You're tuned into Everyday Theology in Plain English, making sense of God's truth for your everyday life. Here's your host, the man who threw out his back picking up laundry but worships the most powerful being in the universe, Charlie Miller. Hey there. Welcome back to Everyday Theology in Plain English. I'm so glad that you're here. Today we're talking about God's power, his omnipotence. And we're going to tackle a question that's probably crossed your mind at some point. Can God do anything? You've probably heard the classic brain teaser. Can God create a rock so heavy that even he can't lift it? It sounds clever, right? Like a gotcha question that proves God can't really be all-powerful. If he can create the rock, he can't lift it. If he can't create the rock, there's something he can't do. Checkmate, right? Or maybe you've wrestled with something more personal. You've prayed for healing and it didn't come. You've asked God to change a situation and nothing happened. And you've wondered, if God can do anything, why didn't he do this? I'll be honest, I've asked God that question. I've stood at the hospital bedsides and gravesides and wondered, God, if you could have done anything, if you could have changed this, why didn't you? If you've had those moments too, you're not alone. Here's what I want you to know right up front. God's omnipotence doesn't mean he can do anything that we can string together in a sentence. It means he can do anything that's consistent with his perfect nature and purposes. And understanding this properly will actually give you more confidence in his power, not less. Today we're going to discover together what omnipotence really means and how it gives you hope in impossible situations. So, what do we mean when we say God is omnipotent or all-powerful? Jeremiah 32, 17 gives us a classic statement. Ah, sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you. Jesus said in Matthew 19, 26, with man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible. These verses affirm a staggering truth. God's power has no limits imposed from outside himself. Nothing is too hard for him. Nothing is impossible for him. He parted seas and raised the dead. He can do anything. But, and here's where it gets interesting. The Bible also tells us there are things God cannot do. And understanding this helps us understand what omnipotence actually means. Hebrews chapter 6, verse 18 says it's impossible for God to lie. Titus 1.2 speaks of God who does not lie. James 1.13 says God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone. So there are things God can't do. He can't lie, he can't sin, he can't deny himself, he can't be tempted by evil. Does that mean he's not all powerful? No, and here's why. Those aren't limitations on God's power, they're expressions of his character. God can't lie because he is truth. God can't sin because he is holy. These can'ts aren't weaknesses, they're perfections. Think of it this way: God's power is perfectly consistent with his nature. He can do anything that power can do, but he won't do anything that contradicts who he is. That's not a limitation, that's integrity. So, what about that rock question? Can God make a rock so heavy he can't lift it? Well, here's the answer. The question is actually nonsense, like asking, can God make a square circle or can God create a married bachelor? These aren't real things, they're just contradictory words strung together. They don't describe possible realities, they describe logical impossibilities. Omnipotence means God can do all things that are actually things, all things that are logically possible and consistent with his nature. It doesn't mean that God can do nonsense. Nonsense doesn't become sense just because you put can God in front of it. Let me give you another way to think about this. God's power is exercised through his will. And God's will is always shaped by his wisdom, his love, his justice, and his purposes. God can do anything, but he chooses what to do based on his perfect character. He's not a cosmic genie who grants every wish. He's a wise father who uses his unlimited power according to unlimited wisdom. Here's the heart of it. God's power is unlimited, but it's not arbitrary. He can do anything and he does what's best. Those two truths always go together. Now, let me address the harder question. If God can do anything, why doesn't he always do what we ask? This is where omnipotence meets the mystery of God's purposes. Let me offer a few thoughts. First, God's no or not yet doesn't mean he's powerless. When we pray for something and it doesn't happen, we might be tempted to think, well, God just couldn't do that. But that's almost never the case. Far more often, God could do it and chose not to because he sees something we don't see. Remember, God is also omniscient. He knows the future. He knows the ripple effects of every action. He knows what you actually need versus what you think you need. His power is exercised through his perfect wisdom. Second, we live in a broken world where God's ultimate purposes are not yet fully realized. God will one day make all things new. But we're not there yet. We live between the already and the not yet, between Christ's first coming and his second coming. In this in-between time, there's still suffering, there's still sickness, there's still death. God's power doesn't mean he's eliminated all brokenness today. It means he will and he can, and he's working toward that ultimate restoration. Third, sometimes God's power is displayed most clearly in sustaining us through trials rather than removing them. Paul asked God three times to remove his thorn in the flesh. God's answer, My grace is sufficient for you, my power is made perfect in weakness. Sometimes God's power shows up not by changing our circumstances, but by carrying us through them. Quick pause. If this is