Doing the Impossible by Max Hill

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Oct 26, 1915

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 42, No. 42.

Doing the Impossible

By Max Hill

By MAX HILL

OFTEN, when we read the story of Peter’s experience of walking upon the stormy waters of Galilee, we think only of his failure. The result is that we lose a great lesson.

Peter did walk on the water. At the Master’s invitation, “Come,” he sprang from the boat, and contrary to all the experience of the past—for Peter had sprung from a boat a thousand times before—he did not sink, but walked lightly, buoyantly, upon the surface. Jesus bade him do a thing impossible for humanity,—to do a thing that only divine power could do; and at the bidding of the Saviour, he did it. “Come,” from the lips of Divinity, is assurance of divine upholding.

The Saviour has given another command to His believers of this day,—“Go ye.” And in this case also, it is a command to do the impossible; for humanity cannot go “into all the world, and preach the gospel,” in human strength.

True, we do go into all the world—we have sprung out many a time; but often, as in the case of the apostle of old, we have not been able to walk on the water, to stand upon the simple word of God, and be miraculously upheld thereby. Yet the call comes, and the duty of God’s church is, to go.

It is not for the people of God to do as Peter did,—look around to see the effect on others, or to note the great waves trodden so lightly; but to keep the eye of faith upon the One who bids us go. Then the “gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world”—the impossible will be accomplished.

It has been the characteristic of God’s people through the ages, that they were able to accomplish marvelous things, miraculous things, when they trusted the word of God—when they obeyed His “Come” or His “Go ye.” And the day of miracles is not past. The miracle of transformed lives is seen in every company of true believers, successfully denying the accusations and quibbles of doubters and unbelievers and persecutors; and the miracles of God’s providence are seen in home lands and in the dark places of the earth.

God has taken the “weak things of the world”—though strong in faith—to do His work in the world and for the world—to do the impossible. And when the work is done, and the day of triumph comes, these faithful ones will stand with the Saviour—and Peter—upon the sea of glass, a redeemed and victorious host.