MAN'S EXTREMITY IS GOD'S OPPORTUNITY

Man's Extremity Is God's Opportunity

By: Kingsley Iheme

The Psalmist paints a vivid picture of human helplessness in Psalm 107. Speaking of sailors caught in a raging storm, he says:
"They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits' end" (Psalm 107:27).
There comes a time in life when men arrive at their wits' end. It is that place where wisdom fails, strength fails, friends fail, resources fail, and every human solution runs dry. It is the place where one has done everything he knows to do and yet finds no way forward. It is the place of tears, confusion, uncertainty, and desperation.
Yet it is often in such moments that God reveals His power most clearly. What appears to be man's extremity becomes God's opportunity.
God specializes in situations that appear impossible. He delights in making a way where there is no way. He declared through the prophet Isaiah:
"Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert" (Isaiah 43:19).
When man sees a wilderness, God sees a pathway. When man sees a desert, God sees rivers. When man sees impossibility, God sees opportunity.
The children of Israel experienced this truth dramatically. After leaving Egypt, they found themselves trapped between Pharaoh's advancing army and the Red Sea. Before them was an impassable sea. Behind them was a powerful army determined to destroy them. Humanly speaking, there was no escape.
Fear gripped the people. They cried out and complained to Moses. They could not see a solution because there was none within human ability. But what was their extremity became God's opportunity. The Lord instructed Moses to stretch out his rod over the sea, and the waters parted. A road appeared where no road existed before. Israel crossed on dry ground, and their enemies were destroyed.
The Red Sea was not a problem for God. It was an opportunity to demonstrate His power.
Lazarus presents another remarkable example. When Jesus arrived in Bethany, Lazarus had already been dead for four days. The situation had progressed beyond human intervention. No doctor could help. No medicine could help. No relative could help.
Martha herself said, "Lord, by this time he stinketh."
Everything pointed to hopelessness. Death had seemingly won. Yet what was impossible for man was not impossible for God. Jesus stood before the tomb and cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth." Immediately, the dead man came back to life.
The fourth day in the grave was man's extremity, but it became God's opportunity to reveal that He is the resurrection and the life.
We see the same principle when Jesus fed the multitude. Thousands of hungry people followed Him into a desert place. Evening approached, and there was no food. The disciples assessed the situation and saw only impossibility.
Jesus asked Philip where bread could be bought to feed the crowd. Philip calculated the cost and concluded that even two hundred pennyworth of bread would not be enough.
Yet Scripture says concerning Jesus:
"For he himself knew what he would do" (John 6:6).
The disciples did not know what to do, but Jesus knew what to do.
That is often the difference between man and God. We see limitations; God sees possibilities. We see obstacles; God sees solutions. We see closed doors; God sees doors that have not yet been opened.
With five loaves and two fish, Jesus fed thousands and had leftovers. The problem that overwhelmed the disciples provided an opportunity for God to display His abundance.
Again and again throughout Scripture, God appears when circumstances reach their darkest point. Daniel was thrown into a den of lions. The three Hebrew boys were cast into a fiery furnace. Hannah endured years of barrenness. Joseph was forgotten in prison. Paul and Silas were chained in a jail. Humanly speaking, their situations were hopeless.
Yet God intervened.
The lions could not devour Daniel. The fire could not consume the Hebrew boys. Hannah conceived Samuel. Joseph rose from prison to the palace. Paul and Silas witnessed an earthquake that opened prison doors.
When men reach the end of their ability, they often discover the beginning of God's miraculous intervention.
The question then becomes: What should be the attitude of a believer when faced with such difficult situations?
First, we must cry unto the Lord.
The Psalmist repeatedly emphasizes this truth:
"Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he saveth them out of their distresses" (Psalm 107:19).
Prayer is not a last resort; it is a vital lifeline. When circumstances overwhelm us, we must turn our hearts toward God. The One who controls the storm is greater than the storm itself.
Second, faith is important.
Faith sees beyond present circumstances. Faith believes God when evidence suggests otherwise. Faith declares that God is able even when human reasoning says otherwise.
Jesus said:
"If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth" (Mark 9:23).
Faith does not deny the existence of problems. Rather, it acknowledges that God is greater than those problems.
Third, hope is important.
The enemy seeks to destroy hope because hopeless people often give up before their breakthrough arrives. But the believer must hold firmly to hope.
Romans 15:13 says:
"Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing."
As long as God remains on the throne, hope remains alive.
Fourth, perseverance is important.
Many people quit just before their miracle appears. The journey may be long, the waiting may be difficult, but perseverance keeps us moving forward.
Galatians 6:9 declares:
"And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not."
God's timing may differ from ours, but His timing is always perfect.
Fifth, trust and obey His leading.
Sometimes God directs us in ways that seem unusual. Noah built an ark before there was rain. Abraham left his homeland without knowing his destination. Peter stepped out of the boat onto the water.
Obedience often precedes miracles.
Proverbs 3:5-6 reminds us:
"Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."
Sixth, turn a deaf ear to the scorn of men.
Those who trust God will often face ridicule. Noah was mocked. David was despised by Goliath. Nehemiah was ridiculed while rebuilding Jerusalem's walls. Jesus Himself endured mockery.
The opinions of men cannot cancel the promises of God. What matters most is what God says, not what doubters say.
Seventh, resign yourself completely to God's will.
This is not resignation to defeat but surrender to divine wisdom. It is saying, "Lord, not my will, but thine, be done."
God sees what we cannot see. He knows the end from the beginning. His plans are always higher and better than ours.
Finally, keep looking unto Jesus.
Hebrews 12:2 tells us to look unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith.
When Peter looked at Jesus, he walked on water. When he focused on the wind and waves, he began to sink. The secret is not in the size of our problem but in the greatness of our Savior.
Faithfulness is also important. God never overlooks the labor, sacrifices, prayers, tears, and acts of love offered in His name.
Hebrews 6:10 says:
"For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love."
Your prayers are not forgotten. Your faithfulness is not forgotten. Your service is not forgotten. Your waiting is not forgotten.
The God who remembered Noah in the ark, Joseph in prison, Hannah in her sorrow, and Lazarus in the grave remembers you as well.
Perhaps today you feel trapped before your own Red Sea. Perhaps you stand before a tomb where dreams seem dead and buried. Perhaps you are facing challenges that have brought you to your wits' end.
Take courage.
The God who parted the sea still reigns. The God who raised Lazarus still reigns. The God who fed the multitude still reigns. The God who makes rivers in deserts and roads in wildernesses still reigns.
Your extremity is not the end of the story. It may very well be the stage upon which God is preparing to display His glory.
When man reaches his limit, God has not reached His.
When man does not know what to do, God knows exactly what to do.
When there seems to be no way, God creates one.
And when we are at our wits' end, He often shows up in ways that leave no doubt that the victory belongs to Him alone.
Therefore, trust Him, pray, believe, hope, persevere, obey His voice, remain faithful, and keep your eyes on Jesus. The God of all grace will surely make a way where there is no way, and your extremity will become His opportunity for a miracle.