There are many times in life, when a believer seems to be “up against it”! There seems to be no place to turn and no escape from the present dilemma. One of the “bogus” statements that I’ve heard many ministry leaders preach is “God will never give you more than you can bear!” That statement is a lie from the pit of Hell so many people receive it has truth. However,. If you believe it, it puts shame on you and actually keeps you from turning to the Lord in your greatest time of need. The scripture they’re referring actually says this; 1 Corinthians 10:13 (ESV)
“No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”
The issue is dealing with temptation, not bearing a burden. I believe God actually does give us some things that are impossible for us to bear alone. Things like, the death of a child or spouse, a devastating prognosis, the loss of a job, the loss of a house; you get the idea. How can I possibly turn to the Lord if I believe the lie that “God must know I can handle these things alone”. It’s actually the contrary. The scripture actually teaches me to turn to Him in the midst of my trial. To “prove” my faith in Him. James, the half-brother of the Lord Jesus said it this way in his epistle; James 1:2 (ESV)
“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”
Jesus is actually the only one that bore the burden alone. On the cross He cried out in a loud voice saying, Eli, Eli, lema sabach thani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matt. 27:46 ESV)
In that moment, Jesus’ Father turned away because Jesus took upon Himself the entire sin of the whole world, past, present and future. You see Jesus bore that weight alone so that we would never have to face any burden alone. In fact, Jesus’ invitation is just the opposite; Matt 11:28-30 (ESV)
28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
The last 6 months of “Covid” has been incredibly stressful for everyone. There has been a massive increase in depression and anxiety. No matter what you might think about the pandemic, the virus is real and is taking lives, especially those whose health has been compromised by another condition. What is the answer? Turn to the Lord and trust in Him. This is an incredible opportunity for the body of Christ to go on the offensive. My wife, Cheryl was telling me about Aimee Semple McPherson (the founder of the “Four Square Denomination”). In 1918, there was a flu epidemic that killed 600,000 US citizens. Aimee’s own daughter came down with it. She did not stop her crusades but in fact had a 3-week healing crusade during the height of the epidemic. It was during one of the meetings that she strongly felt the symptoms of the illness. She barely made it home only to find that her daughter had slipped into unconsciousness. What did she do? She turned to the Lord. She had lost her husband in China and could not bear the thought of losing her daughter too. God assured her that would not be the case. They both recovered and they moved on to California where the rest, so they say is “history”. I leave you with this portion of scripture from 1 Peter 5:7 (ESV) 1 Peter 5:7 (ESV)
“casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.”
You see, If you’re caring a burden that is too great for you, or even if it’s not, the invitation is to give it to Jesus. Lay it at His feet, then allow the peace of God to overwhelm you once again. After all, He has you and will use this trial to transform you into His image (Romans 8). You can trust Him because He is good, all the time. God bless you my beloved!