothing that’s too hard for God, the creator of the heavens and the earth. This is not an obstacle that can’t be overcome. Even though by their physical senses and their assessment of their body, they are no longer able to have children. That’s not going to prevent God.

No Worries, Mate: An Attitude Built on Who God Is

Look at Philippians chapter 4. This is an attitude we can have. We are to have a cognizance and awareness of who God is. Down in Australia, New Zealand area, called the Down Under, they have a phrase that I’ve become very fond of. The phrase that you may be familiar with is, [the phrase itself is missing from the transcript here; the speaker quotes it below as no worries, mate] Now, when I looked it up, this phrase can mean different things.

If someone’s done a good deed for you, helped you with your car or to move into your home, and you say, thank you so much. And they say, no worries, mate. Don’t worry about it. You know, it’s not a big deal. That’s one of the ways that this is used. But another way is, it says, if someone were to be freaking out, that’s the words that were used in this description. If they would be freaking out or panicked over a challenge that they were facing, their friends might say to them, no worries, mate. Don’t worry about this.

And in this context, that’s how we can be. God’s got this. Don’t worry about whatever it is that you’re facing. You may have got some bad news about your health or your finances or your family, whatever it is. God’s bigger. Don’t worry. Don’t be anxious.

Philippians 4:6: Be Careful for Nothing, but in Everything by Prayer

Here in Philippians 4, the Apostle Paul, who, it’s an amazing thing that we can read that he went through and the challenges that he overcame. He writes a revelation in chapter 4 of Philippians in verse 6, be careful for nothing. The word careful is easily understood as be anxious for nothing. But in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your request be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. No worries, mate.

See, don’t get anxious. Don’t get full of concern and care and worry. Rather, be prayerful. Be thankful. And that prayer, it says by prayer and supplication, that first prayer, that first word denotes a recognition of who God is. The supplication will be the specific request. When we come to God and see him as the creator of the heavens and earth and that there’s nothing too hard for him. And with that attitude, we can make our requests.

What Worry Actually Does to Your Body

You know, worry is an emotional state. When I looked up this definition, it says it’s a state of being troubled, disturbed, harassed, full of cares, anxious, or vexed. Worry can wear you out. It can defeat you if you get into it.

The world at times has different ways of dealing with anxiety or worry. They will escape. They’ll go to alcohol. They’ll go to drugs. They’ll go to sleep. They’ll procrastinate. They’re facing a challenge and they just want to run away from it. Make it go away. They go to sleep, but it’s there when they wake up in the morning.

One doctor noted that our hospital beds are occupied by people with nervous and emotional troubles. Over 50% of our hospital beds are occupied by people with nervous or emotional challenges. Your body is designed to heal itself, but you can sabotage that by worry and anxiety, which can do terrible things to your body, to carry that fear and that apprehension around and to put your body under that stress. That’s no way to live.

Romans 12:2: Be Not Conformed to This World

Look at Romans chapter 12. Romans 12. Here’s a familiar section of scripture for many people. I love how it applies here. In verse 1, we read, I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service, and be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

See, we’re not to be conformed to this world. We don’t have to respond the way those around us may respond with fear and anxiety, and there’s certainly as many opportunities to be fearful, to be anxious. Gosh, today people have so much access to information, and often that information is negative.

There’s some benefits to having a cell phone and being able to reach out to one another to get information at your fingertips. People often get panicked if they’ve forgotten their cell phone because they’re so accustomed to carrying it around, but that device can also put a lot of negatives in your face. There’s so many things that are going on around the world, and they can just be right there in conversation, in news, on your TV, on your radio, even around your workplaces and school.

You can hear so many things that are reasons that people have to be anxious, and yet we don’t have to be conformed to this world. We can be that breath of fresh air as we walk around with an attitude that God’s got this. Don’t be anxious. Be confident in God and who he is.

How Jesus Christ Knew His Father: Salt, Light and the Sermon on the Mount

Turn to Matthew chapter 6. Matthew chapter 6, Jesus Christ studied the scriptures. He would have certainly continued to recognize minute by minute who God is, who his Father is. He told his mother, Mary, when he was 12 years old and he was left behind or was there at the temple when they had departed to go back home, and after three days they found him, and he was there with the scribes answering their questions, asking questions, and she asked him why he wasn’t with them. He said, don’t you know it must be about my father’s business? He wanted to grasp and understand who his father is and the way we do that, the way he did it and the way we do it is by our study of the scriptures.

And so in Matthew chapter 6, this is part of what’s called the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus Christ is teaching. He’s called people together back in chapter 5 and he’s presented some amazing things. He’s told them that they are the salt of the earth and they are the lights of the world, but don’t let your salt get trodden underfoot. That is good for nothing. We are the salt of the earth. Salt has great qualities. It brings healing. It preserves. It adds flavor, but don’t let it get trodden underfoot.

And so here he tells them they are the light of the world, but don’t hide your light under a bushel. Let your light so shine that people can see God and glorify the Father.

