"What God and You Can Do" by Rich Zimmerman

On March 28, 1990 , Michael Jordan, one of the greatest basketball players of all time, had the greatest scoring success of his career. He scored 69 points all by himself against the Cleveland Cavaliers. I haven't checked but I would guess that entire teams have scored fewer than 69 points in a game, and I wouldn't be surprised if at least once a team has won the game with 69 points.

After the game one of Michael Jordan's teammates was interviewed about the effort. Stacey King was in his rookie season and managed to score two points in the effort. He humorously said, "I will always remember this game as the night Michael and I combined for 71 points."

And so I ask you, what can you and God accomplish as you team up together this year? You may recall that when Jesus fed five thousand, as reported in Mark chapter 6, he didn't perform the miracle of creating a banquet for the great crowd of people out of thin air. Instead he used the five loaves and two fish offered to him. He multiplied the small gift and made it into something extraordinary.

Challenges that seem overwhelming actually are. There are impossible things that need to get done and, no, you can't do them. When faced with an impossible challenge, the first step of wisdom is giving up. But only if followed by the second and third steps which are asking God for help and committing yourself to working toward God's miraculous and overwhelming triumph.

Faced with a habitual sin that you can't overcome? Give up, pray that God would do what you cannot do, and ask God to show you the way to freedom. Faced with a job that is above your skill? Give up, pray that God would do what you cannot do, and open your eyes to God's way of accomplishing the goal.

You regularly hear me pray so you must notice how I struggle with this in prayer. I want to believe that praying is the most important solution to any problem, the most effective ingredient in any healing. But I forget what I sometimes have believed.

Let's commit ourselves, in the unknown year ahead, to believe that God is combining his score with ours for awesome victory. Let's help each other persevere in living by faith.

In Christ,

Rich Zimmerman