More Than You Can Handle

The other night I was in bed reading Reshaping It All by Candace Cameron Bure and in Chapter 16 she referenced some verses from 1 Corinthians 10 and it really got me thinking. This verse has come to mind many times over the years and because of something I read some time ago, I have learned to look at it in a different light.

Anyhow, folks always talk about taking scripture out of context. Reason it happens is cause they will use the bit that suits and pay no mind to what comes before or after. Oftentimes leaving out some very important information. Which brings me to the verses I came across and the one folks use a lot. They say "God will never give you more than you can handle" then they leave it at that. Guess what y'all, there's more to it!

My personal thought goes like this: ok, GOD will never give me more than I can handle however, the things I go after on my own and pile on my plate that aren't His will for me are often what give me trouble. And that there is absolute truth.

Now let's look at what it says in 1 Corinthians 10:11-13:

11 These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come. 12 So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall! No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. 13 And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

WOW! I could dig deep into verse 12 cause I got a big testimony for that, but my focus right now is verse 13. Did you read it in it's entirety? I'm sure you did but read it again, slowly and let it sink in for a moment. Do you think we have been missing something? Two big words here: BUT WHEN. This verse isn't just one sentence but two! You can't have one without the other, they are equally important. He will provide a way out so we can stand up under it, can I get an amen? Here's an excerpt from Reshaping It All that pretty much sums it up:

"God doesn't always provide the easy way out. He doesn't promise that life will be a breeze or free of temptation; in fact temptation is something we can always expect. But what He does promise us is this: He'll always provide a way to escape. There's always a way out..." C. C. Bure

Temptation... thanks Eve for mucking it all up for us LOL It's been with us from the beginning and will be with us til the end. No one is immune to it; no one is perfect; we all fall short. I firmly believe that God wants the best for us but sometimes (oftentimes) we gotta work for it. I mean really, if he just gave it to us, how would we learn all these amazing lessons? He knows what our limits are; he knows the areas where we are weak.

Just look at Job. Even my worst day is like gumdrops and candy canes compared to a day in the life of Job! If God allowed Satan to mess with Job, a man who he noted as being the finest man on earth, blameless and a man of complete integrity, then how can we stand a chance? But we can. Just as Job was an overcomer, we will be too because God is faithful. He has promised that He will never leave us nor forsake us, but oh how He will test us along the way.

Well, I think I may have run a bit down a rabbit trail there but I think you get what I'm saying. There are things that we do that are in God's will and a lot that we do outside of His will. How we handle what life throws at us comes down to perspective. We can either allow life to keep dishing it out til our tray is so full it's about to crash to the floor or we can do a little soul searching, exercise determination and ask Him to show us a way out... a way over or a way through.

In conclusion, these are just my two cents. As always, when we hear any sermon or Word spoken, we should go to the source (the Bible) ourselves. See what it says, see how God stirs your heart when you read it. Five different people could read the same verse and all walk away with something different. You may ask, why is that? Here's my answer. God speaks to us through his word. We are uniquely made; we come from different walks of life and aren't all planted in the same season. His word speaks to us as individuals, in our present time and circumstance. What one verse means to me today might mean a completely different thing for me 6 months from now. The most amazing thing about His Word is that it never comes back void! The more we read it, the more we glean from it.

In speaking about the Bible, Christopher Abel's professor said: It is alive. It desires to be known. It dares you to chase after it, pursue it and immerse yourself within it. So do not take it lightly. Spend time with it. Get to know it. It is complex and mysterious and deserves your time.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this though and see what God has revealed to you about this particular verse. Comments and input are always welcome.

Blessings in Christ,
Brandy

Want or Need?

Today I listened to a great sermon on wants, needs and being content. It really got me to thinking about my life, my choices and where I'm presently at. Pastor Randall pointed me to several scriptures that I have read more times than I can count and in a nutshell stated that God is the source of ALL our needs. My conclusion to that statement is that, He will meet those needs IF we seek His Kingdom first. I think those of us who are Christians know this to be true. Yet so many times we fall away from what we know in our hearts.

Philippians 4:11-13 (NIV)

I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

I'll be honest with you. Today was the first time I opened my Bible in over 2 months and it was the first time I heard a sermon in almost 3 months. It doesn't mean that because I have slacked off that I'm not a Christian, it just means I'm human and I have fallen prey to the business of life as most of us do. The good thing is that God continually offers his grace and always finds a way to gently nudge us back where we need to be. 

What exactly drew me to Cross Point Community Church's website this morning I'm really not sure. It's a church I attend several times a year. Not because I don't like it, rather I would love to go there regularly. But it is a 2+ hour drive from my town so I only get to visit it when I happen to be spending a weekend at my sisters house. Anywho... I went to their site and clicked on the "Messages" tab and stumbled upon the "I Need" series. To tell you the truth, I'm thankful I did. Isn't it funny how when you've been away from church for sometime and then you decide to visit or listen to a sermon that it is ALWAYS just what you need to hear at that moment in your life? Well, I don't know if it's true for you but more times than I can count it has been true for me. 

Hebrews 4:16 (NIV)

Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

After listening to I Need... the Truth I have realized two things:

1. While we want more money so that we can get out of debt, I realize that the jobs we have provide enough money to cover our expenses and we are not struggling; therefore we have what we need.
2. While we want to get out from under the house we are in (because of the circumstances that surround it) and get a new one, we realize that what we have suits us just fine. It provides a roof over our head, it's plenty big for the two of us, there are no holes in the ceiling, walls or floor and while it may not be what we want for our life right now, it provides all that we need and we have learned to be content. 

I'm sure if I took more time to think on this before writing this post I would have come up with a few more things but as I look back over the last few years I would have to say these have remained the top two. And I think to have what you need in these two areas is truly a blessing. Especially when you reflect upon our society today and see how many people are jobless, homeless or both. 

Thankfully I have never really been one to live outside my means. I've never felt the need to have the trendiest clothes in my closet or the dopest shoes on my feet. And I certainly don't have the urgency to waste my hard earned money and hours of my time standing in line just to get a phone that has a few more features than the one I have now when the one I have now still works perfectly fine. Ok that one may have been more of a rant LOL I think you know where I'm going though. Why do we have to always want the top of the line things when in reality what is considered average or basic is often more than enough to meet our needs?  

Matthew 6:8b

...for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

I encourage you to take some time today and have a look at your life. Realize that there is a difference between want and need, then ask yourself what it means to be content. It all comes down to realizing one thing: prayer is the vehicle to managing your needs. Don't allow money to become your god; instead ask God to be your God and step into the future he has waiting for you.

Love y'all, go forth and be blessed! ~Brandy