Nothing My God Cannot Do? Really?

My God is so great, so strong and so mighty,
There's nothing my God cannot do!

My God is so great, so strong and so mighty,
There's nothing my God cannot do!

The mountains are His,
The rivers are His,
The stars are His handiwork too.
My God is so great, so strong and so mighty,
There's nothing my God cannot do!

There is a lot to commend in this children’s song. It has a catchy tune and probably some fun hand motions to go along with it. It also says some true things about God. 

God is great (Psalm 145:3). He is strong and mighty (Psalm 24:8). All of creation belongs to him because he is the Creator (Psalm 24:1). 

Except, the main idea of the song is that God can do anything. Does Scripture support this?
God cannot lie or change his mind. (Numbers 23:19)
God cannot be tempted with evil. (James 1:13)
God cannot change. (Hebrews 13:8)
God cannot break a promise. (Psalm 89:34)

So contrary to the repeated refrain, we know that there are some things God cannot do. But how can God be omnipotent (all-powerful), strong, mighty, and great — and yet have things he cannot do? 

God cannot lie because he is true. God cannot break a promise because he is faithful. God cannot be tempted with evil because he is holy and pure. 

God cannot do anything that is contrary to his own character. If he acted against his nature, he would not be God. A “god” that could lie, break a promise, or be tempted by evil would leave us with a god that is unreliable, rather than one who is perfectly trustworthy. 

The God we worship and teach our children about is strong, mighty, and great. And he is faithful, holy, and true. This is the God we want to sing about!

Let’s go back to the song, and change the words so that they more accurately reflect his character: 

My God is so great, so strong and so mighty,
He is faithful, holy, and true!

My God is so great, so strong and so mighty,
He is faithful, holy, and true!

The mountains are His,
The rivers are His,
The stars are His handiwork too.
My God is so great, so strong and so mighty,
He is faithful, holy, and true!

See also:  Twinkle Twinkle, Happy all the Time