“GOD WILL NOT GIVE YOU ANYTHING MORE
THAN YOU CAN HANDLE."
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
Have you heard it said, “God will not give you anything more than you can handle?” In some ways that
sounds consoling and comforting, as though God is guarding our door to keep the world's troubles out of our
lives. It also seems like a word of hope that God will keep our daily lives from overwhelming us. It likewise
personalizes God’s relationship with us: like, God knows us well enough to only give us challenges we can deal
with.
Perhaps the statement I just made seems comforting, hopeful, and personal to you. On the other hand,
what about the people who feel that they may not be able to "handle" what is currently going on in their life?
They feel they are facing too much work, too much financial losses, too much anxiety, problems piling on the
family or discouraged over health problems. Seems their lives are spinning out of control.
What happens then? They feel unworthy because God has given them the exam that they were supposed
to be able to pass, but they found themselves failing it badly!
If you truly believe “God will not give you anything more than you can handle,” then there is no recourse
for help because it is up to you to do the handling. That is the way the contract is written. If you cannot swim
by yourself in the storm to the safety of the shore, then you are going down and that is a terrifying thought.
Do you know where “God will not give you anything more than you can handle” appears in the Bible?
The Bible does not say that, it is a paraphrase, a very bad paraphrase of I Corinthians 10:13. Much more on 1
Corinthians in a moment. But first, the Palmist encourages us with, “God is our refuge and our strength, a very
present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1). The psalmist does not assume that God regulates the amount of trouble
we might have in our lives; instead the psalmist has faith that God will always be present, be it in a place of
safety or when trouble comes. In saying this, the psalmist sums up the history of his people, by sharing the
stories of Noah, Abraham and Sarah, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Miriam, Joshua, Hannah, Saul and David... all who
sought out God as a refuge in times of their troubles. They found themselves totally depending on God in their
times of distress and affliction.
In Matthew 11, we read more of God’s dependability. Jesus Christ said to those who are deeply troubled
and suffering from being overburdened, “Come to Me, all you who are weary, and heavy laden, and take My
yoke upon you, and I will give you rest” (Matt 11:28). A yoke is a device worn over the shoulders of animals
to allow them to pull a plow or a wagon. Jesus is talking about sharing a yoke, where we are yoked to Him and
He is carrying far more of the load, in fact, all of it. The shared yoke with our Lord of lords and King of kings
is an image of having a close relationship with Him through the Holy Spirit. Our utter dependency needs to be
on the One who is utterly dependable.
Keeping this in mind, let us go back now to this articles title, “God will not give you anything more than
you can handle.” As mentioned before, this is a bad paraphrase of 1 Corinthians 10:13, where Paul is addressing
the church in Corinth: “No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone. God is faithful and He
will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with His testing He will also provide a way out so that you
may endure it” (1 Cor 10:13 NKJV).
First note – that Paul is talking to the church, and therefore, as in most of the New Testament, he is
speaking to us in the plural, not speaking to us in the singular. Having human nature still in us, we are often
tempted to worship the me, myself, and I, instead of our Creator, Christ.
After being called and given God’s Holy Spirit we find faith flourishes stronger in fellowship. The church
offers the assurance that we are not alone. Faith, hope and healing can be found in relationship with one another
in Christ, through having God’s Holy Spirit. In other words, if you are troubled, or going through some trial
don't just bottle it up; go to God in prayer and fasting about the problem, then trust that God will provide through
His Holy Spirit an answer to help you. God will not give us, anything more than we can handle!
Unfortunately, succumbing to temptations results in division, conflict, and intense alienation. In the face
of temptations, Paul says that God will offer a way out. Those ways out, include turning our lives back to God.