making sense to you so far, drop a comment and let me know. And if you're confused about something, then ask. That's how we'll all learn together. And honestly, your questions help me explain things better for everyone. So now you might be thinking, okay, Charlie, I understand what omnipotence means. But how in the world does this actually help me when I'm facing some crazy impossible, scary situation? Let me give you three practical ways God's power transforms how you face life. First of all, you can bring your impossible situations to an all-powerful God. Picture someone who we'll call Kevin. Kevin's marriage is on life support. He and his wife have tried counseling, they've tried separating, they've tried everything. From every human angle, the situation just looks hopeless. Now Kevin has stopped praying about it because he's concluded it's too far gone. He thinks, why bother? This is beyond repair. But here's the truth that Kevin needs to hear. Nothing is beyond God's power. The same God who created the universe out of nothing can create new life in a dead marriage. The same God who raised Jesus from the grave can resurrect what looks hopeless. Maybe that's where you are today. Maybe you've stopped praying about something because it just feels too impossible. Maybe you've given up hope because the situation is too far gone from any human perspective. Here's what I want you to know. Your impossible situation is not impossible for God. I'm not promising he'll do what you're asking. He might have different plans that are beyond your understanding. But I am saying you can bring it to him with full confidence that he has the power to act. Don't stop praying just because you can't see a way forward. God specializes in situations where there is no way forward except through him. Second, you can trust God's character when you don't understand his choices. Let me paint you another picture. Imagine a woman named Sandra whose daughter died from cancer at age seven. Sandra prayed. Her church prayed. They believed God could heal and he didn't. Sandra is wrestling with what to do with God's omnipotence now. If he could have healed her daughter and he didn't, what does that mean? Is he cruel? Did she not have enough faith? What's the point of believing in an all-powerful God who doesn't use his power when it matters the most? Now here's what I would say to Sandra, and it's inadequate, I know, and I would not say this in her deepest moments of grief, but it is true. God's power is exercised through his wisdom and love, even when we can't see it. The fact that God didn't heal doesn't mean he couldn't or that he doesn't care. It means there's something happening beyond our sight, purposes we can't see, a bigger story being told. In those moments, we cling to what we know about God's character, even when we don't understand his choices. We know he's good. We know he loves us. We know he's all powerful and all-wise. And we trust that one day every tear will be explained and every loss will be redeemed. Third, you can face the future without fear because all power is in his hands. Whatever tomorrow holds, and we don't know what it holds, no matter how much we think we might, the all-powerful God holds tomorrow. No circumstances, no enemy, no diagnosis, no crisis is stronger than him. Nothing can happen to you that he doesn't allow, and nothing he allows is beyond his ability to redeem. Romans 8, 28 is one of my favorite verses in the entire Bible. And it isn't wishful thinking. It's a statement of power. And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. God has the power to work all things, all things for good. Not just the good things, all things, including the worst things. As we wrap up today's episode, here's what I want you to remember. God can do anything that power can do. Nothing is too hard for him. Nothing is impossible for him. But God's power isn't arbitrary, it's exercised through his perfect wisdom, love, and purposes. When God doesn't do what we ask, it's not because he's powerless. It's because he's working a bigger plan that we can't always see. Your impossible situations are not impossible for God. Bring them to him, trust him, and rest in the truth that unlimited power is in the hands of unlimited love. So here's your assignment for the week. Identify one impossible situation in your life, something that looks hopeless from a human perspective. Write it down. And then every day this week, pray specifically about that situation with this truth in mind. Nothing is too hard for the Lord. You're not demanding that God do what you want, you're bringing your impossible to the God for whom nothing is impossible, and trusting his wisdom with the outcome. Now, here's our community question. What's one impossible situation you're facing right now? Something that seems hopeless from a human perspective. Would you be willing to share it and commit to praying about it this week? Trusting God's power even when you can't see a way forward? Let's believe together for what only God can do. Your willingness to be vulnerable might encourage someone else to bring their impossible situation to God. Next episode, we're exploring one of the most comforting truths about God. He never changes. In a world where everything is uncertain and shifting, God's character, promises, and love remain rock solid. What I'm going to share could affect how you handle the constant change and uncertainty of daily life. Until then, remember, nothing is too hard for your God. Nothing. Not your marriage, not your health, not your finances, not your relationships, not your future. His power is unlimited, and it's in the hands of the one who loves you completely. Thanks for joining me on Everyday Theology in Plain English. I'm Charlie Miller, and I'm so grateful you're part of this community. I can't wait to continue this journey with you today.