More Than You Can Bear

There is an old saying, God will never give you more than you can bear. But unfortunately, old sayings can sometimes be just that, empty words. The Bible verse that the world and sometimes people in the church often use to back up that statement is merely a misquote of what God really says.

God is not describing a tragedy or trial too big for you to bear, but a temptation above that you are able to where he will give you an escape from that temptation. We see the verse, it's in 1 Corinthians 10 13, that is so often misquoted. There hath no temptation taken you, but such as is common to man.

But God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able, but will with the temptation also make a way to escape that ye may be able to bear it. So when someone tells you God will never give you more than you can handle, they may be sincere, but what they're saying isn't necessarily so, because I can assure you, friend, there may come a time in your own life where you will suffer, where you will go through a personal tragedy or trial that God will allow, that'll be too big for you to handle, and God will allow it. He will give to you, so you can give it to him, so he can bear that weight with you.

That's what faith is. It's believing God has a purpose when the darkest night, even in the hardest trial, even in the worst personal tragedy. We may not understand all of his purpose in this life, but we will one day be able to see his purpose in it when we're with him in glory.

I know of which I speak. I speak from personal experience. God put me smack-dab in the midst of a personal tragedy.

There was too much for me to bear. It was when my wife committed suicide. It was more than I could handle, and at the time I had raised my 14 year old daughter by myself and still maintain a full-time job.

The awful shock of that terrible event left a mark on my life and my daughter's life. They will always be there, but God got us through. And through that tragedy and terrible grief, I learned that I could lean on my God, that God would bear it with me, that God would get me through.

Listen, friend. I don't know what circumstance you're presently going through that has turned your world upside down, but I can assure you of this. No matter how hard or seemingly hopeless your situation is, Christ is there beside you, standing with you, giving strength to you, building faith in you, developing character in you, sharing your trial with you, so that you can take what you cannot bear and give it all to Him so He can bear it with you.

Oxen share a yoke together to bear a weight too strong to pull alone. Jesus says, Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. Remember, friend, God may give you more than you can handle, so you can hand it to Him and in the process experience more of Him.