Asking for and receiving forgiveness, deepens our sense of humility, gratitude and dependence on God. We are
to apply through action the “here a little, there a little” sermons we hear on God’s Sabbaths. In the last weekly
Sabbath of 2011 and the first weekly Sabbath of 2012, we heard sermons from God’s word to strengthen our
walk and calling. Mr. Fleming’s sermon was titled “Back to the Basic Foundation” and Mr. Martinez sermon
was titled “Those Who Fear God.” Thinking about those two sermons brought to mind a story in the New
Testament, not expounded on very often. It’s about James and John. These two brothers were the messengers
sent ahead to Samaria to make arrangements for them and Jesus Christ to stay the night. But the villagers
unleashed an unwelcome harsh treatment on them. James and John apparently possessed a hot temper, a
characteristic that earlier had led Christ to nickname them “sons of thunder”in Mark 3:17.
Once the Samaritan village rejected them and Jesus, the sons of thunder wanted to bring fire (lightning)
down from heaven to eliminate everyone there. “Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him
(Christ) to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem, and sent messengers before His
face. And as they went, they entered a village of the Samaritans, to prepare for Him. But they did not receive
Him, because His face was set for the journey to Jerusalem. And when His disciples James and John saw this,
they said, "Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from Heaven and consume them, just as Elijah
did?" But He turned and rebuked them, and said, "you do not know what manner of spirit you are of. For the
Son of man did not come to destroy men's lives but to save them." And they went to another village. (Luke 9:
51 - 56 NKJV). These two were sincerely wanting to protect Christ’ interest.
Today, when reading the Bible, there's a less extreme view of James and John. Instead of seeing them
with some dangerously vindictive attitudes, we see them merely wanting a positions of authority when Jesus
takes power over the Kingdom of God. Jesus knew that what they were asking for meant suffering. These two
weren't ready for that. He told them about being humble. He told them that greatness only comes in being a
servant to others. “The last shall be first,” “turn the other cheek,” “blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the
earth.” All great spiritual directions.
In a movie called "Risky Business," it was about a group of friends sitting around a table talking about
what they wanted to do with their lives. Almost all agreed that they wanted to make a whole lot of money. One,
the central character, Joel, played by a young Tom Cruise, said that he wanted to serve his fellow man. (At that
point) everyone threw their fries at him and laughed.
Our world is filled with the pursuit not to find happiness, nor work on serving one another! The
important things are the expansion of our territory, the increase of our bank accounts, the elevation of ourselves
or those we support to positions of power. To be the best means that you do better than all the rest. It means that
you take home the prize, maybe the prize is recognition, maybe it is some lavish gift, maybe it is lots of money,
maybe it's power. Life is about winning! The ones who win write the history. The ones who win get all the
glory! The ones who win get all the money and power. But the desire to win in all of life's pursuits can and will
turn things sour. The desire can and will lead a person into insensitivity. Insensitivity leads to rudeness,
rudeness leads to arrogance and arrogance leads to callousness. Then callousness leads to ruthlessness.
Jesus Christ said, “Whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. and whoever
desires to be first among you, let him be your slave. Just as the Son of man did not come to be served, but to
serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Matt 20:26-28 NKJV).
Jesus came from a very humble beginnings. He worked with His hands, He lived the life of a peasant.
He served healing people, doing these things upset the status quo! He was more than an annoyance to the
religious and nonreligious power brokers of His day.
When He made His final entry into Jerusalem, He rode on the foal of a donkey instead of on a proud
white stallion. He gave food to the hungry and He visited the sick. When He made miracles happen, He told the
people to keep it to themselves. He ran and hid from the ones who wanted Him to become a powerful ruler.
Jesus washed the feet of His disciples. Jesus let Himself be crucified.
Its not wrong to aim to win or to have wealth and money. It’s not wrong to have fame. It’s not wrong
to have a nice homes and cars. But it is not the model Jesus has for us. The book of Philippians reveals the
model we are told to follow.
“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery
to be equal with God: But made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was
made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient
unto death, even the death of the cross” (Phil 2:5-8). Having the same mind that was in our Lord is not about
competition. It is not about winning, it is about losing, it is about emptying ourselves of the things that we make
more important than God!
