One dictionary defines “impossible” this way: incapable of being or of occurring.

Can’t happen. Won’t happen. Not going to happen. Forget about it. Give it up. Move on.

It seems like most impossible situations fall into three main categories: relationships, health and money/work.

A couple deals with issues that never seem to get resolved. Rather than getting better, the marriage only gets more tense. Hopelessness sets in.

A child continues to live in rebellion despite the parents doing “all the right things.” Sometimes it seems like they’re communicating and things are improving, but then they find the drugs or condoms or pornography.

A routine office visit reveals cancer. The pregnancy test is negative…for the 38th month in a row. The doctor is puzzled by your symptoms and suggests it may just be something you’ll have to live with.

This round of layoffs hits home. You’re debt is increasing, your savings are gone and the bills are piling up. And your home is worth 40% less than it was two years ago.

A good evaluation of your circumstances reveals one inescapable conclusion: it’s simply impossible for things to get any better.

Have you been there? Are you there now?

A number of years ago, my financial situation was bleak. And that’s looking on the bright side. Nothing was working. Just when I thought my circumstances couldn’t get worse…they did. I was living “from bad to worse.”

I didn’t seriously consider it, but I could understand suicide. I could relate to the person who had lost hope and given up. I could understand feeling so overwhelmed by circumstances that there no longer appeared to be any light at the end of the tunnel. The only thing I could see was more dark, scary, depressing tunnel.

So how impossible is your situation today?

I wish I could tell you there’s an easy answer or quick way out or a magical prayer to turn things around. Those things don’t exist. I wish they did.

What I do know is this, a long time ago, an angel appeared to a young girl and told her she was going to give birth even though she was a virgin, and her cousin, who was past the age of child-bearing, was also going to give birth. “For nothing is impossible with God,” the angel said.

Years later, the Child born to the virgin was asked a question by His followers. They wanted to know why they weren’t able to drive a demon from someone.

Jesus replied, “Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

So nothing is impossible for God. And then He Himself tells us that nothing will be impossible for us.

This doesn’t mean that everything will always work out the way we’d like. Faith is not a magical wand to be waved over bad circumstances. And shame on anyone who tells you that if you’d just had more faith your loved one would not have died.

Mustering up enough faith doesn’t guarantee we’ll get what we want. If it did, no woman would have to suffer through infertility. No young husband would tragically die in a car accident. A faithful, hard-working employee would not be let go, and if she was, she’d immediately find a better paying job.

It’s the fulfillment of God’s will that’s never impossible. Nothing can stop Him from doing what needs to be done in your life and your circumstances to grow your faith and bring Him glory. It will never be impossible for Him to give you peace, joy, comfort and hope in the midst of whatever you’re facing.

I still find it easy to become overly focused on my circumstances and lose sight of the God who never faces an impossibility, the God who lives in me and says “nothing will be impossible for you.”

If God can fix whatever impossible situation you’re facing, but He isn’t…then keep seeking and trusting Him. He has another plan, which will always include you knowing Him better, your faith growing stronger and Him receiving glory.

Believe Him. He can do whatever He needs to do for you. If it’s miraculously turning your circumstances around, He can do that. If it’s giving you strength and peace to endure hardship, He can do that, too.

Nothing is impossible for Him.