We have heard it said, “The Lord will never give you more than you can bear.” Israel might have questioned that theology as they found themselves wedged between Pharaoh’s army and the Red Sea. They revealed their uncertainty as they asked Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us out here to die?” They would have been content to die as slaves rather than trust God to deliver them. As someone said, “Come weal or woe, the only status we know, is quo.”
As Moses cried out to God, he listened and learned God’s plan. God would not take Israel around the water, but through it. Then he would seal the water over the Egyptians. This great miracle elicited from the Israelites reverence for God and deep trust in him. Andrae Crouch sang, “If I never had a problem, I’d never know that God could solve them. Through it all. Through it all. I’ve learned to trust in Jesus. I’ve learned to trust in God... I’ve learned to depend upon his word.”
I know what we have heard, but I say, “God will always give us more than we can bear.” In our readings this week, we have heard the Apostle Paul describe his experience in Asia with these words, “We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure.” God often gives us more than we can bear, but never more than he can bring us through. Precisely when we can’t solve our problems, we discover that God can and we put more trust in him.
