We often focus on what God can do.  But think for a moment of what he cannot do:

He cannot

• learn
• be surprised
• change his mind
• be seen
• bear to look at evil
• change
• be lonely
• suffer
• die
• be tempted
• lie
• disown himself.

But consider, too, that in the Incarnation God did what he cannot do:

• God cannot learn, yet Jesus grew in wisdom and knowledge
• God cannot be tempted, yet Jesus knew the fullness of temptation
• God cannot suffer and die, and yet Jesus experienced suffering and death

God cannot sleep.  This means that

‘God will never take his eye off the ball; he will never drift off and fail to watch over and take care of his people. His people can rest, because he won’t.’

And yet the incarnate Son slept through a storm (Mk 4). Jesus is truly human, and therefore is

‘able to share our limitations, whilst simultaneously being the God who cannot. In this mystery is hidden the depths of the Gospel.’

God cannot change, be lonely, suffer, or die.  And yet, in Jesus, God suffered and died alone:

‘The Son of God, who by nature can neither be lonely or die, became a man and died alone.… This is the extent of his love.’

(Based on this review, by Rachel A. Ciano, of Nick Tucker’s book, ‘12 Things God Can’t Do…And How They Can Help You Sleep At Night’.)