Is it true that God will not give us more than we can handle?
First Corinthians 10:13 says, "No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it." This is a wonderful promise that we will never be tempted beyond what we can handle with His provision. The Bible does not promise that we will never be tempted beyond what we can handle in our own strength and resourcefulness, but if we lean on Him, God will never allow us to be tempted beyond what we can handle.
God has always done this. One Old Testament example is that of David and Goliath. In his own strength and resources, and even with the additional resources of Saul, David could not have defeated Goliath. But David relied on God when he said "…The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine" (1 Samuel 17:37).
A New Testament example is Paul's life when he was spreading the gospel. In describing the trials he encountered, Paul wrote to the Corinthians, "For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself" (2 Corinthians 1:8). But then he went on to write that, even though he and his companions did not have the ability to endure, "that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God" (2 Corinthians 1:9).
Romans 8:28-39 promises that we, Christians, "are more than conquerors through him who loved us" (verse 37). This passage begins with the assurance that "for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." We can be sure that, no matter what comes our way, God will provide the strength to endure and overcome it. If we are presented with a situation for which we are unprepared, God is prepared, and we can, through Him, cope with the situation. He has provided the armor of God and the privilege of prayer (Ephesians 6:11-18), with which we can "stand against the schemes of the devil." And this is not just some of the schemes of the devil, but all the schemes of the devil.
So when we, as God's children, rely on Him, we will never be given more than we can handle.
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