How to Tackle the Impossible
By Rick Warren
“Get the facts at any price.” Proverbs 23:23 (TLB)
Has someone ever asked you to do something you thought was impossible? Maybe a friend, boss, or parent came to you and wanted you to do something that seemed too big for you to accomplish on your own.
You may be facing such a request right now. You’re wondering how in the world you’ll even get started!
Over the next few devotionals, I’ll share with you what the Bible says about tackling the impossible.
But let’s begin by talking about where to start: First, don’t panic.
Follow the pattern of Daniel. In Daniel 2, King Nebuchadnezzar went to his astrologers with a desperate need for them to interpret a dream. When they couldn’t do it, he ordered that all his advisers be executed, including Daniel and his friends.
When Daniel heard the news, he didn’t let fear consume him. Instead he tactfully asked Arioch, commander of the king's bodyguard, “why the king had issued such a harsh order. So Arioch told Daniel what had happened. Daniel went at once and obtained royal permission for more time, so that he could tell the king what the dream meant. Then Daniel went home and told his friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah what had happened. He told them to pray to the God of heaven for mercy and to ask him to explain the mystery to them so that they would not be killed along with the other advisers in Babylon. Then that same night the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision, and he praised the God of heaven” (Daniel 2:15-19 GNT).
Instead of panicking in what seemed like an impossible situation, Daniel learned all the facts and sought to understand the motivation behind the king’s request. When someone asks you to do the impossible, you need to understand why because you can’t make a wise decision just on your feelings. You need all the facts.
What did Daniel learn? The king was scared to death and making illogical requests. Once Daniel knew why the king was panicking, he knew how to pray and ask for God’s help. And God honored his request and gave him a better way forward.
You need to understand why before moving ahead. Proverbs 23:23 says it this way: “Get the facts at any price” (TLB).
So if you’re asked to do the impossible, don’t panic. First, get all the facts.
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This devotional © 2018 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
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