“For nothing is impossible with God.”
Luke 1:37
Exploring Disney World a few weeks ago, going from ride to ride and show to show, one has to spend time to admire what they’ve created. It makes me ask how they accomplish some of the feats that they do. How is that character animated? How does a doorway seemingly appears out of nowhere there? What sort of engineering went into creating that ride? I noticed a quote by Walt Disney hanging on a wall: “It’s kind of fun to do the impossible.”
One can say similar things about the ancient constructions of the Bible. Herod the Great is the one who comes to mind first. I can’t help but be impressed with what he created. From the desert fortress of Masada to the promontory palace jutting into the Mediterranean, his creations are engineering marvels. People wonder how he accomplished what he did without the heavy machinery we have today. Even Jesus’ disciples remarked about the Temple, “Look, Teacher! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings!” (Mark 13:1) Herod strove to do what others thought was impossible.
The large blocks at the southwest corner of the Temple Mount
As another example, I recently visited the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. Surveying the exhibit about the space programs, it’s quite a marvel to think what we’ve accomplished. From the moon landings over forty years ago to the International Space Station to rovers on Mars, it’s quite amazing to behold. How long before we’re back on the moon or visiting an asteroid or Mars? How close are we to constructing space elevators to get to space? As one video put it, we should remove the word “impossible” from our vocabulary. We will continue to push the envelope and do what was once thought impossible.
Despite all that people have accomplished, how often do we limit God? If we can do all this, how much more is he capable of? Think of it: this is the God who created the universe. He created something more fantastic than Fantasyland. He crafted whole mountains, while we marvel at large blocks chopped from his mountains. We strive to reach for the stars, yet he hung them in the night sky for us to behold. Christmas reminds us that he loved us so much that he sent Jesus to earth to die for our sins. His love has no limits. When it comes to God, truly nothing is impossible.
For this is what the LORD says–
Isaiah 45:18-19
he who created the heavens,
he is God;
he who fashioned and made the earth,
he founded it;
he did not create it to be empty,
but formed it to be inhabited–
he says:
“I am the LORD,
and there is no other.
I have not spoken in secret,
from somewhere in a land of darkness;
I have not said to Jacob’s descendants,
‘Seek me in vain.’
I, the LORD, speak the truth;
I declare what is right.”