“God never
gives us more than we can handle,” someone said to a father whose 5-year-old
son had just lost his battle with cancer. These words, which were intended to
encourage him, instead depressed him and caused him to wonder why he wasn’t
“handling” the loss of his boy at all. The pain was so much to bear that he
could hardly even breathe. He knew his grief was too much for him and that he
desperately needed God to hold him tight
The verse that
some use to support the statement “God never gives us more than we can handle”
is 1 Corinthians 10:13, “When you are tempted, he will also provide a way
out so that you can endure it” (niv).
But the context of these words is temptation, not suffering. We can choose the
way out of temptation that God provides, but we can’t choose a way out of
suffering.
Jesus Himself
wanted a way out of His upcoming suffering when He prayed, “My soul is
exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. . . . O My Father, if it is possible, let
this cup pass from Me” (Matt. 26:38-39). Yet He willingly went through this for
our salvation.
When life seems
too much to bear, that’s when we throw ourselves on God’s mercy, and He holds
on to us.
With God, you can face whatever lies ahead. (ODB)
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