I have always been told that "God does not give us burdens greater than we are able to bear." Why then do our circumstances at times seem so unbearable?
They say, "If God allowed you to go through this, He must know you can handle it." It is in this very sentence, that we find the flaw in this thinking, and through it discover the secret of its meaning.
The truth is you can't handle it. It is at those very times when life is sounbearable and we can't handle it that we find divine "grace to help in time of need." (Heb 4:16) "My grace is sufficient for thee." (2Cor. 12:9) He does not ask us to bear the unbearable. He says. "Come unto me… and I will give you rest." (Mat 11:28) He will lift our burdens. He and I can bear it together.
This is the miracle of dying grace. This is the secret of the martyrs; Christ in us. He came to take our burdens on himself. He came to get involved in our lives, to be our strength. It is not when we are strong that we discover his power; it is when we are weak, when we are insufficient. "Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything of ourselves. But our sufficiency is of God." (2 Cor. 3:5)
I have personally been in many unbearable circumstances. When I had to come face-to-face with the possibility of losing my husband as we battled for his life; my fears as a young wife and mother of four children were overwhelming. When I battled with cancer, the physical pain I experienced would definitely fit into the "unbearable" category. Afterward, I developed fibromyalgia and have on many occasions felt that the pain and fatigue, coupled with the mental and emotional stress, were more than I could bear.
But never once has Jesus failed me. Never once has He left me alone. There has never been a time when His grace was not sufficient for me. I have leaned on Him, depended on Him, and when all else failed; fell helpless in his strong arms. He is strong enough. He does care. He can work miracles today in your life. Put Him to the test.
Take that burden you are carrying, the weight that crashes down on your shoulders, and give it to Him. He will take it for you. It is at that moment that you will find His strength. It is only when we come to the end of ourselves that we truly discover the sufficiency of Christ. It is in this dependency on Him that we truly know Him in us. "Christ in you; the hope of glory." (Col. 1:27)
In this is our hope and our strength. From this truth came the words of Paul, through terrible suffering and tribulation. "Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me." (2 Cor 12:9) We are weak, but He is strong. We are insufficient, but His grace is sufficient. Our troubles are unbearable, but He will bear them for us. "Surely He hath borne our grief and carried our sorrow." (Isa. 53:4) "I will put my trust in Him." (Heb. 2:13)
Psalms 116:1-8
1. I love the LORD, because He hath heard my voice and my supplications.
2. Because He hath inclined His ear unto me, therefore will I call upon Him as long as I live.
3. The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow.
4. Then called I upon the name of the LORD; O LORD, I beseech thee, deliver my soul.
5. Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; yea, our God is merciful.
6. The LORD preserveth the simple: I was brought low, and He helped me
7. Return unto thy rest, O my soul; for the LORD hath dealt bountifully with thee.
8. For thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling.
Posted by Marie Morrow
They say, "If God allowed you to go through this, He must know you can handle it." It is in this very sentence, that we find the flaw in this thinking, and through it discover the secret of its meaning.
The truth is you can't handle it. It is at those very times when life is sounbearable and we can't handle it that we find divine "grace to help in time of need." (Heb 4:16) "My grace is sufficient for thee." (2Cor. 12:9) He does not ask us to bear the unbearable. He says. "Come unto me… and I will give you rest." (Mat 11:28) He will lift our burdens. He and I can bear it together.
This is the miracle of dying grace. This is the secret of the martyrs; Christ in us. He came to take our burdens on himself. He came to get involved in our lives, to be our strength. It is not when we are strong that we discover his power; it is when we are weak, when we are insufficient. "Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything of ourselves. But our sufficiency is of God." (2 Cor. 3:5)
I have personally been in many unbearable circumstances. When I had to come face-to-face with the possibility of losing my husband as we battled for his life; my fears as a young wife and mother of four children were overwhelming. When I battled with cancer, the physical pain I experienced would definitely fit into the "unbearable" category. Afterward, I developed fibromyalgia and have on many occasions felt that the pain and fatigue, coupled with the mental and emotional stress, were more than I could bear.
But never once has Jesus failed me. Never once has He left me alone. There has never been a time when His grace was not sufficient for me. I have leaned on Him, depended on Him, and when all else failed; fell helpless in his strong arms. He is strong enough. He does care. He can work miracles today in your life. Put Him to the test.
Take that burden you are carrying, the weight that crashes down on your shoulders, and give it to Him. He will take it for you. It is at that moment that you will find His strength. It is only when we come to the end of ourselves that we truly discover the sufficiency of Christ. It is in this dependency on Him that we truly know Him in us. "Christ in you; the hope of glory." (Col. 1:27)
In this is our hope and our strength. From this truth came the words of Paul, through terrible suffering and tribulation. "Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me." (2 Cor 12:9) We are weak, but He is strong. We are insufficient, but His grace is sufficient. Our troubles are unbearable, but He will bear them for us. "Surely He hath borne our grief and carried our sorrow." (Isa. 53:4) "I will put my trust in Him." (Heb. 2:13)
Psalms 116:1-8
1. I love the LORD, because He hath heard my voice and my supplications.
2. Because He hath inclined His ear unto me, therefore will I call upon Him as long as I live.
3. The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow.
4. Then called I upon the name of the LORD; O LORD, I beseech thee, deliver my soul.
5. Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; yea, our God is merciful.
6. The LORD preserveth the simple: I was brought low, and He helped me
7. Return unto thy rest, O my soul; for the LORD hath dealt bountifully with thee.
8. For thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling.
Posted by Marie Morrow