I Can’t Handle This!
Thanks for joining the Need-Hope.com podcast. Have you ever been stressed out and thought, “I can’t handle this?!” What will you do? In this episode, I’ll share a scary situation when intense pain sent me to the ER. The doctors had no idea what was going on. So I was admitted into the hospital. You can listen to this podcast episode by clicking: I Can’t Handle This!
Thanks for joining me at Need Hope.
I’m Chris Gray. And I’m glad you’re here.
Where do you find hope?
Have you ever been stressed out and thought, “I can’t handle this?!”
In a moment, I’ll share a scary situation when intense pain sent me to the ER. The doctors had no idea what was going on. So I was admitted into the hospital. Stay tuned.
Intro Music
First, let’s listen to God’s Word. 1 Corinthians 10:13. I pray God speaks to our hearts.
“No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.”
Let’s look closer at the guaranteed hope God offers believers.
First off, whatever temptation, or test or difficulty, you’re encountering, the scripture says it’s common to man, so it’s not unique to God. You can rest knowing that your difficult circumstances won’t take God by surprise. That’s comforting to know. God sees you and truly understands what you’re facing.
This verse also affirms God’s faithfulness. You can be confident that God will do what He says He’ll do.
As you submit to God’s will in your life, He empowers you to handle any difficult trial, temptation, or test. So you won’t be controlled by your circumstances.
I remember a time being so thankful for having memorized that same verse I read to you. God’s word came alive, as I painfully laid in a hospital bed for days, awaiting test results. The doctors were desperate to find the source of my severe abdominal pain. Through the pain, sleep deprivation, rapid weight loss, and uncertainty in my life, I recalled these truths.
I remembered God’s faithfulness. He promised to not allow me to be tempted beyond what I was able to bear—so long as I trusted Him to see me through.
I knew God saw me and cared. The Lord wouldn’t let me be overtaken by this unknown disease.
However, my temptation was to not trust God. Not trusting God is sin. If I did that, surely I would be overtaken by fear.
Maybe you can relate. Are you being tempted? Are you being tested right now?
I can tell you, in the hospital bed, a battle was raging inside my thoughts. It was like Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frasier, or Mike Tyson vs. Evander Holyfield. Boxing for the world heavyweight title. To put it in spiritual terms, it was like Overwhelming Fear vs. Overcoming Faith. That was the fight I found myself in.
Thankfully, during this time of waiting and uncertainty, I meditated upon God’s truth and His words in 1 Cor 10:13. And guess what? He rescued me. He answered.
Instead of being overwhelmed by fear, God’s grace provided me an escape hatch. All I had to do was trust in God’s faithfulness to see me through this nightmare, come what may.
Lying in that bed, I stood on this truth. It ignited within me a sure hope with peace and inner joy in the Lord. God provided such supernatural contentment during my hospital stay that I couldn’t help but share Jesus with some of the medical staff. Eventually, the inflamed gall bladder was discovered, removed, and I fully recovered. Glory to God!
Friend, let me say this, if you and I choose to place our trust in ourselves, we will be overtaken by the temptation or test, and end up in a bad place. Pridefully, we won’t trust that God can help us. We will end up bearing the burden of our problems alone.
So you might ask, “Why does God allow us to go through these temptations or tests of our faith?”
The answer is truly a blessing. Here it is: It’s because the Lord wants to grow our faith in Him and not in ourselves. As we choose to fully trust the Lord through these difficult situations, you can be sure that your test will be turned into a “test..imony” bringing honor and glory to God.
Before I summarize, let me share just how faithful God is. He rescued us by sending Jesus to die for the punishment of our sins and He rose from the grave. This free gift of forgiveness is available by repenting and trusting in Jesus as your Lord and Savior. If you haven’t already, you can do this at any time. I hope you won’t wait. And there’s more information on this good news at our website, Need-Hope.com.
In summary, how do we keep from giving in to the temptation of not trusting God through various trials and tests? Here are three key points for believers to continuously apply:
1. Instead of being overwhelmed with doubt and fear, talk to God in prayer. Explain every detail of what troubles you. Ask Him for wisdom. And thank God for being faithful.
2. Study and hide God’s Word in your heart. When the Lord Jesus was tempted, He stood on the Word of God. We are instructed to do the same.
3. Surrender to God’s will. Trust the Lord Jesus through it all, no matter what.
You know, I hope your life is going well. But in case you’ve been experiencing doubt, or feeling despair, and realize you can’t handle the situation, I must ask you friend, have you been trusting in the Lord to see you through?
If not, will you cry out to the Lord Jesus right now? Will you tell Him every detail of your worries, your concerns, and your stress? And then will you take the final step and completely surrender to God’s will, trusting Him to see you through each day no matter what happens?
Remember God is faithful and He cares. Jesus loves you.
Think about it. Pray about it.
Until next time, Look to Jesus.
And look to God’s Word for guaranteed hope.
Outro Music
New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
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