Have you ever heard the Bible verse "God will never give you more than you can handle?"  (Be careful, it's a trick question.)

Well, you may have heard it, but it's not from the Bible.  It may well be from that famous author "Anonymous."  I've read a lot of his stuff. 

Anyway...

The verse that is being misquoted is I Corinthians 10:13 "The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand.  When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure."    Yes, this is the same verse I wrote about a few days ago, but it bears repeating.

What a blessing it is to know that God gives us more than we can handle.  And I'm not trying to be funny here.   God gives us more than we can handle on our own all of the time.

The reason? 

So we will depend on Him.  Should we receive just the right amount of frustration, temptation and overload which we would be able to handle on our own, we would have absolutely no need for God.

Does that make sense to you?

People say God will not give us more than we can handle, but actually the opposite is true.  He allows us to have enough trouble in life so that we cannot carry it alone.  We need His help. 

Oh, we can try to do it on our own, but we won't get far.   Perhaps you have even been trying to do it all alone.  How's that been working for you?

We won't be able to resist temptation.  Or frustration.  Or worry. 
We won't be able to make a good decision.  Or find joy.  Or be able to sleep. 

Unless you allow God to do His job and take the load off your shoulders.  Do you need proof of this?  

Jesus tells us that He wants to carry your burden for you.  Whatever that may be.  He wants, no... desires to have you allow Him to be the One to carry whatever is weighing you down.  (Matthew 11:10 -- my yoke is easy, my burden is light...)

Let Him.  It's so much easier than trying to do it all alone.  Speaking from recent experience, it's a relief to know Jesus wants to carry our burdens.  To relieve us of the pressure of having to do it all on our own.  I have told God through prayer this week that I am not strong enough to this on my own.  I reminded Him of His promise to help me find strength.  

I guess I'm going to stop here because I could ramble on and on about God's goodness for pages.  But this is enough for now.  It's a lot to chew on.

Have a wonderful day.  And may God give you just a little more than you can handle.

I'm not down, but I happen to know a few people today who are feeling a bit.... let's call it, sad.  No, that's not right.  Burdened.  A much better word.  

Well let's see.  It has not escaped me that we are just beginning our 40 days of purpose at church.  Every year we have 40 days where we are to set aside the things that hold us back and focus more intently on our relationship with God.  

This year we are focusing on whether we are fans or followers of God.  Do we just cheer God on from the sidelines, back the One who gives us everything we need?  Or are we committed and faithful followers?   Are we learning to walk more by faith than by sight?  

And that is when the enemy of our souls tries to shoot us down.  He brings all of the ammo he has:  discouragement, sadness, depression, distress.  And we begin to feel very alone.  It only goes downhill from there.

The sadness becomes an actual weight on our shoulders.

My Bible states that Jesus comes to share those burdens with us.  He calls us to allow Him to carry it.   Jesus refers to us being "yoked" as two oxen would be yoked together.  (Matthew 11:30 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” )

Here's today's little tidbit of trivia:  Only one ox  carries the brunt of the load it is hauling.  Two are used, but one carries the most weight.  The lead, or the older ox, would be put on the "lead" side.  If the farmer needed to have the plow or wagon turn left. the lead was on the left.  If he needed to turn right, the lead was on the right.  Yoked together, yet the older, wiser, more experienced was leading the two together. 

No matter when we're in a time of testing, whether it's during the 40 days or any other time, Jesus calls to you to let Him help you with that load you're carrying.  Not only does He want to carry your burden, He is better at it.  Let Him help you.  Today.  Always. 

http://agards-bible-timeline.com/q11_number_40.html 

The urge to break down and bawl my eyes out for a few moments is overwhelming me at the moment.

And I don't know why.

Well, actually, I do.  It's because I have become aware over the past few weeks of some very serious needs of people I know.  Names from five different states have been added to my prayer list this week. 

Now I have several hard and fast rules in my life and one of them is that no one cries alone in my presence.   I have stuck like glue to that rule.  It shows.  Little mascara raccoon eyes. 

I have been praying with people.  Talking with people.  Laughing with some and crying with others.  It's all part of the job, I guess.  Ministry gets messy.

As I was tossing and turning last night I was thinking about the people who need to have God show up in their lives in a big way.  And then it hit  me...

I was doing exactly what I tell people to never do... holding on to the problems.  Keeping the needs in my mind and heart.  What I should be doing is handing them over to God.  Giving him the names of my friends and telling Him I fully rely on Him to meet those needs.  I reminded God of His promises.  His safe-keeping.  His faithfulness.   I know He knows all these things already, but I wanted to make sure He knew I remembered them.

So I did.  I gave Him the problems one by one.

I lifted each friend by name.  I gave Him their list of needs and reminded God that His plan for them was for good and not for harm.  (Jeremiah 29:11)   It's a theme I have been trying to live by since some time in the beginning of 2011.  His plan.  Not mine. 

I am working at making myself available to Him for His purposes.  Leaving my to do list with some room in it to allow Him to work through me.   And boy, has He. 

This is how it works in the ministry:  someone comes to me and asks for prayer.  I pray with them.  Then when we are no longer together, I pray for them until I hear it's no longer necessary to do so, for whatever reason.   Sounds easy, huh?

Unless I let their burdens become my burdens.  It happens. 

Then I have to cry to relieve the stress.  Until that still, small voice speaks to my heart and tells me He is pretty amazing.  If I will let Him have the burden, He can and will carry it for me better than I can ever do alone.  (Matthew 11:30 -- my yoke is easy...).  

I just need to make that a priority.  I need to remember ministry isn't about me.  it's about Him.  He can do it better than I ever will.  As long as I remember to let Him.

It's always good for a pastor to remember, God is in charge of the stuff only God can do.  It's not my responsibility.

What I can do is... add waterproof mascara to the shopping list.