12 Things God Can't Do: ...and How They Can Help You Sleep at Night

by Nick Tucker

A book on God’s greatness that helps you to trust him, grow in faith and live confidently.

What’s the secret to truly trusting God so that we can rest easy at night? How can we have the same faith and confidence as David who “In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, LORD, make me dwell in safety” (Ps 4:8)?

The answer lies in focusing on God’s greatness. When we consider God’s greatness, we usually tend to think about what God can do. However, this book explores 12 things that God can’t do. They all express aspects of his nature and character which we can embrace with relief, celebrate with joy and worship with awe. You will marvel both at God’s otherness and at how he became one of us in the person of Jesus.

Read this book to grow in faith, live with confidence and rest easy at night, trusting in the God who never sleeps.

Genres: Christian, Theology, Religion, Nonfiction, Christian Living

150 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 1, 2022

Reviews

[Marty · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book that covers the things that God can't do and why that is comforting for us as Christians. Ranging from aspects of God's impassibility to his omniscience, Tucker shows us how God's nature has pracical impact on our lives. If God cant change his mind, then he wont ever stop loving us. If God can't learn, then there is no situation in our lives that is out of his plan or control. What good news!

"If we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown Himself." 2 Timothy 2:13

"God has sworn by Himself. He cannot disown Himself. He will not abandon you, or let you fall. You could never rest safely in your own strength or faithfulness. But you can rest in his. So sleep well!"

[Emma S · Rating 4 out of 5]

Snappy little book, and a solid introduction to the doctrine of God. Nick helps us to see how God isn't like us, and why that's a good thing. He brings out attributes of God and explains why these help us to trust Him, love Him and follow Him.
I appreciated the 'interludes' e.g. "If God can't die, how did Jesus die on the cross?"- Nick clearly knows the audience he is writing to and he anticipates our questions. Though he doesn't have the time or space to go into great depth in each of his chapters, it's a good entry-level discussion of what God is like, and he writes clearly and memorably.
Would be a good one to read with others.

[Sean Gavin · Rating 4 out of 5]

An easy to read, enjoyable short book on the nature of God.

I particularly enjoyed chapter 4 on the invisible nature of God, and Chapter 6 on the immutability of God provided lots of good thought.

The one small thing that I think would improve this book is a ‘further reading’ section, perhaps at the end. This is because the book provided lots of stimuli for thought and it would be helpful to have places to now go.

8/10

[Gareth Davies · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a helpful little book! Focussing on things God can’t do (such as lie) and showing why there is a comfort to us. Easy to read, thoroughly recommended.

[Mr. Perry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to the audiobook version of this (because that seems to be the trend for me these days), and only learned of it per a recommendation of it by Scott Swain on Twitter. Upon starting it, I was greeted with the voice of Nick Tucker explaining in a pleasant British accent what exactly he meant by the title of this book...which I'll admit intrigued me since I did in fact grow up singing "my God is so great/so strong and so mighty/there's nothing my God cannot do"...yet, after getting a little age under my belt (and reading, and thought) running into the theological conundrum those lyrics present.

The book isn't too long, there isn't much fluff, he (the author) doesn't take himself too seriously yet gets the point across.

I can sleep better now.

[Angelique · Rating 3 out of 5]

"You can never rest safely in your own strength or faithfulness. But you can rest in his. So sleep well!"

A lovely reminder of all (ALL!) of God's goodness and kindness. A book full of His truths and how awe inspiring our Lord truly is.

We really can sleep more soundly at night knowing that God doesn't change his mind and He can't be suprised by the journey ahead. Just to name a few of His incredible qualities.

If I could offer one criticism, it's that each chapter was a little overdone. I think within the first few pages of each, the point was made and the teaching was solid. I know that Tucker was probably just trying to hammer home his message, but I felt it to ramble and lose its rhythm at times.

The teaching was solid and I definitely came away with some gold nuggets!

3 and a half stars for me ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

[KateP · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book on the characteristics of God. Chapters were snappy and yet covered a range of topics including God can’t be surprised, to God can’t lie and God can’t disown himself. All deeply encouraging and lead me to trust and praise Him more.

[Jessica Welch-Tursi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed listening to this book - my first audiobook. Highly recommend. The author is godly and wise and shares so much in depth knowledge of Who God is not and Who He is that you will find discover deeper faith and trust in Him and love for Him.

[Peter Dray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great little introduction to the aseity and immutability of God - and the practical pastoral benefits knowing this God brings.