Remember the man who ask Christ about inheriting eternal life? “And when He (Christ) was gone forth
into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to Him, and asked Him, good Master, what shall I do that I
may inherit eternal life? And Jesus said unto him, why call you Me good? There is none Good but one, that is,
God. You know the commandments, do not commit adultery, do not kill, do not steal, do not bear false witness,
defraud not, Honor your father and mother. And he answered and said unto Him, Master, all these have I
observed from my youth. Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, one thing you lack: go your
way, sell whatsoever you have, and give to the poor, and you shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up
the cross, and follow Me. And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions”
(Mark 10:17-22 ). James and John probably didn't have money but they did crave power and they were
followers of Jesus Christ.
Like we so often do, we lose sight of what it meant to be a true servant, for God’s kingdom to come.
Jesus reminded them that true greatness does not come from power. True greatness comes in our emptiness and
in the knowledge that we are weak and it is in Christ that we are strong.
Timothy was informed by Paul, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for
doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect,
throughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Tim 3:16-17).When we lose our compass like the sons of thunder
– James and John did, it’s time to evaluate
our attitude by asking ourselves, how important is my attitude toward following instructions? How committed
am I to following God’s instructions? Am I willing and ready to take correction?
Example, 31 year ago a 737 Air Florida jetliner crashed into the Potomac River, in Washington DC just
after taking off from Washington National Airport. It had 78 passengers aboard, 74 people lost their lives in the
crash. Four death were from hitting cars crossing on the bridge at the time. The captain of that Boeing 737 had
recently taken two tests to review his pilots license eligibility. He was marked unsatisfactory in two areas! One
was taking orders and two, he had problems following instructions. Earlier, in June 1981, Boeing company had
sent out an advisory bulletin to all operators of the Boeing 737. They were instructed “not reverse thrust on
the motors,” before taking off in cold weather and use a higher speed to take off.
Witnesses said the pilot reversed thrust twice, when taxing out to the runway. Boeing company said,
by reversing thrust: it would build up ice in the motor and on the wings. He was also instructed to have 29,000
lbs of thrust before lift off. The flight data recorder in the plane provides moment by moment readings of the
speed it was travailing, the attitude it was bearing, the altitude it had achieved, gravity and force it was operating
under. The recorder showed the plane had only 21,000 lbs of thrust on take off, just enough to get off the ground
not enough to gain the altitude it needed to fly safely over the bridge it hit.
The pilot did not pay attention to the qualifying conditions for flying this Boeing 737 Air Jet in cold
weather. The results cost him his life, as well as 77 others lives. That story reminds me of what can happen to
us if we don't learn to follow orders from God's word, the instruction book for our eternal life. The Bible is and
always will be the greatest instruction book ever written!
As God's called first-fruits: we made a commitment to God at our baptism. We were asked, have you
repented of all your sins? If you said no, you were not baptized! If you yes, you were on the right path. With
repentance, comes commitment and with commitment comes responsibility!
In 1956 when in the Army during the Korean Conflict, I was stationed at Fort Lewis, Washington. We
daily practiced war games. One week our company was assigned to fly on a training mission to Yakima firing
range from Mc Cord Air Base in Washington. We were assigned to fly on a Globe-Master(cargo plane) one
company unit per plane, with their jeeps, trucks, and heavy weapons – plus the company troops. There were
2 decks, we sit on the upper deck on bench’s across from each other (there were no windows to see out of). We
taxied out to the runway for take off. As we started down the runway the plane started to vibrated – shake and
rattle, it seemed like it took forever to lift off the ground with all the weight of our trucks, jeeps, weapons, and
personal gear aboard.
The reason for telling this story is because 3/4 of the way down the runway, there is a commitment line.
When you go past that line - you are committed and, one of two things are going to happen, you either lift off
and fly, or you continual on, and crash.
