God’s Got This: Devotions of Courageous FaithExemplo

God of the Impossible

Jamal Awale is a twenty-five-year-old who walks in great love and wisdom. After Jamal’s parents passed away, he and his three siblings moved into our Iris Village of Joy. Losing parents while you are young is devastating and one of the most difficult challenges in life. Jamal didn’t know what would happen to him but as he learned about God as his Father, he found his forever family.

In 2019, Jamal went through another immense challenge: his home was destroyed by Cyclone Kenneth. Made only of mud and bamboo, it was completely flooded and collapsed. At first, he didn’t tell anyone what happened as he suffered his own storm of negative emotions. It became a struggle for him to pray. He questioned why God would let this happen to him after he had already gone through so much. He felt hopeless, frustrated, and angry at God. He didn’t have enough to rent even a temporary home. Everything was washed away. Then he remembered lessons he learned already. He stood on the truth that God is God of the impossible. He determined not to let the troubles he was going through cause him to doubt God or question his goodness.

Jamal decided to reach out and help others. He joined the Iris Relief team to rebuild other people’s homes. As he served neighbors who had lost everything, almost no one knew of his situation. Then his friend, Pascoal, a leader on our Iris Media team, came to visit. He asked if he could make a video about what had happened. Jamal didn’t know if the video would help but he figured it couldn’t hurt. As it happened, many more people watched the video than Jamal expected. They sent aid and we were quickly able to build Jamal a much better block home and furnish it. God never forgets His children. We were blessed to be the family Jamal needed.

Jamal learned many things during his experience. First, trust God and learn to wait on Him. His answer does not always come right away. Do not give up—no matter what it costs or how long it takes. Be confident and keep moving forward on your path with God. He sees you and at the right time, He will respond. He knows what you need and what would bless your life. The Bible says to ask, seek, and knock. It doesn’t say to sit still and do nothing. Don’t tell yourself that you are too poor or not good enough, believing that you will never receive your blessing. Do whatever you can do in your situation. Put your hope in God. He always has a solution no matter the circumstances. Keep hoping and working. Don’t forget what you already know: He is God of the impossible!

God, You are God of the impossible. Your Word says everyone who asks receives. You are the One who opens doors. I am asking, seeking, and knocking. Give me courage and confidence as I wait on You. Make me a faithful friend who trusts in Your goodness and never gives up.

Action Steps  

• Wait patiently even if it feels like a long time (see Psalm 40:1).  
• Have faith. Trust in God and be confident in His Word. Never give up (see Psalm 40:1).  
• It is powerful to go through challenges and overcome them (see Psalm 27:14). Courage gives us hope for victory!