[Aaron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Is it true to say that God can do anything? In 12 Things God Can’t Do, Nick Tucker explains how trusting in a God who can’t do things helps you sleep at night.

Confidence in God’s Word
In just under 200 pages, Tucker tells us 12 truths about God. We often hear that God can do anything, and this is what makes him God. What is also true, however, is that there are things God can’t do that also make him God.

What Tucker does best in this book is take the truths and apply them to your personal life. For instance, the fact that God can’t change his mind gives us confidence in his word. We can be certain and sure about what he says, and we can rest in his promises.

Comfort for Christians
There are three interludes in the book that explain how -- in the incarnation -- God did the very things he cannot do. For instance, even though we know that God can’t learn, the Bible tells us that God went to school. Jesus grew in wisdom. Even though this is a mystery, the fact that Jesus is both God and man is central to our salvation.

I was most moved in Chapter 7 which shows how God can’t be lonely. The trinity shows us that God expresses love in its fullness. Tucker says that “God can offer to even the most alienated and alone amongst us the possibility of true relationship.“ When we are united with the Son we are united with the Father and the Spirit as well. This is a very special comfort to Christians.

Centered on the Cross
The book ends by explaining how God can’t die while also showcasing the mystery of the cross. We see how Jesus was tempted yet without sin, and this gives confidence to Christians as we pursue sanctification in our everyday life. And because God cannot disown himself, we can be sure that God will not abandon us -- those who are in Christ.

Tucker uses Scripture to prove his points. In many ways, this study is on the non-attributes of God. Instead of my brain spiraling out of control by trying to think about all that God can do, I find myself at peace while seeing what he cannot do. My mind can rest — and my heart is set — on Christ.

I received a media copy of 12 Things God Can’t Do and this is my honest review.

[Sarah McCartney · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent read. Tucker sheds light on God’s character and unpacks some Scriptures in ways I have never thought of them before. He takes things that seem simple or irrelevant to your everyday life and explains how they are incredible and impact upon us - bringing us great comfort or awe.
Tucker works his way through different things that God cannot do and continually blows your mind both to how incredible and beyond comprehension God is while reminding you how unlike God we as humans are. He also discusses how in Jesus, God did do some of these things and helps you think through the great mystery of Jesus being fully God and fully human. There are amazing quotes throughout and I will definitely be passing this one on and re-reading in days to come.
I particularly enjoyed the chapter on God not being lonely and God can’t be tempted.

[Jessie Moose · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Theology, if done in submission to divine revelation, is a profoundly counter-intuitive pursuit. We instinctively tend to measure God against ourselves, so as we encounter a God who is in many ways radically unlike us, we have to keep dismantling the mental images we keep assembling of what he might be like.”
“I will spend all eternity getting to know him better and never get to the end of him. I will spend endless days learning new and deeper reasons to praise him. If my praise now is without wonder then it has little in common with the praise of heaven.”

[Gailey · Rating 4 out of 5]

"As long as I think of God as "like me, just bigger" I am a stranger to real worship."

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I expected this book to be a light read about all the things that are true about God. This was a very readable book on the theology of God! Do not be tricked by the fact that it took me so long to read it. It somehow got to the bottom of my book pile and I forgot I had it! (Easy to do when I've got three or four books going at once all the time.) In any case, it is written in lay terms and is easy to understand and process. I highly recommend this book to any of you who are interested in theology but not interested in the academic/intellectual presentation of theology. This author is not trying to sound like he knows everything. He is exulting in our great God! Join him!

[Jordan Shirkman · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid, accessible introduction to God’s incommunicable attributes that really should help us sleep better at night.

[Matthew Le Croissette · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m torn. I liked the scope of this book - it functions pretty well as a basic doctrine of God (though, thankfully, doesn’t describe itself that way). It links the doctrine of God to the incarnation really well via little ‘interludes’ that highlight the wonder of Jesus being like us, without trying to ‘smooth out’ the ways that might be seen to clash with the things we’ve seen about God in the main chapters. It’s wonderfully Christ-exalting, which is fab! Also notable was drawing on Church Fathers more than I’d expect from a book like this.

But I think it was under-applied (we didn’t get far beyond ‘this can help you sleep at night’ in most chapters). Often there were long, unsignposted digressions within chapters (to explain theological terms, or controversies) that I can see leaving people a little lost. It’s a little thing, but quotations from the fathers (and at points the Bible) were often a bit long for the amount of explanation given.

