The Bible is filled with stories of people who faced what seemed like impossible situations. That’s encouraging, because people today still find themselves facing impossibilities. I know I have. How about you? I love reading these stories because they strengthen my faith and remind me that God has never been intimidated by human circumstances.
In the book of Genesis, we read about Jacob and his family during a severe famine. There was no food left in their land, but Jacob heard there was grain in Egypt. He sent his sons there to buy food, and in time they discovered that the ruler of Egypt—second only to Pharaoh—was their own brother Joseph, the one they had sold into slavery years earlier.
It’s a beautiful story of God’s faithfulness and restoration. God had led Joseph through betrayal, hardship, and prison so he could one day save Egypt—and many others—from famine. Pharaoh didn’t know God, but he could clearly see that Joseph did. Because of that, Pharaoh entrusted Joseph with the responsibility of preparing for a famine that God had revealed was coming.
Out of gratitude and honor for Joseph, Pharaoh invited Jacob and his entire family to come live in Egypt under his protection. He even gave them the land of Goshen—the best land in that region—while the rest of the world suffered through famine. Jacob and his sons knew this was a gift from God and a fulfillment of His promises.
When Jacob’s family settled in Goshen, they were fewer than two hundred people. Over the next four hundred years, they grew into a nation of more than a million. But as Pharaohs changed, so did their treatment. Over time, God’s people were despised, oppressed, and enslaved.
When they finally cried out to God, He sent Moses to deliver them. What followed was miracle after miracle. God protected them from devastating plagues, parted the Red Sea so they could walk through on dry ground, and then destroyed Pharaoh’s army. He guided them with a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. He fed them manna from heaven and brought water from rocks.
Yet in spite of all this, many of them complained constantly. Too many cared more about their comfort than about God Himself. They wanted provision without trust—a genie instead of a God.
We see this clearly in Exodus 17:1–7 (NLT). When the people arrived at Rephidim and found no water, they grumbled, blamed Moses, and questioned God’s care for them, saying, “Is the Lord going to take care of us or not?” Complaining and blaming became their response to pressure and fear.
Instead of remembering what God had already done, they focused on what they lacked. Instead of worship, they argued. Instead of faith, they tested God.
How different things might have been if they had come to Moses saying, “We know God is with us. We’ve seen His power and His love. Lead us in worship and thanksgiving.” They still would have received water—but without turning that place into one remembered for testing and arguing.
These stories are recorded so we won’t repeat the same mistakes.
When you find yourself facing what feels impossible, can you pause and remember what God has already done for you? Can you remember Jesus’ words in Luke 18:27 (NIV): “What is impossible with man is possible with God.” Can you remember that God loved you so much He gave His Son to save you? Can you bow your heart in prayer and lay your situation at Jesus’ feet?
That place—of humility, worship, and trust—is where God’s love and deliverance flow.
God shows us the failures and attitudes of the past so we don’t repeat them today. Worship Him. Thank Him for His love through Jesus Christ. Trust Him in your impossible situations.
Have faith in God. Have faith in His promises.
Psalm 95:6–9 (NIV) “Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; for He is our God and we are the people of His pasture… Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah.”