Matthew 6:25: What Take No Thought Means in the Greek

And here as he’s teaching this in chapter 6, verse 25, we read, therefore I say unto you, take no thought for your life, what you shall eat, what you shall drink, nor yet for your body, what you shall put on. Is not the life more than meat and the body more than raiment? Behold, the fowls of the air, for they sow not, neither do they reap nor gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they show or how they grow. They toil not, neither do they spin, yet I say unto you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

This phrase, take no thought, is the Greek word merimeneo, M-E-R-I-M-N-A-O, which means to be full of worry or anxiety, which divides and distracts the mind. Jesus Christ is teaching them, your heavenly Father takes care of the birds. He takes care of the lilies. He’s the creator of the heavens and the earth. So why are you going to be full of worry or anxiety which divides and distracts?

God Feeds the Fowls of the Air: O Ye of Little Faith

Look at verse 30. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? We don’t want to be of little faith, of little expectation. Limit God to that extent where God can’t take care of us. Here he’s talking about basic needs, food and raiment. God can take care of you. He will take care of you.

I used to live up in the northern part of our country. I lived in Maine and New Hampshire. And there, when the winters come, the winters can be very severe. It can be cold, cold, I mean below zero for days at a time. And it always would amaze me that these little birds would come out in the spring. And they’d be out even when the weather warmed up. How did they survive that cold, cold, cold? God. Some of them flew south, but not all of them fly south. But God takes care of them. When I think about this record, The Fowls of the Air, God will take care of us.

Jeremiah 32:17: There Is Nothing Too Hard for Thee

Look at Jeremiah, chapter 32. Again, Jesus Christ certainly would have studied these records. He would have been very familiar with what God has written and how God has shown him and us who he is and the attitude that we can have, the confidence that we can have knowing who God is. This record here in Jeremiah is Jeremiah’s been faced with a situation and he’s walking with God. And it’s evidenced here in this record.

In Jeremiah 32, in verse 17, Jeremiah says, Ah, Lord God, behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee. See, preface to there’s nothing too hard for thee is a recognition that God is the creator of the heaven and the earth. Jeremiah is dealing with this situation and he comes to God with this attitude. He has reason to be anxious. He has reason to be concerned if you read the record. And yet, no worries, mate. He’s not concerned.

And look what it says, verse 25. God’s responding to Jeremiah. Verse 25, and thou hast said unto me, O Lord God, Buy thee the field for money, and take witnesses. For the city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans. Then came the word of the Lord unto Jeremiah saying, Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for me? That’s a rhetorical question. There’s nothing that’s too hard for God. So Jeremiah just has to follow the direction that God gives him and not be apprehensive, not be anxious about what lies ahead. We just live one day at a time.

Matthew 8: Why Are Ye Fearful, O Ye of Little Faith?

Go back to Matthew, please. Matthew 8. Certainly we could look at so many records of these great men that God’s brought our attention to and see how they lived, men and women. But here, Jesus Christ, the Master, is so tremendous. And in Matthew 8, we’re going to pick up this record where there’s a storm. He and his disciples are crossing the Sea of Galilee. And you read the Gospels, and it’s amazing the schedule that Jesus Christ kept. I mean, there’s one record where you can see what he did one particular day. It’s a whole chapter of one of the Gospels. But here, Jesus Christ has obviously been working hard, and they’re crossing the sea, he and his men, and he’s taking a nap.

And in Matthew 8, in verse 23, And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him. And behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with waves. But he was asleep. Bless his heart. He was asleep. And his disciples came to him and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us, we perish.

They are not sleeping. They are full of fear. They are so anxious, they think that they’re going to die. This storm is raging. Look how Jesus Christ handled it. And he said unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Merimeneo, why are you allowing your anxiety to distract and defeat you? And then he rises up. He arose and rebuked the winds and sea, and there was a great calm. He knows who his father is. And he’s teaching them, you don’t have to be so anxious, so divided, so distracted because of circumstances.

Matthew 14: Walking on the Sea in the Fourth Watch of the Night

Look at Matthew chapter 14. Matthew 14. This is another account where, again, things get stressful. And we deal with things. Sometimes major happenings. In this case, Jesus Christ’s cousin, John the Baptist, has been brutally murdered. And the word has just come to him and his disciples. And they are at a time when they’re so busy, it says they don’t even have time to eat lunch. In Mark chapter 6, you can see this.

And here are the same records written in Matthew 14. And he is pulled out of the day’s activities when the word came, and he’s going to head to a solitary place. Because how do you deal with stress? It says in Philippians, be anxious for nothing, but all things by prayer and supplication. And with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God. He needs to go and pray.

But as he’s moving towards this solitary place, the multitudes come out and throng him. 5,000 people who’ve heard the word that John has been murdered. Many of them have been followers of John. And they come to Jesus Christ, and he ministers to them throughout the day and in the evening. He miraculously feeds them with five loaves and two fish. 5,000 men.

And once this is done, let’s pick it up here in Matthew 14, in verse 23. And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray. And when the evening was come, he was there alone. But the ship, the ship as he had sent his disciples across the sea, and said, I’ll meet you on the other side. And he sent the 5,000 people back home. He says, but the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves, for the wind was contrary. And in the fourth watch of the night, Jesus went out, went unto them, walking on the sea.