Having said all that, I reckon my review is basically driven by personal taste/hang ups, so give this a try (especially if you didn’t get on recent books with a similar goal e.g. Jen Wilkin’s “None like Him”). I’m sure it will be a great blessing to many.

[Hobart · Rating 4 out of 5]

This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
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WHAT'S 12 THINGS GOD CAN'T DO ABOUT?
A lot of Theology Proper is negative*—God can't do this, He can't do that, He won't do another thing. This has been the case since the beginning and is still true today.

* A lot of the rest is the omni- attributes. Theology Proper is really an all-or-nothing kind of thing.

Nick Tucker wants the believer to consider 12 of the things God cannot do. No, we're not talking about foolishness like "Can he make a rock so heavy that he can't lift it?" These are the big things—the stuff a faith (collective and individual) can be built on.

BUT...GOD...
Along with these 12 things, Tucker pauses for five interludes. These interludes look at things the God-man, the Incarnate Word, could and did do. He could learn, He could be tempted, and He did sleep. As He took on humanity, The Son was now capable of these things—and that's proof of His humanity. He became truly human—and as such, He could (and did) redeem us.

SO, WHAT DID I THINK ABOUT 12 THINGS GOD CAN'T DO?
I've read a handful of books on the attributes of God over the last few years (and have one more scheduled), but this one approaches the idea from a very different perspective. Well, most of the other books touch upon Tucker's purpose, but they have other things going on—Tucker's more single-minded.

Most books on the topic are about advancing or defending orthodoxy, buttressing right thinking about God (and it is right to do so). Tucker's focused on what the believer is to do with orthodoxy. What's the whole point of understanding who God is? It's for the reassurance, confidence, hope, and comfort of the believer—look at the way the Psalmists, prophets, and apostles used these doctrines. Reflecting their priorities, Tucker points the reader to these can'ts.

We can sleep well at night, knowing that God will not slumber. We can trust His promises because He can't change or lie. And so on. Which makes this book one of the more rewarding reads I've come across lately.

Tucker writes in a simple, clear, and straightforward style. There's a little gentle humor in his illustrations and style—but the book isn't a showcase for Tucker's writing. He writes to point the reader to God. This book is encouraging, devotional, and should lead to doxology. It's wholly sound, and easy to read and, in turn, to lead to trust. It's well worth the short time it takes to read and re-read.

[Panda Incognito · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book initially appealed to me because of the title, and Nick Turner's short, punchy chapters live up to the unique premise. In the introduction, he explains that even though God is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent, that doesn't mean that He can literally do anything. He cannot do something that goes against His nature or character, such as change, be lonely, break His promises, experience temptation, or die. Each chapter focuses on a different thing that God can't do and why it's good that He can't, and five interludes explore how, through the incarnation, Jesus did or experienced some of these things. The book's unique set-up appealed to me, and Turner anticipates and responds well to common questions and objections that will rise in readers' minds.

12 Things God Can't Do emphasizes that Christians can take comfort not only in God's positive character and being, but also in the assurance of all the things He cannot do. Tucker draws on both Scripture and writings from the church fathers to support his points, and he clearly cites his sources in footnotes. He also provides brief clarifications in some of the footnotes, and it's clear how much thought and study he put into this.

I would recommend this to adults and teenagers, whether they are longtime Christians, new Christians, or just curious about faith. Turner writes to a broad audience without presuming anyone's life circumstances or background, and he explains concepts clearly without assuming that his readers have significant theological knowledge already. People who are well-versed in theology will benefit from the unique angle that he takes, and people who are new to the subject will appreciate this book's brevity, accessibility, and engaging tone.

I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Timothy Reynolds · Rating 4 out of 5]

We were introduced to atoms in school by being told that they are the smallest, indivisible parts of matter. Later, we were told that atoms are actually mainly empty space and consist of smaller, separate parts. Education is often like that—telling a simplified (some might say over-simplified) version of the truth, then going back later to say, “Actually, it’s not quite like that; it’s like this.”

We do this when teaching children about God. We teach them to sing words like, “Our God is so big, so strong and so mighty, there’s nothing that he cannot do.” Then, later on, we have to explain, as this book does, that there are some things God cannot do and we should be glad about it.

Recently, the youth and children’s worker in our church ran a short a series of children’s talks (all-age spots, as they are officially known) on things that God cannot do. As a retired pastor, I am occasionally called on to preach in churches that ask for a children’s talk. Things God cannot do—that’s a good topic, I thought, and began to write down ideas. Then, as you do, I decided to save myself some work and googled the topic. That quickly led me to this book—not a book for children, but full of ideas and material you can use in children’s talks.

