October 26, 2023 – Devotions – Does the Bible Say…?

Does the Bible Say “G-d Will Give Me The Strength to do Anything?”

“Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you. I rejoice in the Lord greatly that now at last you have revived your concern for me; indeed, you were concerned for me, but had no opportunity to show it. Not that I am referring to being in need; for I have learned to be content with whatever I have. I know what it is to have little, and I know what it is to have plenty. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being well-fed and of going hungry, of having plenty and of being in need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. In any case, it was kind of you to share my distress. You Philippians indeed know that in the early days of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you alone. For even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me help for my needs more than once.” Philippians 4:8-16

We see, again, the tendency or the temptation to take a single verse and apply to us or to our lives outside of its context. For the text to be completely understood, you must read what comes before and what comes after. This is not about the Lord granting you the strength to do anything: I could pray for G-d to give me the strength today to climb Mt.Everest, but all of the prayer, vitamin pills and sit-ups will not get me to that summit. Paul says: “I have learned to be content with whatever I have. I know what it is to have little, and I know what it is to have plenty. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being well-fed and of going hungry, of having plenty and of being in need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” He is saying to these people from Philippi that G-d grants him the strength, no matter the circumstance, to persevere. This is an expression of strength of understanding a person’s place and lot in life; of growing through the many ups and downs in life; of living into and through all that life has given. Whatever life may continue or will give to Paul in the future, he will be able to endure and thrive with G-d’s strength. He is not boasting of what he might achieve, he is giving G-d the credit for all that he has endured and might endure in the future. That is completely different than praying for the strength to become CEO of your company, or to score the winning goal in your soccer game.

So if you ever find yourself persecuted for your faith, oppressed for your beliefs, or imprisoned unfairly because you have stood up for your faith, it’s appropriate to remember and quote Paul’s example, and his words in this verse.

Pastor Dave

October 25, 2023 – Devotions – Does the Bible Say…?

Does the Bible Say “G-d Will Not Give Me More Than I Can Handle?”

“We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did, and were destroyed by serpents. And do not complain as some of them did, and were destroyed by the destroyer. These things happened to them to serve as an example, and they were written down to instruct us, on whom the ends of the ages have come. So if you think you are standing, watch out that you do not fall. No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it. Therefore, my dear friends, flee from the worship of idols.” 1 Corinthians 10:9-13

Too often this text has been translated or thrown out to people who are suffering in either body, mind or spirit to suggest that the bible says “G-d will not give you more than you can handle.” In fact I have referenced it in a few, exceptional situations in my ministry. In my life, I have found that I had been given plenty that, at the moment I was in the midst of the valley of the shadow of death, I believed that it was too much to handle. People use this idea (G-d does not give us more than we can handle) as some pop-cultural saying to help us believe that either

A.) G-d is not at the source of our calamity, or

B.) that we have a deeper well of reserves we can dip into because “we have it in us to handle all situations”.

It is my belief that a saying like “G-d does not give us more than we can handle” can be a form of cheap Grace. In other words, if we just believe, if we have a deep enough faith, then we will easily be able to handle the loss, calamity, cancer, or depression because obviously G-d knows we can handle all of those.

My friends, Grace is costly. Grace was won for us through the suffering and death of Jesus. Even Jesus doubted, if just for a microsecond, that he could handle what his Father was giving him when he prayed in the Garden. It is not G-d acting as the Divine “bug-zapper” meting out punishment and calamity with the merriment and glee of Job’s protagonist. (read Job 1:6-21) It is life that gives plenty of people more than they can handle. Through our decisions, through our actions, and just through random acts and situations well out of our control, we are given terrible situations – and sometimes they drive us to our destruction. That is why our hope comes through the Grace of G-d won for us through the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Even Job gives reference to the Grace of the coming Messiah:

“For I know that my Redeemer lives, and that at the last he will stand upon the earth; and after my skin has been thus destroyed, then in my flesh I shall see God….” (Job 19:25-27a)

G-d will give us a lot to handle in our lives – and the more we have to handle, the more G-d loves us.

Pastor Dave