I have to admit, I'm a bit of a sucker for
a baby story. I read blogs about families, and am
addicted to several where there is a sick
baby or the family has lost a baby. While I
don't enjoy reading about other people's misery,
I am fascinated to see God working through it.
I love to pray for these families and like to be able
to pray specifically for their need at the moment.
Many times if I am leaving a comment-
and I usually do-
I will read a lot if not all of the other comments.
And there's one saying I have seen on most all
of them at least once that really weighs heavy on me.
"God won't put more on you than you can handle."
Now, I know you have heard this saying before,
and it's beautiful in theory.
But it's wrong.
Our pastor did a sermon years ago about sayings
that are used as scripture. They have been said so
many times that people take them as gospel-but they
are no where in the bible. I'm ashamed to say I
don't remember any of the others, but I remember
this statement because not only had I heard it,
I used it. Not because I had ever looked it up in the bible.
Not because I knew the context of it's origin.
Simply because I had heard it used and assumed that
it was correct. I don't use it anymore.
The truth of the matter is, God will put more on you than
you can handle. Simply put, if we could handle it,
why would we ever need God? If we never hit bottom, how
would we ever look up? If we are never plunged into
darkness, why would we ever look for the light?
The bloggers who have reached this point in their lives,
the point where they realized they had no control,
they are the ones who know that God is the only one
who can be in control. They understand that His hand
is in everything that happens, good or bad. They may
not understand His motives, but realize that His plan
is bigger than ours. That doesn't make things less painful.
I don't think it always makes things easier.
But I think it gives them perspective on God that
those of us who have never walked that road could have.
Does this mean if we have to go through horrible
circumstances to draw near to God? Of course
not. God's plan is different for all our lives.
And this usually brings the 'why' questions:
Why me?
Why not them?
Why not me?
We can't answer any of those questions.
And we'll never find peace searching for the answer.
But God has the answers and we have to
trust that He knows the plans He has for us,
even if they are not our own.
God will put more on you than you can handle.
Sometimes He breaks us to bring us to Him.
It's hard to understand the why's, but I don't think
we are supposed to get the why's. Yet. One day
we will have all understanding, but by then I
wonder if it will truly matter anymore.
God uses our trials to draw us close.
He uses them to make us strong
by allowing us to see our weakness.
He uses them to refine our faith
by giving us grace to get through the day.
He uses it to define our walk,
by leading us down His intended path.
He uses it to reveal Himself through us
by giving us a peace that can only come from God.
He creates beauty from ashes,
always bringing good from the bad.
I want to type more, but I am tired, and
my brain is slowly going to sleep without me.
I will leave you with this beautiful verse:
Therefore, having been justified by faith,
we have peace with God through our Lord
Jesus Christ, through whom also we have
access by faith into this grace in which
we stand, and rejoice in hope of the
glory of God. And not only that, but
we also glory in tribulations, knowing
that tribulation produces perseverance,
and perseverance, character,
and character, hope.
Now hope does not disappoint, because
the love of God has been poured out in our
hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
Romans 5:1-5
TTFN,