There are 12 chapters, each dealing with something God cannot do (God can’t learn, God can’t change, God can’t lie, etc.) They are mostly what you might expect but one or two, at least, seem a bit of a stretch, as if the author was pushing to find 12 things. To say that God cannot be seen is surely not to speak of something God cannot do but of something we cannot do. To say that God cannot be surprised is surely to speak of something that cannot be done to God, rather than something God cannot do.

Yet there were also two things on my list that the author does not include: God cannot sleep and God cannot forget. To be sure, God cannot sleep is used briefly as an example in the introduction but it is not given a chapter to itself. The fact that God cannot forget but chooses not to remember those sins he has forgiven seems to be a good topic for a chapter of its own too.

Each chapter explains and considers carefully and biblically what it means and why it is that God cannot do something. Sometimes this throws up difficult questions, such as: If God cannot change his mind, why does the Bible say he was grieved about making Saul king of Israel (1Sam 15:35)? Tucker helpfully points out that only six verses before Samuel says, “He who is the Glory of Israel does not lie or change his mind; for he is not a man, that he should change his mind.” (1Sam 15:29) The author then leaves us to work out the detail of how those two statements can be reconciled but suggests an answer by saying that “the Lord was grieved” is meant “to tell us more about God’s attitude to Saul’s failures as king than to his own previous decisions”.

A good feature is the series of Interludes, spread between the chapters, in which it is explained how Jesus showed his humanity by doing something that God cannot do, e.g. sleep, learn, suffer, die. I do think it introduces possible confusion, though, to give these Interludes titles that simply refer to God, e.g. The God who slept, God went to school, God suffered and died alone. Might it not have been better to say that it was Jesus who slept, went to school, etc.—as the author does with the last Interlude, Jesus was tempted?

The theme of Chapter 10, God can’t be tempted, is particularly carefully and helpfully presented, as is the reality and strength of the temptations Jesus faced, in Interlude 5. In particular with a striking illustration, Tucker shows that Jesus’ temptations were greater than the temptations we face because he always resisted and never gave in. Why, then, does the author not address the obvious question: If God cannot be tempted, how can the temptations that Jesus faced have been real?

Sometimes expressing things catchily or with a touch of humour (no bad thing) seems to be done at the expense of clarity or precision. Is the chapter heading ‘God can’t bear to look’, for example, a helpful or accurate way to express what Habakkuk says of God: “Your eyes are too pure to look on evil” (Hab 1:13)?

Some passages are harder going than others but this is largely a very readable book with many helpful illustrations from everyday life and culture, and quotations from a wide range of authors throughout history. It should leave ordinary Christian readers with a sense that they have delved deeper into the knowledge of God and are glad they went on the journey and for what they have discovered.

[Jonah Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good. 3.5 stars. I rounded up on this one.
Went through this with the high school students at church. They loved it, but they also didn’t realize how much I filtered the content before I taught from each chapter.

Two comments about this book, yea, even a third:
1) I appreciate the attempt to recover apophatic theology, and to do so for a more so-called ‘lay level’ audience (I hate that term but don’t know what else to use right now).
2) I’m not so sure point 1 was as successful as I was hoping.
The reason for this is that, though the illustrations, analogies, and personal application was very good, having block quotes on the Trinity and God’s Pure and Simple Being from Hilary of Poitiers and other like-minded (and phenomenal) theologians seemed out of place. Either paraphrase, or use a source that is more conducive to the tenor of the rest of the book.
3) If it were not for the “Interludes” dispersed throughout the book, it would not be what it is. These interludes serve the reader by showing how the incarnation confronts and clarifies the other attributes of God. These sections are gold, giving ample space to talk about how amazing and profound a truth it is that God became man in Christ. These portions proved to be immensely fruitful in discussion.

Edit**
Another thing that is so great about this book is that it is throughly biblical. Loaded with passages of Scripture, which will reassure those who make a judgment call based on the title of the book.

Worth reading and teaching from, because it’s the only thing of its kind that I have found (at least in terms of a modern book). But more people need to write on this.

[Ben Jeapes · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I was doing youth work at church, there was one kid in the group who just loved to pick arguments with questions like, "If God is omnipotent, can he create a square circle"? Of course, theologians are equally capable of descending to that level. This book, however, shows how God's inability to contradict what he is by definition is a major source of strength and comfort for Christians. God is the one necessary being from whom all else flows. Therefore God CAN'T by definition do things that would detract from that perfection. So, we don't need to worry about being let down.

