God took Abraham outside and said, “Look up at the heavens and count the stars—if indeed you can count them” (Genesis 15:5).
If God took you outside and said, “Count the stars.” Would he say what he said to Abraham? Would he say he’s going to give you children as numerous as the stars? We would be afraid to look up. Nobody wants that many children. Maybe the old woman in the shoe would be happy with this arrangement. But Abraham only wanted one child. This would be plenty for him.
Why did God tell Abraham that his descendents would be numerous as the stars when he hadn’t even given him the first child?
Face it, God is a little on the extravagant side. He loves to show us the possibilities. He sees a much greater future. He sees many when we see few. Job 11:7 says, “Can you fathom the mysteries of God? Can you probe the limits of the Almighty?”
The curse of every life is to set limits. We limit our possibilities by saying, “I could never do that.” Humans want to settle. We want to set boundaries, which—in and of themselves—are not bad. But we can never set limits to God’s vision for our future.
We can’t suppress his great love. But we try. We say, “I’m not worthy. You don’t know what I’ve done.” To say this is to believe we somehow control the way God responds to us, but we don’t control his response. Ask the Prodigal Son. He envisioned a strong speech on debauchery, instead he felt the embrace of the father. Then rejoiced at a party.
God is the God of possibility, even after our inability. So don’t settle for a less stressful job, when God is offering you the job of your dreams. Don’t count yourself out when sin has erupted in your life. Don’t settle for less when God offers more. For God isn’t bound by our limits or inabilities. Only we are.
So open yourself to new possibilities. Hope for change. Ask yourself why you’re limiting yourself to a life of drudgery at a job with no passion or to a faith that can’t believe for miracles or to an existence where you only remember all the wrongs you’ve done. Rethink your gloom. Rethink what isn’t working in your life. Be a little extravagant in your possibilities. Let God take you outside. Look up to the heavens. Then shoot for the stars!
The Road of Hope 