"God won't give you more than you can handle"

We’re continuing on this week with our series “The Bible Doesn’t Say That,” looking at common ideas or phrases that many Christians believe are either actually stated outright in the Bible, or at least believe that the concept is taught by the Bible. A couple of weeks ago we talked about one of those phrases that people believe are actually found in a verse in the Bible, “God helps those who help themselves.” We saw that not only does it not appear, but it actually goes against the teaching of the Bible. This week we turn to a similar phrase that many people believe is an actual verse from the Bible even though no one can ever tell you where it is. The phrase is “God won’t give you more than you can handle.” Anybody ever heard that one before? Like most of these, it sounds good at first. It sounds just enough like something that might be in the Bible that we can easily believe that it’s in there. But when we really think about it, and when we search the Bible to see what it really teaches, we’ll see that this is another example of something that goes against the counsel of scripture.

Let’s look at our main text for this morning in 2 Corinthians chapter 1.

2 Corinthians 1:3–11 CSB

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort. 4 He comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any kind of affliction, through the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 5 For just as the sufferings of Christ overflow to us, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. 6 If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation. If we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings that we suffer. 7 And our hope for you is firm, because we know that as you share in the sufferings, so you will also share in the comfort. 8 We don’t want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, of our affliction that took place in Asia. We were completely overwhelmed—beyond our strength—so that we even despaired of life itself. 9 Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death, so that we would not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead. 10 He has delivered us from such a terrible death, and he will deliver us. We have put our hope in him that he will deliver us again 11 while you join in helping us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gift that came to us through the prayers of many.

2 Corinthians 1:3–7 CSB

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort. 4 He comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any kind of affliction, through the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 5 For just as the sufferings of Christ overflow to us, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. 6 If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation. If we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings that we suffer. 7 And our hope for you is firm, because we know that as you share in the sufferings, so you will also share in the comfort.

Now that’s a great passage. It assures us that whatever we go through, whatever trials and afflictions may come, we will be comforted by God and because of those afflictions we will be able to comfort other believers as well when they go through the same things. But that doesn’t really tell us whether God will give us more than we can handle does it? Well let’s keep reading in verse 8.

2 Corinthians 1:8–11 CSB

8 We don’t want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, of our affliction that took place in Asia. We were completely overwhelmed—beyond our strength—so that we even despaired of life itself. 9 Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death, so that we would not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead. 10 He has delivered us from such a terrible death, and he will deliver us. We have put our hope in him that he will deliver us again 11 while you join in helping us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gift that came to us through the prayers of many.

That passage speaks a little more to our topic doesn’t it? Look at what Paul says in verse 8, “We were completely overwhelmed—beyond our strength—so that we even despaired of life itself.” Sounds like they got a little more than they could handle doesn’t it? They couldn’t do it. They couldn’t stand up under the weight of whatever this affliction was that hit them in Asia. Paul doesn’t go into detail about what it was, but he does tell us that they couldn’t bear it. They couldn’t handle it. But then, look at the next 2 verses. In verses 9 and 10 Paul says, “Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death, so that we would not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a terrible death, and he will deliver us. We have put our hope in him that he will deliver us again.” That’s the key. That’s the big idea that I want you to see this morning.

God will absolutely give you more than you can handle, but He will never give you more than HE can handle.

To illustrate this I want to look back at one of the scriptures that we read last week. And we’re actually going to expand on it a little bit this week and read a few more of the verses. We’re staying here in 2 Corinthians but moving toward the end of the letter. Let’s read in chapter 12

2 Corinthians 12:1–10 CSB

1 Boasting is necessary. It is not profitable, but I will move on to visions and revelations of the Lord. 2 I know a man in Christ who was caught up to the third heaven fourteen years ago. Whether he was in the body or out of the body, I don’t know; God knows. 3 I know that this man—whether in the body or out of the body I don’t know; God knows—4 was caught up into paradise and heard inexpressible words, which a human being is not allowed to speak. 5 I will boast about this person, but not about myself, except of my weaknesses. 6 For if I want to boast, I wouldn’t be a fool, because I would be telling the truth. But I will spare you, so that no one can credit me with something beyond what he sees in me or hears from me, 7 especially because of the extraordinary revelations. Therefore, so that I would not exalt myself, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to torment me so that I would not exalt myself. 8 Concerning this, I pleaded with the Lord three times that it would leave me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may reside in me. 10 So I take pleasure in weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and in difficulties, for the sake of Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

2 Corinthians 12:6–10 CSB

6 For if I want to boast, I wouldn’t be a fool, because I would be telling the truth. But I will spare you, so that no one can credit me with something beyond what he sees in me or hears from me, 7 especially because of the extraordinary revelations. Therefore, so that I would not exalt myself, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to torment me so that I would not exalt myself. 8 Concerning this, I pleaded with the Lord three times that it would leave me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may reside in me. 10 So I take pleasure in weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and in difficulties, for the sake of Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

