"No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it." 1 Corinthians 10:13 (NKJV)
I felt the ultimate helplessness lying in bed with an icepack, unable to assist my husband Timmy while he took care of me and his dying mother. Pain confined me to my bed and recliner for two months. On the Sunday before Thanksgiving, my husband went to check on his elderly mom who lives next door. I wondered what kept him so long.
When he came home, my heart broke for him. He had found his mom lying on the floor unable to get up. She refused to let him call the rescue squad or take her to the emergency room. Within a few days, he realized she was dying, and he didn’t know how to help her. All week, he ran back and forth taking care of his mother and me. Our church helped tremendously with meals that week.
Timmy insisted on having a small Thanksgiving dinner, even though our lives were chaotic. He fixed a turkey breast and some vegetables, and I hobbled to the kitchen to eat. It was quiet and nice.
Timmy’s mom peacefully passed away in her sleep that weekend. My husband needed me, but how could I stand by his side in so much pain? I went with him to make arrangements at the funeral home. Like a jack-in-the-box, I sprang up and down on the chair. Neither sitting nor standing gave me any relief from the nerve shocks traveling from my back to my leg.
At the funeral, people helped me from the car to my seat. How would I sit on that folding aluminum chair during the entire service? The pastor leaned over and assured me in a gentle voice that he would keep it short. God allowed me to sit for the entire service without pain. That was a miracle.
God puts more on us than we can bear so He can help us bear it. Otherwise, we would never need Him. Many people, including myself, make our focal verse sound like God never gives us more than we can handle. If that were the case, we wouldn’t cry out to Him for help so often. When we look at this verse with that perspective, we are taking the verse out of context.
In the Bible, the Greek word “peirasmos” can be translated as either trial or temptation. Many times, what makes a trial a temptation is the way we handle it. We begin to doubt God. We may even fall into sin because we cannot handle the pressure of the trial.
If you turn to 1 Corinthians 10 and read the entire chapter, you will realize the Apostle Paul is speaking about sin when he uses the word temptation. In this chapter, Paul discusses the sins of the wandering Israelites, such as lusting after evil things, idolatry, and sexual immorality (1 Corinthians 10:6-8).
Today’s verse tells us we aren’t ever tempted by something new. We face the same temptations as other people. God will not allow us to be tempted beyond what we can bear. This refers to a temptation to sin, not enduring a trial. He will always make an escape for us to avoid sin.
Look in the middle of that verse. God is faithful! He is faithful when we are tempted to sin. He is also faithful during our most difficult trials. When we are weak, He makes us strong (2 Corinthians 12:10).
What are you going through today? Does it seem that it’s more than you can handle? It probably is more than you can bear, but with God, you can handle it. It’s never easy, but God is faithful.
When I came to the point where I lost all hope, God remained faithful. When joy and peace disappeared, God stayed faithful. When my faith wavered, God was faithful.
Meditate on the faithfulness of God today. What has He brought you through? Begin by giving Him thanks.
"Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial, which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you..." 1 Peter 4:12 (NKJV)
Let's pray:
Heavenly Father, this is more than I can bear, but You are faithful. You strengthen me. You cover me with Your grace like a blanket. In Jesus’s name. Amen.
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Julia_Sudnitskaya
Carolyn Dale Newell is an author and certified speaker. She knows what it is to live with blindness, but she calls her disability a gift from God. Her passion is to equip women to break free from emotional strongholds through her book, Faith That Walks on Water: Conquering Emotional Bondage with the Armor of God. You can connect with Carolyn on her website and her women’s ministry group on Facebook.
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Originally published Friday, 25 April 2025.
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