The fourth watch of the night begins at 3 o’clock in the morning. Jesus Christ has been in prayer all night long. He sent, he fed the multitude with the 5,000 men, with the loaves and the fishes, and then had his men pick up the remnants. There were 12 baskets full. And then he says, I’ll meet you on the other side. You head over across the sea, and I’ll meet you over there. And then he goes and prays. And at three in the morning, he’s going to go and save his men, many of whom were very adept with a boat. They were fishermen, many of them.

Be of Good Cheer: Grab Hold of Your Mind

And here he comes walking on the sea, in verse 26. And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit. And they cried out for fear. But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer, it is I, be not afraid. Now that phrase, be of good cheer, is one Greek word, T-H-A-R-S-E-A-U. And it means to have your thoughts well arranged. Here, when they’re full of fear, he’s telling them, grab hold of your mind. Grab hold of your mind. And how do we grab hold of our mind? As we remember God.

And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me to come unto thee on the water. And he said, come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid. And beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand and caught him and said unto him, O thou of little faith. Merimeneo.

Peter allowed his mind to get distracted and defeated. He stopped believing God. You can’t just walk out on the water. But with God, there’s nothing that’s impossible. There’s nothing too hard for God. And Jesus says, wherefore didst thou doubt? We can learn from these records about not losing sight of who God is. Recognizing that he is the creator of the heavens and the earth.

Let’s close again in Philippians chapter 4. My gosh. How to walk with the Father and manifest that power. Put into operation that authority that is ours because we belong to him. He will take care of us. If the Red Sea needs parting, part the Red Sea. If a storm has to be stopped, then the storm can stop. We have the authority. Joshua said, Sun, be thou still. And the sun stops in the sky. That’s who God is.

See, without faith, it is impossible to please God. But he that cometh to God must believe that he is. And that he is a rewarder of those that diligently seek him. In Philippians 4, verse 6, be careful, anxious for nothing. But in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Nothing is too hard for God. God bless you.

Key Takeaways

Is anything too hard for the Lord is a rhetorical question, asked in Genesis 18:14 and again in Jeremiah 32:27, and the answer is that there is nothing too hard for God, the creator of the heavens and the earth.
Hebrews 11:6 is the foundation: we must believe that He is, and that he is a rewarder of those that diligently seek him. Moses at the Red Sea and Joshua telling the sun to stand still both acted on knowing who God is.
Abraham and Sarah had been 25 years in the promised land and were past the age of having children, and that was still no obstacle to God.
Philippians 4:6 answers worry with prayer and supplication and thanksgiving: the first word denotes a recognition of who God is, and the supplication is the specific request.
Take no thought in Matthew 6:25 is the Greek word transcribed here as merimeneo, meaning to be full of worry or anxiety which divides and distracts the mind. It is the same charge Jesus makes to the disciples in the storm and to Peter sinking on the water.
Be of good cheer in Matthew 14:27 is one Greek word meaning to have your thoughts well arranged, which is why the answer to fear is to grab hold of your mind as we remember God.

Frequently Asked Questions

No. Rev. Jon Ryan points out that the question is asked rhetorically twice in scripture, by the angel to Abraham in Genesis 18:14 and by God to Jeremiah in Jeremiah 32:27, and in both cases the answer is that there is nothing too hard for God, the creator of the heavens and the earth. Sarah was past the age of childbearing and it was still not an obstacle that could not be overcome.

What does take no thought mean in Matthew 6:25?

It is the Greek word transcribed in this teaching as merimeneo, which means to be full of worry or anxiety, which divides and distracts the mind. Jesus Christ argues from the fowls of the air, which do not sow or reap yet the heavenly Father feeds them, and from the lilies of the field, to ask why anyone whose Father is the creator of the heavens and the earth would let worry divide and distract them.

What does the Bible say to do instead of worrying?

Philippians 4:6 says be careful for nothing, which is easily understood as be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your request be made known unto God. Rev. Jon Ryan notes that the first word, prayer, denotes a recognition of who God is, while the supplication is the specific request, and the result is the peace of God which passes all understanding.

Scripture References

Hebrews 11:6; Joshua 10:12; Genesis 18:1; Genesis 11:30; Romans 4:19; Genesis 18:9; Genesis 18:10; Genesis 18:11; Genesis 18:12; Genesis 18:13; Genesis 18:14; Philippians 4:6; Philippians 4:7; Romans 12:1; Romans 12:2; Luke 2:49; Matthew 5:13; Matthew 5:14; Matthew 5:15; Matthew 6:25; Matthew 6:26; Matthew 6:27; Matthew 6:28; Matthew 6:29; Matthew 6:30; Jeremiah 32:17; Jeremiah 32:25; Jeremiah 32:27; Matthew 8:23; Matthew 8:24; Matthew 8:25; Matthew 8:26; Matthew 14:23; Matthew 14:24; Matthew 14:25; Matthew 14:26; Matthew 14:27; Matthew 14:28; Matthew 14:29; Matthew 14:30; Matthew 14:31; Mark 6:31

This text was prepared from the teaching audio. Please verify scripture references against your own Bible.