“No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13, NIV)
In recent times, I have had reasons to wonder if in fact, God does give us more than we can bear. Whether in our personal lives or in that of others around us, misfortune and tragedy seem to often strike without discrimination. Jobs are lost, financial problems appear, families are broken up, loved ones become sick and in some cases they die, our spiritual lives hit the skids, and the devil seem to be the only one laughing.
Because the word of God is infallible, we can take consolation in the fact that we are never given more than we can bear. In our reference text we read, “And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted (tested) beyond what you can bear.” No one had more reasons than Job, “the greatest man among all the people of the East” (Job 1:3b), to doubt the truth of this statement. In chapters 1 and 2 of the book bearing his name, we read of his devastating trials. He lost all he had; 10 children, 7000 sheep, 3000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, 500 donkeys, and all but one of his servants. If that wasn’t enough, he was then afflicted with painful sores covering his entire body. Lest we think that he had sinned, in Ch 1:1 we read that he “was blameless and upright, he feared God and shunned evil”!
It is important to know that God gave Satan permission to test Job, but in granting such permission, He placed limits on how far Satan could go (Job 1:12, 2:6). For the child of God, this is of absolute importance. Regardless of our circumstances, God has the devil on a leash! As in the case of Job, He will only allow us to be tested to the extent that He trusts us to overcome. In Jude 24 we read “To him who is able to keep us from falling..”. Sure it does seem like our trials and afflictions are more than we can bear, and indeed more than we deserve, but nevertheless, God is faithful in that He will provide a way for us to “stand up under it”.
For the child of God, victory is assured as long as we remain on the Lord’s side. The moment we step outside of His will and care, we will fall. Job knew this so despite the best efforts of the enemy, we read that “In all this, Job sinned not by charging God with wrongdoing…..(he) did not sin in what he said.”
As children of God, we can rest assured that nothing will happen to us without our Heavenly Father’s permission. If He allows it, He will enable us to overcome. Are you in His care? Do you trust Him to take care of you? When the storms of life are raging, there is no better place to be than in the safe, and more than capable, arms of God. With Him, all things are possible and in Him, victory is guaranteed.