So why did we turn to this passage? Well in the first passage we read from chapter 1, we see God delivering Paul and his companions from their affliction but some might argue, “Yes, but God didn’t give them that affliction, He simply delivered them from it, so it’s not really God giving them more than they can handle.” Well, here at the end of 2 Corinthians we can’t say that. Here we see Paul being given “a thorn in the flesh” so that he would not be able to boast of his own accomplishments. He prays to God, in fact it says he pleaded with God three times to take it away, but look at God’s response. “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is perfected in weakness.” Now we don’t know what this thorn in the flesh was. Again, Paul doesn’t go into details about what the affliction was that he was facing, but we know that it was something bad enough that he says it made sure that he couldn’t boast in his own power because of it. It was something, once again, that he couldn’t handle. His own power, his own strength, his own personal will power wasn’t enough. He had to rely on the power of God to get through it.

Not only did God give Paul this thorn in the flesh, but then He refused to take it away. And it

So not only did God give Paul this thorn in the flesh, but then He refused to take it away when Paul pleaded with Him. And it was all to show the power and sufficiency of God. It was to show us that there are some things that we just can’t do. There are some things that are simply beyond our power and we can’t handle them. But God can. Because as these verses say His power is perfected in our weakness. When we are placed in those situations that we can’t handle, that’s when the power and the glory of God shine through and that’s when others can see his power and influence in our lives.

I know in my personal life I’ve had some times when, if I didn’t have God on my side, and in my heart, I don’t know how I would have made it through. While I was going through seminary we found out that Dee Dee was pregnant. We weren’t sure how we were going to make it with a fourth child on the little bit of money I was making at the time, but we were excited. A couple months into the pregnancy, actually right around this time of year, just before Halloween, Dee Dee had a miscarriage. I’ll never forget the sound of her moan that woke me up that night. But even then, even in the midst of the pain and sorrow, we knew that it would be OK. I can’t tell you how many people commented over the next couple of months on how well they thought we were handling the loss. Our response was always the same. It was God. We don’t know why God took that baby home, but we know He had a reason, and because of our faith in Him, we would get through it. And we did. Yes, we were sad, but we got through it.

Then there was last year, when I was passed over for promotion. We were worried that if I didn’t get selected this year we would be forced out and I would get no retirement after all this time I’ve spent in the military. But even then, we fine because we said from the very beginning of this journey into chaplaincy that we were here until God told us it was time to leave. If that meant retirement, Great! But if it had meant that I had to get out after being passed over for promotion the second time, then we knew that God would have something else waiting for us once that happened.

You see that’s the beauty of this whole thing. Like I said before, God will absolutely give you more than you can handle, but He will never give you more than He can handle. And when we place our faith and trust in Him; when we trust Him enough to hand over control of our lives to him, we no longer have to rely on our own strength to get through difficult times. God does the heavy lifting for us.

I read a story this week that I think illustrates this idea perfectly. It’s from James DeLoach, the senior associate pastor of Second Baptist Church of Houston, TX. He says, “I am not a connoisseur of great art, but from time to time a painting or picture will really speak a clear, strong message to me. Some time ago I saw a picture of an old burned-out mountain shack. All that remained was the chimney...the charred debris of what had been that family's sole possession. In front of this destroyed home stood an old grandfather-looking man dressed only in his underclothes with a small boy clutching a pair of patched overalls. It was evident that the child was crying. Beneath the picture were the words which the artist felt the old man was speaking to the boy. They were simple words, yet they presented a profound theology and philosophy of life. Those words were, "Hush child, God ain't dead!" 

That vivid picture of that burned-out mountain shack, that old man, the weeping child, and those words "God ain't dead" keep returning to my mind. Instead of it being a reminder of the despair of life, it has come to be a reminder of hope! I need reminders that there is hope in this world. In the midst of all of life's troubles and failures, I need mental pictures to remind me that all is not lost as long as God is alive and in control of His world.”

When

God won’t give you more than you can handle? That’s a lie straight from Satan. God will absolutely give you more than you can handle in your own strength—the burned down house; the doctor’s diagnosis of cancer, or heart disease; the death of loved one; the missed promotion. But remember, He will never give you more than He can handle, and he has promised to take care of you. So, “Hush child, God ain’t dead!” He will bear you through the pain, through the storm, through whatever form the trial takes, and He will see you safely to the other side. I want to leave you with one last scripture before we pray.

Romans 8:31 CSB

31 What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us?

God can handle it all.

Would you pray with me?