November 2025

Exhausted Possibilities

B. Keith Chapman, President & CEO

Thomas Edison once said, “When you have exhausted all possibilities, remember this: you haven’t.” Though his encouragement toward persistence was rooted in the realm of invention and problem solving, it can also offer wisdom for how we practice and sustain our faith. Many times, we come to the end of our own strength, ideas, and resources, only to realize that God is waiting for us, ready to show us new possibilities beyond our imagination. In life, we all face moments when we feel we have exhausted all options. Jobs can fall through; relationships can struggle; a diagnosis comes out of nowhere; the opportunity we prayed would open stays firmly shut. In these moments, it is easy to be discouraged and believe we have exhausted every possibility. When we experience these moments, our mind is immediately in a battle between hope and hopelessness. Stress, anger, and frustration all contribute to the easy path of negativism and doubt. However, Scripture reminds us that what looks like the end to us is often just the beginning of what God is about to do.

In Luke 5:4-6 (NLT), Jesus tells Peter to “go out where it is deeper and let down your nets to catch some fish.” Peter replies, “Master, we worked hard all last night and did not catch a thing. But if you say so, I’ll let the nets down again.” When they did, the nets were so full of fish that they began to tear. In this story, Peter had exhausted all possibilities, or at least he thought so. He had done everything a fisherman could do. But when Jesus showed up on the scene, everything changed. The difference was not in Peter’s effort; rather, it was in Peter’s obedience and trust in God.

When we feel like we have tried everything, it is easy to forget the critical truth that we have not truly exhausted all possibilities until we’ve surrendered it all to God. If we rely solely on our own wisdom and effort, we will quickly exhaust ourselves. But when we let God take control, new paths appear where none existed before. The Apostle Paul understood this deeply. He wrote, “We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed but not driven to despair” (2 Corinthians 4:8, NLT). Paul faced prison, persecution, rejection, and hardship, yet he refused to give up. Why? Because he knew that God’s power worked best when he reached the end of his own strength and resources.

God delights in working where human strength runs out. If you feel like you have exhausted every possibility today, take comfort in the fact that you have not. God’s possibilities are infinite. His creativity, His mercy, His provision never runs dry. “For nothing is impossible with God” (Luke 1:37, NLT). Sometimes, the breakthrough comes when we shift our perspective from “What can I do?” to “What can God do through me?” It is when we release our grip on control that God’s hands are free to meet our needs at the moment we need them most.

Challenge:

Identify the areas of your life where you feel stuck, weary, or out of options. Be honest with yourself, name them specifically. Then bring each one before God in prayer, not with frustration, but with faith. Ask God to show you one new step and then be committed to putting it into action, even if it feels small or does not make sense. Remember, your exhaustion is not the end. Instead, it is an opportunity to exercise your faith and let God show you the way.

Published: November 1, 2025

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