“God will not give me more than I can bear”.
Oh, YES, HE WILL, sister! He absolutely will.
It seems that, without forethought, intention, or planning, I have written myself right into a series here on the blog. Let’s call it, Lies We Believe. Here are the links to the two other posts in this impromptu series.
3 Reasons Why We Are NOT All God’s Children
I Just Can’t Forgive Myself and Other Lies We Believe
Today we are examining the lie that Christians fall victim to very often. It is a lie of reason, born of a lack of knowledge of what Scripture actually says. Here are two reasons why God WILL, indeed, give us more than we can bear.
God is Omniscient and He is Sovereign
Those are big, fancy spiritual words. God has infinite knowledge about everything and everyone. He knows everything there is to know about you and the things that impact you – that is Omniscience. God also has supreme power and authority. He is working everything that concerns you out for your good. His goal is for your faith to grow so you will look more like Jesus to a lost and dying world.
Let me clarify that, when I talk about trials, I’m not talking about the temptation to sin. God does not tempt anyone (James 1:13). Neither does He allow us to be tempted beyond what we can resist. Paul assures us of this in 1 Corinthians 10:13. God will always provide a way to escape from temptation. The question is whether we will take it. If we choose to run toward temptation and not away from it, we cannot blame God for the consequences. We always reap what we sow.
In James 1:2-4, the Lord’s brother tells us to ‘Count it all joy’ when we undergo trials of any kind. Why? Because of God’s Sovereignty, He is working some things in and out of us that can only be accomplished by trials. What kind of things does He work in us? Patience, joy endurance, and humility. What does He work out of us through trials? Pride, hatred, selfishness, anger, and so many other lovely traits. Truly, if this working in and working out could be accomplished any other way, God would have chosen that way. He allows these trials to test and purify our faith in His power and wisdom.
Think about multiple examples of individuals throughout history, both biblical and non-biblical, who were, in fact, allowed to endure more than they could humanly bear. Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers. Stephen was martyred for his faith in Christ. Paul endured beatings, scourging, hunger, imprisonment, shipwrecks and so much more. Jim Elliot, Nate Saint, and three other men were murdered because they tried to share Jesus with the Auca Indians. Corrie ten Boom was imprisoned by the Nazis and watched her sister, Betsie, die in the concentration camps. Dietrich Bonhoeffer was martyred because he tried to find a way to stop Hitler. Who can forget the twenty Coptic Christian men who were beheaded by ISIS because they would not renounce their faith in Christ? None of these people had the strength to endure these trials, but because they had a strong faith in Christ, they finished well.
So yes, God will give you more than you can bear in the human realm. He just will. It is the way of faith while we walk this dusty sod of earth. But, He also provides supernatural strength to equip you for victory in the middle of the trail. Trust His heart, dear friend. He will never fail you!
SDG/FCA!
NOTE: This post contains affiliate links.
It is my honor to be one of the contributing writers for my friend, Arabah Joy’s FREE 2019 Praying the Promises of the Cross event. This is a special time of focus, leading up to Easter, on the cross and Jesus’ sacrifice. In a world of ‘self-centered’ Christianity, this challenge is a critical and relevant way of getting Christ-centered truth into our hearts. Please click HERE below to discover more about Praying the Promises of the Cross.
There is also an awesome Praying the Promises of the Cross Bundle that contains some wonderful items like a 40 day Praying the Promises of the Cross Prayer Journal, 40 Daily Prayer Cards, and Scripture Coloring Sheets.
These items will focus your heart on the cross and help you be intentional in your prayers during the Challenge. You can purchase that by clicking on the link HERE.
In a recent Thursday Thoughts post, I offered a quote from martyred missionary Jim Elliot. Today I am linking to a new book written by Jim and Elisabeth Elliot’s daughter, Valerie. It is a collection of letters and stories about her parents’ remarkable love for each other and for Jesus. If you are reading this post via email, please click HERE to go to my website and see the link to the book.
