In this compelling episode, we dive deep into the nature of suffering and the common misconception that God will never give us more than we can handle. Through the powerful words and experiences of the Apostle Paul, we uncover how trials are designed not to test our strength but to highlight God’s boundless power. Rather than turning inward, this episode encourages turning upward, relying on the strength that comes only from above.
This is Connect with Skip Heitzig. Thanks for joining us today. Here at Connect with Skip, our mission is to help you know God’s Word and apply it to your life through clear, practical Bible teaching and real encouragement every day. And if you’d like to keep growing in your walk with Jesus, sign up for Pastor Skip’s free weekly devotional. You’ll receive biblical insight, teaching highlights, Now, have you ever noticed something about suffering? It never, like, emails you.
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or texts you to ask if you’ve got time for it. It never warns you in advance. It just sort of, here I come, ready or not. I just invade your life. Never ask permission. And that’s because there’s never a good time for your life to be wrecked. That’s why when your life is wrecked by an overwhelming trial, You ask why. Why this? Why me? Why now? The statement, God will never give you more than you can handle, does something. It turns you inward. It turns you inward and you think thoughts like, I must have what it takes. I must be pretty awesome. Because this is hard and God must know that I can handle this. Because if God permits trials according to my ability, I must be like a student in spiritual school because I can handle this or I am handling this. No, whatever God gives you to handle, it is not to highlight your power. It is to highlight his power, as we’ll see in a minute. Psalm 46 says, God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Isaiah 40, 29, he gives power to the faint and to him who has no might. He increases strength. They that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength. You know the rest of that beautiful verse. So the answer is not within. The answer is above. We shouldn’t turn inward. We should turn upward. It’s not according to our strength. It’s according to his strength. And when we are overwhelmed by a trial we cannot handle, it’s so that we realize, I don’t have what it takes. I don’t have what it takes. Don’t you love? Psalm 121, I lift my eyes to the hills. Where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord who made heaven and earth. So, beloved, God may give you more than you can handle, but it’s never more than he can handle. And that’s something we need to tap into. So what I’d like to do now is show you a missing perspective in all this. And I want you to turn to 2 Corinthians. Just make your way over to 2 Corinthians 1. We’re going to actually put some of these verses up on the screen. But here’s what I want you to know about 2 Corinthians. You know, you look at 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians and go, I don’t know what the difference is, except one has a one, one has a two. Very different books. 2 Corinthians is more like Paul’s personal journal. He’s very honest in 2 Corinthians. He’s very human. You see him in weakness. You see him in humility. He’s unvarnished. He’s raw in 2 Corinthians. In chapter 1, he talks about despairing even of life. In chapter 4, hard-pressed on every side and perplexed. In chapter 6, he speaks about imprisonments, distresses, and needs. One commentator, Homer Kent, said, 2 Corinthians is the most personal and revealing document we have from the pen of the apostle Paul. In chapter 1, he gives us perspective. And there’s a couple of different lines of perspective I think we need to have about suffering and living life more than we can handle. First is an internal perspective. The second is an eternal perspective. Let’s begin with the internal perspective. 2 Corinthians 1, verses 8 and 9 in the New International Version, we’ll put them up on the screen. We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure. Watch this. Watch this. Far beyond our ability to endure. Sounds like he’s saying God just gave him more than he can handle, right? Far beyond our ability to endure so that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves, but on God who raises the dead. Okay, that sounds pretty bad. Hey, Paul, how bad was it? It was so bad that I thought I was going to die. Next on the agenda was my death. I despaired even of life. I had the sentence of death in myself. You go on in this book and he starts filling in some of the blanks. We won’t turn to it. but he will write in a couple of verses about this period in his life. He says, in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently. From the Jews, five times I received 40 stripes minus one. Anybody ever see Passion of the Christ? How Jesus was beaten to a pulp in that movie? Paul had that happen to him five times in his life. This is the Apostle Paul. This is God’s number one guy. I was beaten three times with rods. Once I was stoned. That means stones were thrown at him, not he got stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. A night and day I have been in the deep. What I want you to notice about What we just read together in 2 Corinthians 1 is that Paul gives the reason God allowed him to have more than he can handle. And that is this. God stripped away from him everything, every solution, every resource, so that he realized, I got nothing. I can’t fix this. I cannot fix this. I have no resource to make this situation any better. Next on the agenda, I die. We have a word for this. We call it brokenness. A person who is in a pit of despair, they’re broken. It drives them to a deeper dependence on God, the deepest possible dependence. But notice what it says in this verse. But this happened, or in these verses, verses 8 and 9, verse 9, this happened that we might not rely on ourselves, but on God who, what does he do? Raises the dead. Would you agree it takes a lot of power to raise the dead? It takes a lot of juice to do that. And one of our problems, I think, is that we have never seen God raise the dead. And what I mean by that is we’ve