We are like the 737 Air Jet pilot and his passenger on that plane. Our baptism is that commitment line.
We continue on to be in God's kingdom or we crash and burn! We have a choice! Pro 28:18, speaks of these
choices. “Whoso walks uprightly shall be saved: but he that is perverse (obstinate) in his ways shall fall at once.”
God gives us responsibility after being baptized, [which is our commitment line!] to see if we are going to walk
uprightly or are we going to be perverse to His ways! Once baptized: we are to endorse God's word by our
action. Beginning with prayer for: God's kingdom to come, as it says in Matt 6:10.
We need to study God’s word to have the mind of God (2 Tim 2:15). We have to be working daily on
overcoming sin, recapturing our first love, building Godly character and repent as Peter said in Acts 2. “Then
Peter said unto them, repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of
sins, And you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Act 2:38).
Keep in mind our baptism is our commitment line! We must not draw back into this world or we will
crash. “Cast not away therefore your confidence, which has great recompense (compensation) of reward. For
you have need of patience, that, after you have done the will of God, you might receive the promise. For yet a
little while, and He that shall come will come, and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man
draw back, My soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but
of them that believe to the saving of the soul” (Heb 10:35).
Don't forget what your commitment line is, and remember with commitment comes responsibility!!!
James Russell
uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu
Sharing God’s Word:
? WHAT IS TRUTH ?
uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu
God’s Truth is under attack! Truth is who God is and what God says! We know from Scripture that God the
Father is True. “He that hath received His testimony hath set his seal that God is true”(John 3:33). We
know also from God's Word that Jesus Christ is the Truth. “Jesus said to him, I am the way; and the Truth,
and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me” (John 14:6). We know the Holy Spirit is Truth,
“This is the One who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ; not with the water only; but with the water
and with the blood. It is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the Truth” (1 John 5:6). We know that
the Word of God is Truth from John 17:17: “Sanctify them in the Truth; Your word is Truth.”
Since the Garden of Eden when Satan said in Genesis 3:1: “Indeed, has God said...." God's Truth has been
under attack. Our world has been shaped by mankind, which has done four things with Truth. In Romans
1:18, mankind “suppressed the Truth in unrighteousness.” In Acts 20:30, mankind distorted the Truth by
twisting it to deceive others: “and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to
draw away the disciples after them.” In Romans 2:8 man kind rejected the Truth outright by refusing to
obey it. And in Romans1:25 mankind did the most horrendous thing of all by exchanging the Truth for a lie.
No wonder it's the heartbeat of the Apostle John in his 1st and 2nd Epistles that believers walk in Truth; that
believers practice the Truth. We live in a world that is infected with error because of what mankind has done
with the Truth and this fact extends even into those God has called. God’s churches are polluted with the
distortion of Truth. Many have walked away from Truth instead of walking in Truth.
Truth is the Apostle John's subject in 1st and 2nd John. He told us “.....if we say that we have fellowship
with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie, and do not practice the Truth.”(1 John 1:6).
John showed us that when we are allowing His Word, which is the Truth, to be in us, instead of us simply
being in His Word, then His Word exposes sin in our lives. “If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving
ourselves and the Truth is not in us.”(1 John 1:8). He has also shown us
that if we truly know Christ then it is illustrated by our obedience to God's
Truth. “The one who says, I have come to know Him, and does not keep His
commandments, is a liar; and the Truth is not in him” (1 John 2:4).
John told us in 1st John that those who practice the Truth know that God's
Word will never deceive us: “I have not written to you because you do not
know the Truth, but because you do know it, and because no lie is of the
Truth” (1John 2:21). Further, John showed us that we know the Spirit of
God is behind all Truth and that helps us discern the spirit of error: “We are
from God; he who knows God listens to us; he who is not from God does
not listen to us. By this we know the spirit of Truth and the spirit of error”
(1 John 4:6).