July 22, 2026 – Impossible
Prevail #203 – Larson moves into the book of Jonah (Jonah 1:2-3) offering perspective on the difficult tasks God puts before us at times and how we shouldn’t judge Jonah’s initial reaction so severely, “Picture the most anti-Christian city in the world today. The people are heartless, cruel, and wicked to their core. In Jonah’s day, that was Ninevah…. What if God called you to bring the good news to North Korea, Russia, or the Middle East? What if He charged you to share the message of His cross with those who’ve tortured and killed countless Christians? Jonah didn’t want this assignment…. So [he] got up and went in the opposite direction…. The mission felt impossible. Yet here’s what’s true: Hiding from God is impossible. Doing what He asks is always possible with His strength….”
New – Luke 12:4-5 MSG – I’m speaking to you as dear friends. Don’t be bluffed into silence or insincerity by the threats of religious bullies…. Save your fear for God, who holds your entire life – body and soul – in his hands. Slawson reminds us of the seemingly impossible mission that Jesus successfully undertook on our behalf and His encouragement to the disciples (and us): “The Pharisees of Jesus’ day were looking for any excuse to trap Him in His own words. They listened intently and questioned Him at every turn to try to catch Him violating religious law. They were an intimidating presence to the disciples, no doubt, and Jesus knew this. Thus, He warned them about caving in to the pressure.”
Interestingly, I just noticed that I had two bookmarks in this little devotion book (which does not have dates for each entry) and I opened to the “wrong” one and not the one where the yellow bookmark had me for today. But, as I’ve learned, God is directing my path and the message He wants to offer through me. Slawson continues, “When we’re outnumbered by the crowd [like Jonah] usually we either keep our mouths shut or feign agreement…. Silence or insincerity – Jesus warned His disciples against both. To choose either is to live a lie, but it’s a rare person who relishes going against the flow, questioning the establishment, or speaking the truth when it is unpopular or misunderstood. Galatians 5:1 (NIV) says, ‘It is for freedom that Christ has set us free’…. We have been freed from the bondage of human opinion and religious legalism. We are free to follow Christ without fear. We are held in the palm of His hand.”
JA – “YOU HAVE RECEIVED NEW BIRTH into a living hope through My resurrection from the dead…. Of course, it was impossible for My death to be permanent because I am God! As I stated clearly to those who questioned Me, I and My Father are One…. Because I am your living Savior, you walk along a way of living hope! The Light of My loving Presence shines upon you always, even in your darkest, most difficult moments. Look up to Me, beloved….” See 1 Peter 1:3, 1 Cor. 15:17, and John 10:30.
Streams – Isaiah 30:18 KJV – Therefore will the Lord wait, that he may be gracious unto you…blessed are all they that wait for him. God patiently waited and cared for Jonah while he wrestled with obedience to God, and Cowman (along with Andrew Murray) points out that He is patient with us: “We should not only understand the importance of our waiting on God but also realize something even more wonderful – the Lord waits on us. And the very thought of His waiting on us will give us renewed motivation and inspiration to ‘wait for him’…. The Lord has an inconceivably glorious purpose for each of His children. ‘If this is true,’ you ask, ‘why is it that He continues to wait longer and longer to offer His grace and to provide the help I seek, even after I have come and waited on Him? He does so because He is a wise gardener…. God knows He cannot gather the fruit until it is ripe, and He knows precisely when we are spiritually ready to receive blessings for our gain and His glory…. Our time is in His hands, and He will quickly avenge those He has chosen, swiftly coming to our support without ever delaying one hour too long.”
Utmost – 1 Thessalonians 4:3 – This is the will of God, even your sanctification. Chambers dives a little deeper into what we tend to think is impossible for us to do even as devoted believers: “The Spirit of God in the process of sanctification will strip me until I am nothing but ‘myself,’ that is the place of death. Am I willing to be ‘myself’,’ and nothing more – no friends, no father, no brother, no self-interest, simply ready for death? That is the condition of sanctification…. We refuse to be identified with the death of Jesus on this point. ‘But it is so stern,’ we say; ‘He cannot wish me to do that.’ Our Lord is stern; and He does wish me to do that.”
Chambers wants us to ask ourselves, “Am I willing to reduce myself simply to ‘me,’ determinedly to strip myself of all my friends think of me, of all I think of myself, and to hand that simple naked self over to God? Immediately I am, He will sanctify me wholly, and my life will be free from earnestness in connection with everything but God…. Sanctification is not something Jesus Christ puts into me: it is Himself in me.”
JC – “Find freedom through seeking to please Me above all else. You can have only one Master. When you let others’ expectations drive you, you scatter your energy to the winds. Your own desire to look good can also drain your energy. I am your Master, and I do not drive you to be what you are not. Your pretense displease Me, especially when it is in My ‘service.’ Concentrate on staying close to Me at all times. It is impossible to be inauthentic while you are focusing on My Presence.” See Ephesians 4:8-10, Matthew 23:8, and Matthew 6:1.
Power – Joyce reminds us of the fishing story in Luke 5:4-6, “…after a long night of not catching any fish, Jesus tells Peter to try one more time. What Jesus told Peter to do probably didn’t make any sense to him, [seemingly impossible] and I doubt that he felt like doing it, but he did what the Lord said, and he received what was probably the biggest catch of his fishing career. Being led by your thoughts, feelings, and emotions won’t bring in a big catch. But you can do what God says, when He says it, whether it makes any sense to you or not, and your blessings will amaze you.”
JL – “Dear Jesus, Help me to keep climbing this high mountain with You. Sometimes I look back nostalgically at a long-ago stage of my journey – yearning for the easier, less complicated time. But I’ve come to recognize it for what it was: a base camp. It was a time and place of preparation for the arduous adventure that was ahead of me…. Although each day is a challenge and I often feel weary, I can still enjoy the magnificent scenery…. Please keep reminding me that the higher I go with You, the closer I get to my ultimate goal: the heights of heaven – an eternity with You! In Your breathtaking Name, Amen.” See Matthew 17:1-2, Habakkuk 3:19, and Philippians 3:20-21.
