Daily Scripture

Matthew 19:26

But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.

I had an epiphany about this verse as I sat in the temple (for a while) waiting for my session and reading scriptures. 

(It’s something I should do more often. I actually learned a couple new things as I read. The Spirit clarifies teachings in that setting. I’m sure of it.)

Anyway, I’ve always thought of this scripture in a vacuum—with God all things are possible. (That’s a true statement, but I haven’t studied it in context of the story.) In reality, it was an answer to a very specific question. 

The Savior had just encountered the rich young man who went away because what the Savior asked was hard. He then taught that it was difficult for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God (a lesson for another day—not because he was rich but because that’s where his heart was). 

So the disciples rightly asked, “Who then can be saved?” (vs 25). They wanted to know how any of us can be saved eternally if it’s so difficult. 

And the Savior’s response was this verse. Essentially, if you try to be saved by yourselves or by man’s ways, you will fail. But with me, my Atonement, my power, you can be saved. Your salvation is ONLY possible through me. 

I’ve always read that verse to be a general promise that all things are possible with God. But as I read yesterday, I felt specific counsel that it was talking about our salvation. We can’t get caught up in worldly things and worldly solutions and expect to be saved. We have to access His Atonement for our salvation.

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