Nothing Restrains the Lord

Now when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, that they might come and anoint Him... And they said among themselves, "Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?" (Mark 16:1,3 NKJV)

And the twelve were with Him, and certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities—Mary called Magdalene, out of whom had come seven demons, and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others who provided for Him from their substance. (Luke 8:1-3 NKJV)

Then Jonathan said to the young man who bore his armor, "Come, let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised; it may be that the LORD will work for us. For nothing restrains the LORD from saving by many or by few." So his armorbearer said to him, "Do all that is in your heart. Go then; here I am with you, according to your heart."
(1 Samuel 14:6-7 NKJV)

Jonathan and one man stood no chance against an entire Philistine garrison, but they battled and prevailed, driven by faith. The women who traveled about with a homeless group of disciples might have raised eyebrows, but they cared for Jesus, obligated by devotion. Women had three nights to sleep on the problem of moving the tomb's stone without finding a solution, but they went to the grave at dawn anyway, compelled by love.

A Dayak proverb says, "Where the heart is willing it will find a thousand ways, but where it is unwilling it will find a thousand excuses." The Bible and history are filled with stories of heroes willing to serve the Lord without asking Him to first lay out the logistics of impossible situations.

If we are willing to know God's will for our lives, we need not know the how. We need only obey.

Oh Lord, You ask of us difficult things—impossible things! Yet You are the God of the impossible, and nothing restrains You. Please still us when doubt or puny reasoning interferes with Your purposes. Please give us the courage to walk blindly over cliffs holding only Your hand.

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