More than I can Handle

"God will never give you more than you can handle." I hear this quoted over and over. The truth is, it just isn't Biblical. The closest thing to it in the Bible is 1 Corinthians 10:13. 

No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.

This verse is talking about temptation, not persecution or suffering. The fact is, there are things that happen in life to good people that they cannot handle at all. Sometimes Christians get cancer and it takes their lives. Sometimes car accidents happen and it causes great suffering. If someone came to my front door and aimed a gun at me and pulled a trigger, that is something that my body could not handle. In the second letter we have of Paul's to the Corinthians, he describes his own situation.

For we do not want you to be unaware, brethren, of our affliction which came to us in Asia, that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life; indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead;  who delivered us from so great a peril of death, and will deliver us, He on whom we have set our hope. And He will yet deliver us, (2 Corinthians 1:8-10)

Paul was "burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life." Would you tell Paul, "God never gives you more than you can handle, so you must not be handling it well"? People are often given more than they can bear. Sadly, many times people turn to alcohol, drugs, or other sin to escape their problems if only for a while.

Difficult challenges happen frequently. I am going through what is, in some ways, the most difficult challenge of my life. My wife is over nine months pregnant with our son. We are four days past our due date. Back on January 6th, we found out that our Joses has Anencephaly. We have known for five months that our son is going to die shortly after being born. What would you do if you got news like this? In the Anencephaly support groups we are in, we have heard of people who have been driven to alcoholism, adultery, and bankruptcy because they could not bear the load. Where do you turn?

Back in December (one month before we knew of Joses' condition), I was blessed with the opportunity to teach a Bible class for three different churches (two in Florida and one in Tennessee). I had no idea how much I would benefit from those classes. Each of those times, I started with the question: "when you are feeling low, depressed, lost, and alone, where do you turn in scripture to find comfort?" Many people gave many good answers such as Psalm 23 and the book of Philippians. However, the one I enjoyed then and the one that has been the most dear to me since is Psalm 27. I ask that you attempt to read this Psalm through my eyes. This is where I turn when life is more than I can handle.

Psalms 27:1-14

(1)  A Psalm of David. The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the defense of my life; Whom shall I dread?

(2)  When evildoers came upon me to devour my flesh, My adversaries and my enemies, they stumbled and fell.

(3)  Though a host encamp against me, My heart will not fear; Though war arise against me, In spite of this I shall be confident.

(4)  One thing I have asked from the LORD, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the LORD And to meditate in His temple.

(5)  For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle; In the secret place of His tent He will hide me; He will lift me up on a rock.

(6)  And now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me, And I will offer in His tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the LORD.

(7)  Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice, And be gracious to me and answer me.

(8)  When You said, "Seek My face," my heart said to You, "Your face, O LORD, I shall seek."

(9)  Do not hide Your face from me, Do not turn Your servant away in anger; You have been my help; Do not abandon me nor forsake me, O God of my salvation!

(10)  For my father and my mother have forsaken me, But the LORD will take me up.

(11)  Teach me Your way, O LORD, And lead me in a level path Because of my foes.

(12)  Do not deliver me over to the desire of my adversaries, For false witnesses have risen against me, And such as breathe out violence.

(13)  I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD In the land of the living.

(14)  Wait for the LORD; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the LORD.

Verses 1-3 expresses absolute certainty that banishes fear, regardless how big the threat might be. If God is on our side, who can be against us? He is described here as my light, salvation, and defense (stronghold). There are no difficult circumstances that can shake God.

(2-3) The second verse is past tense while the third verse is future tense. Past deliverances give absolute confidence for the future. The third verse is exaggerated for effect. Imagine the terror of one criminal aiming a gun at you. David says he would not be afraid if an opposing army was aiming for him.

(4) These verses present a single-minded determination to always be in the presence of God. Beholding the beauty of the LORD should be our highest of ambitions in life. When I think about this, petty trials do not seem to matter nearly as much. Twelve thousand years from now, my life will not seem like it was that much longer than my son's life. Yes, I do get comfort knowing I will spend far more time with my son in the afterlife than I will spend with anyone in this life. However, the greatest blessing of heaven is the opportunity to see God in all His glory. Comparatively, NOTHING else matters.

(5-6) God is the one who will lift me out of this situation. The only reason I have my chin up is because God is the lifter of my head (v6). David's reaction to difficult circumstances was to sing praises to God. The night we found out that Joses had Anencephaly, Megan pulled out a song book and we sang together. Hymns have been one of the greatest sources of comfort for us.

(7-12) This prayer of David is for divine aid. God calls each of us to seek His face. It is up to us to say "Your face, O LORD, I shall seek."

(13) This has been the most impactful verse in the Psalm to me lately. Promises of Heaven are wonderful and should be enough motivation for us to move forward, but here David looks to the more immediate future. The "land of the living" would be in contrast to the "realm of the dead." When David says this, he is talking about this life. The reason he did not despair in the middle of trials is because he knew he would see good days again. One thing that has carried Megan and I through this trial is to know that we have laughed together multiple times every day of our marriage and we never plan to stop. Even in the darkest of times, we find something to make us smile. It gives us a glimpse of our future. God will show us his goodness in the future, even in this life.

(14) David's advice for me in this trial is to "Wait for the LORD; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the LORD." Yes, there are many circumstances that we cannot handle, but God can handle them all. Stay faithful to God and He will carry us through.