Did God Really Say…..

Have you ever heard someone going through some difficult circumstance say something like this, “I know God doesn’t allow more than I can handle”? When someone is going through some kind of difficulty, those words are uttered to bring strength and comfort. But are they true? We know God to be faithful to his promises, but is this a promise he really made?

Even as a paraphrase, those words are nowhere to be found in Scripture! God did make a promise that sounds similar, but is vastly different from what people tell themselves about trials, tribulations, and downright difficult circumstances. The promise concerns temptation, not trials. In 1 Corinthians 10:13, Paul writes, “The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.” God’s promise is to never allow any temptation into your life that is too great for you to withstand. There’s no mention of keeping you from troubles greater than you can handle. In fact, Jesus said just the opposite!

A few days ago, in one of the devotionals I follow, we finished up reading through the gospel according to Luke. In Luke 24:49, just before his ascension back to heaven, Jesus told his disciples, “And now I will send the Holy Spirit, just as my Father promised. But stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven.” Why did Jesus tell his disciples to hang tight and wait? Jesus warned the disciples not to attempt to do God’s work until they were filled with power from heaven through the Holy Spirit. That warning tells me that apart from God and his authority and power I can do nothing, but…I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength. (Philippians 4:13) Every person who accepts Christ as personal Lord and Savior receives the Holy Spirit. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead lives within me in the person of the Holy Spirit.

So if God never promised only troubles and difficult circumstances we can handle, what did he say about trials and troubles? In John 16:33 Jesus said, “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” There is no better promise than that concerning the difficult circumstances of life in this broken world. The promise God actually gave about the difficulties and trials he allows in our lives is that he never allows us to bear anything that is too great for HIM to handle. It’s in claiming and resting in this promise that it’s possible to find peace and even joy in trying circumstances.

God’s desire is always for us to lean into him for every need. He desires our dependence on him, so why would he promise only to allow things into our lives that we can handle on our own? We have the power of heaven—the Holy Spirit—within us, so let’s claim the true promise God gave about our troubles and trials. God will never allow us to bear anything that is too great for HIM to handle. Lean into him and claim it.