You Can't!

When you struggle with infertility, there are so many “can’ts” in your life! You “can’t” go on vacation with your best friend because you may ovulate while you’re gone. You “can’t” have that cup of coffee or sit in a hot tub. You “can’t” go to another baby shower. You “can’t” figure out where the money would come from for treatment. You “can’t” handle the anxiety or depression anymore. All because you “can’t” conceive!

If you have grown up in a Christian home, you have probably heard all the Bible stories from Genesis to Revelation. Jonah and the Whale. David and Goliath. Daniel in the Lions’ Den. Go ahead! Pull your Bible off the shelf and read the stories. You’ll find lots and lots of “can’ts” there too! The Bible is full of “can’ts” that were turned into “cans” by the power of God’s hand!

Don’t let these precious stories become just stories. Remember that the men and women we read about in the Bible were just that: men and women. Men like your husband. Women like you. Ordinary people who put their trust in an extraordinary God!

Think about Daniel when he was thrown in the lions’ den. Put your husband’s face to the story. What did he hear? The lions’ claws scraping the floor of the den? What did he smell? Rotting flesh of other victims? What was it like for him that night? It was common in their day for victims to be covered in lamb’s blood before being thrown into the pit with the lions. (Boy! That’ll preach!) This way the lions would more quickly devour them. Picture Daniel dripping in blood, but not blood from his veins. He stood there untouched. A man “can’t” survive a night with the lions, can he? With God, he can!

What about Joshua? He was fighting a fierce battle against the Amorites and nighttime was coming! What would happen when darkness fell? Joshua didn’t have to worry about that! He prayed and asked God to let the sun stand still--and it did! The sun and moon stopped dead in their tracks for about 24 hours and never moved an inch! The sun “can’t” stand still in the sky and not complete it’s assigned course, can it? With God, it can!

And of course, there’s Sarah! A 90 year old woman cannot conceive and give birth to a healthy child! That’s ludicrous, isn’t it! Of course it is. A woman beyond childbearing age “can’t” give birth to a baby, can she? With God, she can!

The list goes on and on!

The waters of the Red Sea “can’t” part and stand up like walls of stone, can it? With God, it can!

A man “can’t” live inside a huge fish for three days, only to be vomited up at the right place at the right time, can he? With God, he can!

A child “can’t” defeat a nine foot tall giant in battle. A virgin “can’t” conceive. Water “can’t” be turned to wine. A crowd of 5,000 “can’t” be fed with a child’s lunch. With God, they can!

Maybe you’ve heard doctors say you “can’t” conceive. Maybe you’ve heard yourself say you “can’t” take anymore. Maybe you’ve heard your spouse say he “can’t” believe in anything anymore. Maybe you’ve heard Satan tell you you “can’t” carry a baby full-term.

Friend, pour through the pages of Scripture and watch God turn all those “can’ts” into glorious “cans”! Encourage yourself and build your faith by diving into the real stories of real people with a real belief in a real God! The same God who closed the mouths of the lions, fed thousands of people with nothing more than scraps, breathed life into ancient wombs and even placed His Son in a virgin womb, is the same God who heard your prayer today. He’s the same God who knows how badly you want that baby. Our God is the same yesterday, today and forever! He is the only one who can turn all your “can’ts” into “cans”!

I CAN do all things through Christ who strengthens me!