There’s a saying, “God never gives us more than we can handle.” I don’t believe this is anywhere in the Bible because we are given more than we can handle at times. That is where we need to be in order for us to fall down on our faces to Him. If we are never given more than we can handle, why do we need Him?
The saying should be, “When given more than we can handle, we have Him to pull us through.”
2 Corinthians 1:9 says, Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. God wants us to have faith no matter what hand we are dealt. We can depend on Him. Our confidence should be in Him, not in our circumstances, and certainly not in ourselves.
Everyone will suffer. Even Christians. The lead singer of the Christian band Casting Crowns, Mark Hall, just found out he may have cancer on his kidney. Don’t think faith is a way out of pain. Ask any Christian in Iraq. A belief in Jesus does not make us immune from suffering. But it is wonderful to have faith that no matter what happens in this lifetime, in the end, things will be fine. And our Father will have his arms open for us whenever we run to him.
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We can ignore even pleasure. But pain insists upon being attended to. God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world. – C.S. Lewis, “The Problem of Pain”
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I love C.S. Lewis’s quote above. How many times have we found ourselves in a tight situation and do not turn to God? Yet, when things get so bad we can’t deal with them anymore, we finally cry out to our 
Lord. How much more wonderful our lives would be if we relied on the Lord all the time, not just in times of strife.
Hang on to God during your good times and bad. The more you rely on Him, the easier going through those hard times will be. Don’t think for a moment you will never have to struggle. We all do here on this earth. Even those who appear to never have pain. They just hide it well.
I can’t imagine going through something tragic and having nothing to hold on to. We all need to know there is more out there than just ourselves. The world would be a scary place if humans were the best there is.
So grab hold of God. Know He is there for you, no matter how bad your situation might be. And pray for Mark Hall and his family for quick healing so the group can get back on the road and sending out God’s love to those who need it.
If you or someone you know are in need of prayer this week, please let us know. We’d be more than happy to pray for you.
And if this post moved you in some way, please feel free to share it.
Kathryn, it is so amazing that you posted this, and how timely; I was trying to come up with something to write today, a poem or prose that would reflect my faith in God. It just so happened that I checked out a Video from the library, that Casting Crowns produced. I was listening to “The Voice of Truth” and watched his commentary about the giants that come into our lives, doubt, fear, addictions, disabilities, etc…., and in his case cancer.
I love reading your blog posts and also those from Mike Bullock, another (Christian writer) connection from the UK. You both post material that just manages to speak to where I am at a particular place in my life.
Thank you so much,
Ted
Thanks, Ted. I need to check Mike Bullock out.