A Way of Escape

1Corinthians 10:13 - 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.

I attended a Bible study last week. It was with a group of women of various denominations all seeking God in their lives. That in itself is wonderful! Most are looking for some guidance on how to do it, how to read their Bible, how to hear from the Lord. My prayer is they don't give up seeking and that they seek the truth of His Word.

There was a comment made that God never gives us more than we can handle. This was said in response to one woman sharing about a friend's (I'm assuming teenage) son who committed suicide. The explanation one of the women gave was that she believed God knew this boy would not be able to handle life's challenges and allowed him to do this. A huge catch came into my spirit. I had to respond. I did not have adequate answers and time to do that then and there, but I did take the time to respond in writing. All that kept going through my mind was, this is not true. God would not do that.

We were all in agreement that God does not cause problems in our lives, but allows them to happen. However, God will not take us out of a situation by means of death because He knows we cannot or will not be able to handle life's situations. Taking a life whether it be our own or someone else's is a sin in God's eyes. 

An NIV study Bible I have says this in response to the scripture: The Holy Spirit explicitly affirms that God provides His children with adequate grace to overcome every temptation...He will not allow us to be tempted above that which we can bear, and He will with each temptation provide a way by which we can endure the temptation. We can bear every temptation and find a way out if we sincerely desire to and if we depend on God's power and faithfulness. So it boils down to temptation....and we have the choice whether to fall into it or not. Temptation is not a sin, but giving in to it is. 

Jesus loves us so much! He does not want anyone to perish but to have everlasting life. This is His nature. God created human beings in His image and each of us carries within us the potential to overcome the evil in this world. He wants us to rule and reign with Him. It breaks His heart to see us harm ourselves because it is the devil who comes to steal, kill and destroy. It is the enemy who brings temptation into our lives. It is up to us, however, to choose right or wrong. God does not force us to do one or the other. He has given us free will.

I did other research to make sure I was not missing something or missing the point. Here is a quote from an Oswald Chambers devotion book I have: A man’s disposition on the inside, i.e., what he possesses in his personality, determines what he is tempted by on the outside. The temptation fits the nature of the one tempted, and reveals the possibilities of the nature. 

Later Chambers finished with this: Temptation is not something we may escape, it is essential to the full-orbed life of a man. Beware lest you think you are tempted as no one else is tempted; what you go through is the common inheritance of the race, not something no one ever went through before. God does not save us from temptations; He helps us in the midst of them (Hebrews 2:18).

I don't remember anything being said about what caused this boy to choose to take his life. There were things said or the sort of life he lived that could have planted the seed. What's important to realize is that God does not take us out of this world to avoid the difficulties life brings us or temptation. It came with the territory back when Adam and Eve ate of the apple...and we are all subject to it. God asks us to go through the troubles with His help. He is more than able to provide that plan of escape if we desire His help. It's all about Him!

These women are seeking God. I pray they seek until they find. I pray that the truth of His Word is revealed to them, as difficult as it might seem at times. Sometimes we want to justify what we do or what someone else does and search for a comfortable scripture to ease that burden…to the point where we take it out of context and the meaning gets lost. 

We all want to believe we are basically good people. The fact is, we are ALL sinners in need of a Savior and Jesus is that Man. He is our hope if we seek Him and learn about Him and His ways of truth. He is the Truth, the Way and the Life. The words written in His Word are true...and just...and sometimes hard to listen to. Sometimes the meaning of the words can be difficult to comprehend too. But if we seek Jesus and ask Him to reveal His Word to us, He will. He will help us when we are tempted and He will deliver us out of that temptation.

Matthew 6:13 - And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.