Not by might...

    At the age of seven, doctors discovered a tumour in Abram’s spine and believed that it was terminal.    The paediatric neurosurgeon who would perform the surgery to remove the tumour, felt that there was a chance that it was benign. However, even after removing it, his parents were warned that he could be paralysed. His mother reached out for prayer support from as many people as she could. During surgery, the doctor discovered that the tumour had spread throughout Abram’s spinal cord. However, the surgery was successful and the sample sent for testing showed that the tumour was indeed benign. 
    After surgery, Abram was able to move his arms but his legs were paralysed. He gradually got movement in his legs and two months later, after being in rehab, he was released to go home. He refused to be wheeled out and instead convinced the staff to allow him to walk out with the help of a walker. During the next five years, Abram continued to improve thanks to continued rehab and prayer. 
    In September 2022, at age twelve, he and and his father decided to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro, in Tanzania, Africa. The scripture that they meditated on and used to motivate themselves as they climbed was: “Not by might nor by power but by my Spirit,” says the Lord of Hosts (Zechariah 4:6). After six days battling freezing temperatures and fatigue, they were able to finally reach the summit. His father was thankful to God and proclaimed that God was a God of miracles. After all, his son who had been paralysed, had just climbed to 19,341 feet!
    This testimony encourages me because it is not just a testimony of healing. It’s a testimony about standing on the Word of God and trusting Him to help you do the impossible. At the age of seven, Abram chose to not be wheeled out of the hospital in a wheelchair but to walk out. Though he could not fully walk, he found a way with the help of a walker. He was determined to dictate his outcome. And, as if that wasn’t enough, five years later, he decides to climb a high mountain, daunting for many, and he succeeds in his attempt. 
    The Bible says: “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26). I believe it’s about where you put your faith - in the situation you are facing or in the God who can help you do the impossible. I believe God enabled them to fulfil their challenge because they chose to stand on His Word. They understood that it would not be their might or power but God’s Spirit. God would give Abram the strength to accomplish such a mammoth undertaking. 
    What is stopping you from accomplishing great things for God? For Abram, it was what he had been through with paralysis and afterwards facing Mt Kilimanjaro. For you, it might be challenges with your health, your marriage, your family, your job or even your own fears that keep telling you that you can’t. Everything does not have to be perfect for you to accomplish something great. God’s Word says clearly: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13). It may be difficult, it may even be downright impossible, but God knows how to make a way even when there seems to be no way. The children of Israel faced a Red Sea (Exodus 14), yet God made a way through and they were able to escape their enemies. What was an impossible situation for them, was an ideal opportunity for God to show His might and power.
    So, be encouraged. No matter what you may be facing, no matter what may be standing in your way to hinder you, to stop you, even to destroy you, God is more than able to accomplish what is impossible for you. He is more than able to do great things in and through you - even when your circumstances are not ideal or even perfect. It’s about God’s ability not your own. He still has the final say - not your challenge, not your shortcomings, not your fears. It’s not over until God says it’s over!
    If you have not accepted Jesus Christ into your life as your personal Lord and Saviour, I encourage you to do so today. There is no mountain too high or challenge too great that can stop God’s purpose for you, that can hinder you from doing great things for Him. God will make a way. He will never leave you alone. He will help you accomplish what you cannot accomplish on your own.

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