You have probably heard people say something like, “God will never give you more than you can take.”

I think this understanding comes from the following passage in 1 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.”

What do we mean by saying something is “more than we can take?” I think it means we are facing a situation experiencing fear, anger, grief, or loss, that is so intense or devastating that we might do something we know is wrong. This is a temptation.

It could be the that someone hurt us or someone we love, and we are tempted to take vengeance, or we lost someone we loved, and we think we cannot continue living without them, or a relationship fell apart and we think we cannot go on. These are all temptations to do something we know is wrong.

As the verse says, we will not be tempted beyond our ability to withstand, and we will be given a way out.

As terrible and tragic as some things may be in our lives, we can always rely on God. If we trust him, he will comfort us through the pain, and lead us past the temptations.

Dear Lord, some things in life appear to be too much for us to handle, but help us remember that you know our experiences, and our pain. Help us remember,also, to come to you for comfort and a way past our tragedies and temptations. In Jesus’ name we pray.