“I thank my God, making mention of thee always in my prayers,” – Philemon 1:4
I have often heard people say, “God never gives you more than you can handle.” I don’t agree with that statement. God actually gives me more than I can handle many times. He allows impossible situations to come into my life to help me learn to depend upon Him, and in doing so, my faith grows.
“Impossibles” become possible when God enters into the equation. Here are a few biblical examples.
- Moses and the Israelites were trapped when fleeing Egypt. On one side were the Egyptians, on the other side, the Red Sea. There was no way to handle this situation; death was at either side. Then God intervened. By His power, the waters of the Red Sea separated, and the Israelites made their way safely across.
- Daniel continue to obey God and was thrown into a den of hungry lions. This was definitely a situation he could not handle on his own. God chose to step in and subdue the lions, and Daniel’s life was spared.
- Jonah was tossed into the raging seas of a fierce storm. The ferocity of the ocean was more than Jonah could handle and death was imminent. Then God acted. He saved Jonah’s life through the actions of a whale.
- Lazarus was so sick that he died. His sisters did their best to care for him, but the illness was definitely more than they could handle, so Lazarus died. When Jesus arrived He spoke three words, and Lazarus rose from the dead.
So, yes, God does give us more than we can handle, but He never asks us to handle anything alone. In fact, He longs for us to call upon Him, and He promises to listen. Jeremiah 29:12 states, “Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.” He draws near to us when we pray to Him.
David wrote, “As for me, I will call upon God; and the LORD shall save me.” (Psalm 55:16) David faced several situations that he could not handle on his own. He learned to depend upon God, and he knew his deliverance came from God, not himself. This became clearly evident when as a shepherd boy, he went up against Goliath. David declared, “Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.” (1 Samuel 17:45) He knew that it was only through God’s might that he could slay the giant.
We all face “giants’ in our lives. These giants are the impossible situations that can in no way be handled by ourselves, but God allows them in our lives to grow our faith in Him because He CAN handle them! We need but pray to Him, and He will answer! (1 John 5:14-15)
According to the Christian Bible Reference site, the word “pray” or some form of it is mentioned more than 300 times in the KJV Bible. If God tells us something one time in the Bible, it’s important. If He mentions it a lot, it must be very important! Perhaps one of the most important verses regarding prayer is 1 Thessalonians 5:17: “Pray without ceasing.” Why? Because when God’s people pray, He acts. Ask yourself these questions: “Did Moses pray for God’s help?” “Did Daniel pray for the Lord to save him?” “Did Jonah cry out to God for help?” “Did Martha and Mary pray for healing?” Yes! They prayed because their circumstances were beyond what they could handle in the flesh. Because they knew that only God could save them… and He did!
In my life, I have faced numerous situations that have been impossible for me to handle, but my God is a God of impossibilities. He has shown that all through the Bible, and He has proven that to me in my life. Jesus said, “…with God all things are possible,” (Matthew 19:26), and if it’s in the Bible, we just need to believe it and act upon it. Pray for yourself, pray for others, pray for our church, pray for our nation… the list goes on and on. All of those “too hard to handle” situations are a piece of cake for God!
Nothing is impossible when you put your trust in God,
Nothing is impossible when you’re trusting in his word;
Hearken to the voice of God to thee, “Is there anything too hard to me?”
Then put your trust in God alone and rest upon his word,
For everything, O everything! Yes, everything is possible with God!
(from “Nothing is Impossible” by Eugene Clark)
“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” Philippians 4:13
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Put your faith into action today; pray!