“Looking at them, Jesus said, ‘With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.’” (Matthew 19:26, WEB)
There are verses in the Bible that stop me in my tracks every time I read them, and this is one of them. I’ve lived enough life to know what it feels like to run straight into the brick wall of “impossible.” I’ve sat there with my head in my hands, feeling small and defeated, and thought, There’s just no way. And yet, Jesus looks at me in that moment the same way He looked at His disciples—straight in the eyes—and says, “With God all things are possible.”
The Weight of Impossible
For me, the “impossible” has worn many different faces. Years ago, when I was at my heaviest weight, I thought it would be impossible to ever change. The idea of losing that much weight and keeping it off seemed completely out of reach. I couldn’t imagine being strong or healthy again. Later, when I lost both of my parents, the “impossible” was the idea of finding peace again. The grief felt bottomless, like I would never climb out of that pit.
Maybe for you, the impossible looks different. It might be a financial situation that just won’t budge. It could be a broken relationship that feels too far gone to restore. It might even be something internal, like the nagging thought that you will never truly be free from fear, worry, or shame.
The disciples in this passage were struggling with their own version of “impossible.” Jesus had just told them how hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. Their minds went straight to all the barriers that made salvation seem out of reach. Who then can be saved? they asked. And Jesus didn’t soften the blow—He told them plainly, “With men this is impossible.”
That could have been the end of the story. But then He added the most important part: “With God all things are possible.”
Shifting the Focus
I think what Jesus was really doing was shifting the focus. The disciples were looking at the situation through human eyes, and through human effort. They were asking, What can I do? How much can I give? How hard can I work?
And Jesus reminded them: salvation was never going to be about what they could do. It was always about what God could do.
That’s the same shift I’ve had to make in my own life. When I’m stuck in worry or feeling overwhelmed, it’s usually because I’m looking at everything through my own strength. How can I fix this? How can I make this work? How can I control the outcome? But the truth is, some things are beyond me. They are simply impossible by my own effort.
And that’s not a failure—that’s the exact moment when I’m invited to lean on God.
A God of Possibilities
What encourages me about this verse is that it’s not just about salvation—it’s about the character of God. He is a God who steps into the impossible. Scripture is full of reminders:
- He parted the Red Sea for Moses and the Israelites.
- He brought down the walls of Jericho with nothing but marching and shouting.
- He gave a child to Abraham and Sarah when they were far beyond childbearing age.
- He raised Lazarus from the dead when everyone else had already given up hope.
And ultimately, He made the greatest impossibility possible—He bridged the gap between sinful humanity and a holy God through Jesus Christ.
If He can do all that, why do I doubt that He can handle my struggles too?
Learning to Trust
Of course, trusting God doesn’t always mean the situation changes overnight. Sometimes the “possible” doesn’t look the way I expect it to. There have been times when I prayed for healing and didn’t see it right away. Times when I prayed for doors to open and they stayed shut.
But looking back, I can see that God was still at work. He was doing something I couldn’t see in the moment. He was reshaping me, growing my faith, and showing me that His power isn’t limited to the outcomes I want.
I’ve also noticed something else: when I let go of trying to control everything, I often find peace before I find the solution. And maybe that peace itself is one of the ways God shows me that “with Him, all things are possible.”
What This Means
So, what does this mean for us today? I think it means we don’t have to live under the weight of “impossible.” We don’t have to carry the whole burden of fixing things ourselves. We don’t have to have every answer.
Instead, we can bring our impossibilities to the One who sees the whole picture. We can say, “God, this is too big for me, but it’s not too big for You.” And we can trust that He is able.
A Gentle Reminder
If you’re facing something right now that feels overwhelming—something that makes you say, There’s just no way—let Matthew 19:26 be a gentle reminder to your heart. Yes, with people it may be impossible. But with God, all things are possible.
Not some things. Not most things. All things.
Even that thing you’re afraid to even hope for. Even the thing you’ve stopped praying about because it feels too far gone. Even the thing that keeps you awake at night. God sees it. God knows. And God is able.
Prayer
Lord, You know how many times I’ve said, “This is impossible.” You know the burdens I carry, the situations I can’t fix, and the fears I struggle to let go of. Thank You for reminding me that with You, nothing is too hard. Teach me to trust You more fully. Help me to rest in Your power, not my own effort. And let me see Your hand at work, even in the places that feel impossible. Amen.
