Will God give you more than you can handle?

Good Friday morning, my friends.

How often have you heard some one say "God will never give you more than you can handle"?  I am betting you have heard it many times, as I have.  But I think it is wrong.  And not Biblical.  Perhaps a better (and more correct) version of this would be "God will never give you more than He will help you handle".  Remember the story of Gideon attacking Midian in Judges 7?  Gideon wanted to attack with 32,000 men.  God said "You have too many men. I cannot deliver Midian into their hands, or Israel would boast against me, 'My own strength has saved me.'" and so God reduced the number down to 300!   Do you think that Gideon could have handled that battle on his own with a mere 300 men?  No, but with God's help, there is nothing we cannot handle.   

If you are  feeling like you cannot handle what God has given you, then maybe He is just waiting for you to ask Him to help.  If you have asked, then He will answer.  It may just not look like what you expect it to be, or at the time you expect it.  But do not think He does not care or does not understand what you are going through.  He understands suffering - He gave his Son to experience excruciating torture and death so that we could be reconciled with Him.  He understands suffering all to well.

This prayer, written in "King James English", may take a little effort to decipher for those of us of the NIV generation but it is well worth working through.  It reflects the attitude laid out above: "Lord, I know Thou wilt lay no greater burden on me than Thou canst help me to bear. "

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

Bruce

O Lord, Who in infinite wisdom and love, orderest all things for Thy children, 

order everything this day for me in Thy tender pity. 

Thou knowest my weakness, Who madest me; 

Thou knowest how my soul shrinks from all pain of soul. 

Lord, I know Thou wilt lay no greater burden on me than Thou canst help me to bear. 

Teach me to receive all things this day from Thee. 

Enable me to commend myself in all things to Thee; 

grant me in all things to please Thee; 

bring me through all things nearer unto Thee; 

bring me, day by day, nearer to Thyself, to life everlasting. 

Amen.

E.B. Pusey

(http://kenanderson.net/bible/html/february.html)

Bruce MacPherson macpherson@celtic.ca / Blog: The Celtic Christian / Home: 613.489.4174 Cell: 613.720.0821 You are receiving this email because you have requested it or I felt you would be interested in this material. If you would like to be removed from this email list, please do not hesitate to contact me at the above email address. Likewise, if you know of someone else who you believe would appreciate receiving these messages, please let me know.