Good Monday Morning to this week 20 of 2019<\/p>\n
Though \u201cGod won\u2019t give you more than you can handle\u201d is a favorite quote of many Christians, it\u2019s like quite a few verses that are mentioned but don\u2019t actually appear in the Bible.<\/p>\n
Some verses suggest the opposite approach:<\/p>\n
Rather than never putting His followers in situations, they can’t handle, God occasionally does overwhelm them so they can grow into people capable of handling\u00a0anything.<\/p>\n
1 Corinthians 1:8\u00a0\u00a0He will also keep you firm to the end so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.<\/p>\n
Psalm 38:4\u00a0My guilt has overwhelmed me like a burden too heavy to bear.<\/p>\n
1 Kings 19:7\u00a0 The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, \u201cGet up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Does it mean God takes into account our independent possibilities based on our track record of handling trouble and, thus, measures out that trouble to us so that it doesn\u2019t go beyond what \u201cwe\u201d independently by our own resources can handle?<\/p>\n
Or, does \u201cwe\u201d mean that we can handle it if we receive it by faith in divine assistance and that God knows what he himself will give us by grace in enabling us to handle what he gives us \u2014 so he is not thinking of \u201cwe\u201d as independent, but \u201cwe\u201d as dependent on the grace that comes with the difficulty? Which of those two does this statement ask about?<\/p>\n
And \u201chandle.\u201d What does \u201chandle\u201d mean? Does \u201chandle\u201d mean you never collapse under it? Does it mean you never fail in any task? Does it mean you never mess up? Does it mean you never fail to get a B+ on every one of life\u2019s tests? Or does \u201chandle\u201d mean you never fail so that you never recover or repent or restore reconciliation and that you are finally lost because you failed? Which does \u201chandle\u201d mean?<\/p>\n
Corinthians 10:13: \u201cno temptation\u201d \u2014 or \u201ctest\u201d since it is the same word in Greek \u2014 \u201cno test has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted [tested] beyond your ability\u201d \u2014 or beyond what you are able \u2014 \u201cbut with the temptation, he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.\u201d<\/p>\n
When Paul says he won\u2019t give what is beyond what you are able, he means, not beyond what you are able with God\u2019s help. We know that because of a couple of other things he says. For example, in 2 Corinthians 9:8 he says, \u201cGod is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.\u201d In other words, in every test or temptation, the question is, \u201cWill I do what I ought to do?\u201d And Paul says, \u201cThere will be grace,\u201d not just, \u201cI am depending on you to use your resources without depending on grace.\u201d \u201cI am giving you grace so there will be grace to do it. But you are not independent of my powers to help.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat could this mean, \u2018we\u2019\u00a0 in this statement: \u2018God will never give us more than \u201cwe\u201d can handle\u2019?\u201d is that \u201cwe\u201d means we who are helped by sovereign grace, not we independent of the power of God\u2019s help.<\/p>\n
With the prophet Daniel, for example, God led him off into captivity. But He never brought him \u201cthrough\u201d Babylon and back to Israel. Instead, He kept him there through king after king, battle after battle, danger after danger. Daniel grew old and died far from home, never seeing the land he longed for. But God used that time for some amazing displays of His power to make an impact there.<\/p>\n
So, yes we get completely overwhelmed, overstretched, far beyond what we can handle, and in that we find His Grace, his power to help, to assist us and walk us through the deep trouble.<\/p>\n
Some more promises:<\/p>\n
He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion.<\/p>\n
Those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.\u201d He is going to keep you.<\/p>\n
But I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.\u201d I prayed for you. Yes, you are going to deny me tonight, but I am bringing you back.<\/p>\n
One conclusion:<\/p>\n
We get completely overwhelmed, overstretched, far beyond what we can handle, and in that we find His Grace, his power to help, to assist us and walk us through the deep dark and hard valleys.<\/p>\n
I wish you His grace this week!<\/p>\n
Philemon<\/p>\n
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Good Monday Morning to this week 20 of 2019 Though \u201cGod won\u2019t give you more than you can handle\u201d is a favorite quote of many Christians, it\u2019s like quite a few verses that are mentioned but don\u2019t actually appear in the Bible. Some verses suggest the opposite approach: Rather than never putting His followers in … <\/p>\n