Who Shall Set Bounds to Almighty God?

"Is any thing too hard for the LORD?" -Genesis 18:14 [KJV]

A clergyman went to read prayers on a working-day. There was but one person in the church, beside himself and the clerk. On which he said to the clerk, As there is nobody else here, what signifies my reading prayers? Sir, said the clerk, Is not God present? O, said the priest, I forgot God. Do not we too often the same? Is it not hence, that our minds are exercised with doubts, fears, and distress? This question the Lord put to Sarah, when an unbecoming laugh of incredulity appeared, and this unbelieving speech dropt from her lips, Shall I, of a surety, bear a child, who am old? 

O the longsuffering kindness, the condescending goodness of our Lord! He is Jesus the Saviour, for instead of striking her dead at His feet, for her contempt of His word, He mildly reasons with her. As though He had said, Sarah, look not at yourself. Consult not flesh and blood. Judge not according to nature, reason, and the state of things. Consider the promise, look at the Promiser, the Lord God omnipotent. “Is any thing too hard for the LORD?” O think of the love of an incarnate God! This question, doubtless, broke the strong fetters of Sarah’s unbelief, for it is thus recorded of her, “Through faith, Sarah received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged Him faithful, Who had promised,” (Hebrews 11:11.) 

Here is a matter brought to pass, beyond the power, and contrary to the laws of nature. But who shall set bounds to the God of nature? O soul, whenever thy mind is puzzled with any mysterious truth of God’s word, solve the difficulty with thy Lord’s own interrogation, “Is any thing too hard for the LORD?” It is quite sufficient to silence all thy carnal reasoning, quell the risings of unbelief, and cause thee to leave all thy hard matters and difficult concerns in thy Lord’s hand. 

Never forget His everlasting love. Never doubt His almighty power. Say, thou hast a hard heart, a sea of corruptions, a storm of afflictions and temptations, potent enemies, strong unbelief; yea, say, thou hast death and hell to conflict with. Yet say not that any, or all of these are too strong for thy Lord: too hard for Him to support thee under, and save thee from. O then, in all thy straits, difficulties, and trials, never, never forget thy Lord’s question, Is any thing too hard for the Lord? Remember the eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath thee are His everlasting arms. He will speak destruction to thy foes, and salvation to thy soul. See Deuteronomy 33:27. 

 

The Lord we serve’s omnipotent, 

Let faith then trace His pow’r, 

For that’s engag’d by covenant, 

To keep us ev’ry hour. 

Whene’er strong foes do us assault, 

And sin and lust do rage. 

Lord, keep our souls from ev’ry fault, 

And on our side engage. 

 

-preacher Wm. Mason (1724-1797 A.D.)

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