But, just where you're thinking, "How, then, can this God who can't do so much possibly understand me, who can do all of the above far too easily?" – well, then, that brings us on to the sheer joy and necessity of the incarnation in Jesus. So, we have the glorious contradiction of a God who can't do all these things, but very much has done so, nonetheless.

One consequence of this is that as well as achieving what it sets out to do, the book also manages to become a handy primer on the necessity of the Trinity, and written in very accessible language. Strongly recommended both to established and beginning Christians.

[jordan Tate · Rating 4 out of 5]

The last part of the title should’ve been extended to include “and that Will Help You Thrive at Day”. To me that’s more of the feel. It’s not really for sleeping. It’s for awakening. It offers good conceptualizing of the God of the Bible while also being an easy read. For example, looking at the titles of the chapters , I almost wanted to skip them because it didn’t sound like anything new, but then by reading the chapter, I always enjoyed the points and took away a little something. There were a few pleasurable surprise references such as Ricky Gervais, Steve Martin, and Oscar Wilde, and some saint I’ve never heard of, all woven in to show some unique angles. I did a chapter or two each morning for my morning prayer, meditation, reading, journal time. Was great!
The structure was cool too. He has these intermittent breaks between chapters where he changes the page format, and these acts as interesting side notes I looked forward to.

[Matt Crawford · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nick Tucker offers a brief volume on 12 but with 5 interludes 17 things you already knew but often forget. There is nothing ground breaking here. There is not even a narrative outside of the more popular bible stories. He didn’t really expand his bible study beyond elementary VBS. The chapters are short, the interludes are basically a single thought on 5 pages. But they are a reminder of how God is, and thus who we are. I would have appreciated a little more deepness or devotionalism or added something to any number of current conversations. I kept reading but it kept me wishing he had gone further in depth. So I thought maybe it was an appetizer, wanting to motivate for further study but it didn’t do much there either.

[Karen Soole · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love the premise of this book - looking at the character God, trusting him and being secure in him will enable us to sleep at night. However the chapters are really a systematic theology which are based on theologians thoughts about God. The chapter on 'God can't suffer' examines the concept of impassibility but it feels academic - addressing philosophical issues and an emphasis that I don't think scripture is concerned with. When I read scripture it points to the truth that Jesus in his humanity suffered for us , that he wept, that he was deeply moved and understanding our weakness interecedes for us now - these truths help me sleep at night. Systematic theology is not for me!

[Mikejencostanzo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some great reminders of who God is (and why it matters), expressed in fresh ways. Gave me a new appreciation for God's inherent qualities! A handy 12-chapter discussion guide is available here from the publisher. This resource enabled our book group to meet and discuss the book without one person having to labor over coming up with questions to guide us.

Also, several of the "Interlude" chapters can stand alone as meditative/devotional read-alouds in a group setting.

~Jen

[Jennifer E. Crawford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just as I was starting to read 12Things…,only the Lord
helped to finish the book in record time in order to share it with one of my animal-sitting clients who had asked me a question which was a wide open door for sharing the book with him! Chapter 4 so simply explained what I could not begin to articulate
that I praised the Lord for His perfect timing and prayed that my friend would see Jesus in all His glory and know that He is the Christ, the Son of the Living God, and accept Him as his Savior and Lord!

[Lucy Thacker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought the book was good - it was a good concept to focus what God cannot do, and really helpful interludes to explain that on some aspects Jesus in his humanity did do.

I think there could have been more & better applications - it mentions that the point of it all is worship which I wholeheartedly agree with - but most chapters just ended with "....so you can sleep at night". I think I wanted a bit more depth than that

[Troy Nevitt · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is fine, but I feel it could be more clear and direct (maybe even a booklet rather than a book?). Perhaps 3.5, maybe 4. But chapter 5 claims God "can't bear to look" and though I comprehend that it's about God's hatred of sin, I don't think he built the case in a way that I thought was helpful. I appreciate the concept of the book, and it's likely for a different audience that wants commentary on the verses that are direct and clear.

[Richard Lawrence · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great little book on the nature of God and his saving work in Christ.

Particularly helpful for presenting historic orthodox teaching in an accessible and inspiring way - brilliant resource for wide recommendation.

(I listened to the audiobook which was done well - read by the author with very clear diction and good cadence)

[Kieran Grubb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting book. Nothing radical, but explained in a coherent and easily grasped way.

Definitely a good book to pick up if you struggle with assurance or need to learn some things about God's character.