never seen God take a hopeless situation and flip it. Because we haven’t, we have a stunted perspective of God’s ability. If you’ve ever been in a situation where there is no resource, no hope, no help, this is it, I’m a goner, and then God flips it, well… At that moment, God becomes so real to you, more real than any other time, more real than any Bible study could ever give you. Job, at the end of his book, after all that he suffered, said this, I have heard of you with the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you. It’s pretty easy to hear of God with the hearing of the ear. We can do it every Sunday, every Wednesday. We can come and hear from the hearing of the ear who God is, what he does. But when you see God do something, that reality, that internal perspective where I have nothing in myself at all, God must raise the dead. And let’s talk about raising the dead. Remember Lazarus? Remember when Jesus was told, your friend is sick? And he knew that he was sick, nigh unto death, and Jesus said, okay, let’s just stay here a few more days. Make sure he’s good and dead. I don’t want to get there when he’s sick. I want to get there when he’s in the grave. And so he shows up. Mary and Martha, his sisters, are really bummed out at him. You’d have been here, my brother, wouldn’t have died. And Jesus said, your brother will rise again. And they gave Jesus the correct answer. Hearing of the ear theological answer. I know that my brother will rise again at the last day. Good. You get an A on the test. But what Jesus was about to do was blow their minds. And a resurrection will do that. So when you are in a hopeless situation and God flips it like a resurrection, wow. Wow. Your faith is on fire after that. I don’t know what situation you may be in. You may be in a really deep, bad situation. You’re not even six feet under. You’re 16 feet under. You’re looking for a headstone at this point. Like Paul said, I’ve got the sentence of death in myself. God would say to you, hold on, hold on. I’m about to blow your mind.
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This is Connect with Skip Heitzig. When you give to this ministry, you help reach thousands of people every day with God’s life-changing truth, encouraging them to know Him, trust Him, and walk in His freedom. And this month, we want to thank you with a special resource package. You’ll receive Skip’s book, Biography of God, which helps you explore God’s nature, His power, the mystery of the Trinity, and the hope that comes from removing the false limitations we sometimes place on Him. Plus, you’ll get Skip’s six-message CD series, Expound Galatians, where Skip unpacks the book of Galatians and the freedom believers have through grace, not works. Your gift today helps bring the life-changing message of Jesus to people around the world through Connect with Skip. Request your resources when you give $50 or more at connectwithskip.com slash offer or by calling 800-922-1888. Now, here’s more from Pastor Skip.
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Now, I want to give you some eternal perspective, not just internal perspective, eternal perspective. So we’re going to put up a verse in a minute, but if you’d like to turn to 2 Corinthians 4, you don’t have to. I’m going to put the verse up on the screen. I’m going to have you turn to another chapter in a minute. But in 2 Corinthians 4, in Paul’s personal journal, he frames for us how he’s able to handle all this stuff. All this stuff that would be more than I can handle. How does he do it? Well, look at these verses that we put up on the screen. 2 Corinthians 4, 16 through 18. Therefore, we do not lose heart, even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. You with me so far? What you’re about to read should shock you. Watch this. For our light affliction. What? Our light affliction. which is but for a moment is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. Well, we do not look at the things which are seen, but the things which are not seen, but the things which are seen are temporary. The things which are not seen are eternal. Okay, time out. Paul, wait a minute. A couple of chapters ago, you just said that this was beyond your ability to endure. And now you’re just saying, yeah. It’s a light affliction. It’s a momentary light affliction. Why? Well, if you think of your trial that you’re going through now, think of it in terms of 100 years from now, 1,000 years from now, a trillion years from now. What is it? It’s light. It’s light. It’s a light and momentary affliction. Why? Because your trial doesn’t have the last word. Jesus has the last word. The trial does not have the last word. The last line of your script is not going to read, God gave him more than he could handle and he died. It doesn’t say that. It won’t say that. The hardest thing to get when you are suffering with overwhelming sorrow, the hardest thing to get is an eternal perspective. But we must. It makes all the difference between a bearable trial and a crushing trial. Now, when Paul says it’s a light affliction and you know what you’re going through and you read this light affliction, you go, that doesn’t help me all that much. He’s not trying to minimize your trial. He’s trying to maximize your perspective. So we have an internal and an eternal perspective. Now I’d like to take you to our closing text. You’re in 2 Corinthians. Go to chapter 12 with me, 2 Corinthians chapter 12. I want to give you an example now, a meaningful example in Paul’s own life. You’ve heard from Paul’s own words, his own experiences. He’s God’s best apostle, greatest missionary in church history, went through overwhelming, hard to endure, more than he could handle stuff. And he talks in verse 7 of 2 Corinthians 12. Actually, what he begins the chapter with is talking about all the revelations he’s had from God. And it’s enough to puff anybody up. He was taken to heaven and he saw the throne room of God, but he didn’t really describe it. He says it’s unlawful to even utter. And you’re thinking, Paul, tell me about it. Can’t do it. It’s against the law. It’s unlawful to utter. It defies description. So he says this in verse 7, “…lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations. A thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure.” He talks about a thorn in the flesh. What is he talking about? What is he dealing with? Well, we’re not sure. He doesn’t really tell us. No one really knows. A lot of people guess. I’m going to share with you some of the guesses that I found in many commentaries. Some say it’s a constant temptation. Others say it’s an eye problem, ophthalmic issue. Others say epilepsy. Others say migraines. Others say malaria. Others say speech disability. Others say gallstones. Others say gout. Others say rheumatism. Others say intestinal disorder. Others say speech impediment. Does anybody know? No, they’re all over the map. Nobody knows what he had. One Scottish commentator said the thorn in the flesh was probably his wife. I’m guessing that that commentator did not have a great marriage, you think? Now, when you read thorn in the flesh, you think of a little thorn, a little piece of wood. You know, you lift it up, that two by four, and you got a thorn or that rose bush. You got a little thorn in the flesh. The word isn’t tiny thorn. It’s the word for stake, an impaling stake, where they would take and impale or torture people on. A stake in the flesh, a nagging, severe, physical affliction. So Paul had something. that he was dealing with. So Paul thought, well, there’s only one way to deal with this. I’m going to pray that God will remove it. Right? That’s what we do. We pray that God will remove it. Why? Because there’s more than I can handle. So verse 8, concerning this thing, I pleaded with the Lord, how many times? Three times, that it might depart from me. What that indicates to me is he prayed, no answer, prayed, no answer, prayed a third time, and then he stopped. He stopped asking God to remove this unbearable burden. Because he came to discover by God revealing it to him that this pain had purpose. And the purpose was to keep him humble. So verse 9, And he, that is the Lord, said to me, My grace is all you need. It is sufficient for you. It’s enough. My grace is sufficient for you. My strength is made perfect in weakness. Do you think that’s the answer Paul was looking for? I don’t. I think he was hoping God would say, well, sure, you’re Paul the apostle. I’ll take the thorn away. I’ll give you the ability to have freedom in your ministry. God said, no, Paul, no. I’m not going to take it away. My grace is all you need. I’m going to favor you with the ability to bear up under it. Now, at this point, let me give you probably the briefest thumbnail sketch of evil in the world. Here’s a brief explanation of evil. We live in a fallen world. Ever since Adam and Eve introduced sin into the garden, every single person born after that was born with a fallen nature. We experience the effects of that fall on a daily basis. God doesn’t cause bad things to happen to his children, but he doesn’t necessarily prevent them from happening either. As Jesus said, the sun shines on the just and the unjust, rain falls on the just and the unjust. So the world is free, and God rarely steps in to alter the effects of of sin on his creation. He does it from time to time. We call them miracles, but usually he doesn’t. So he lets trials happen to Christians like he lets trials happen to pagans. Why? How come no special favors? I’m his child. I love him. I’m committed to him. I’m in covenant with him. Why? Here’s the reason why. so that the superiority of a life lived in God can be demonstrated to onlookers. We want to show unbelievers that following Christ is superior to whatever they’re into. And if they can look at our lives and see how we suffer in grace, That might mean more to them than any tract we give them or Christian movie we ask them to see or presentation or skit that we give to them. The superiority of a life lived in God can be demonstrated. In other words, we showcase God’s grace. We show unbelievers these are God’s resources that I am leaning on. So my question to you, it’s a hard question. It’s not an easy answer. But here it is. Are you willing to embrace pain and suffering if it demonstrates God’s grace in your life to others? Are you willing to embrace it? Well, let’s see. Was Paul? Well, but he says, my grace is sufficient for you. My strength is made perfect in weakness. Okay, that’s what God said to him. What did Paul say back? Or what does he think? Therefore, most gladly… I will rather boast in my infirmities. Who do you know that says that? That the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore, I take pleasure in my infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecution, in distress for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong. Brothers and sisters, I have yet to get there. But I want to get there. For when I am weak, Then I am strong. Somebody asked C.S. Lewis, why did the righteous suffer? And he said back to them, why not? They’re the only ones who can handle it. And when others see you handle it in grace, it speaks volumes to them. So will God give you more than you can handle? Well, there’s going to be times, quite candidly in your life, that I’ll say, yes, it’s going to feel that way. It’s going to seem that way. And you cry out to God, and God is silent. And you cry out again, and He’s silent. You cry out again, and it’s like, what? Is God like, He’s written me off? I mentioned Job. I mentioned him again. Job experienced this exact situation. He says, I go to the east to find God. He’s not there. I go to the west to find God. He’s not there. I go to the north, go to the south. I can’t find God. Everywhere I look, I cannot connect. But then he said this, but he knows the way that I take. I can’t find him, but he knows exactly where I am. He knows the way that I take, and when I am tested, I will come forth as gold. I will come forth as gold. The will of God will never lead you where the grace of God cannot keep you. The will of God will never lead you where the grace of God cannot keep you. Some of you need to write that down. And put that in your Bible somewhere in the back. The grace of God will never lead you, or the will of God will never lead you, or the grace of God cannot keep you. That sort of sums up what Paul is saying here. So let me just conclude now by saying, I don’t know that God wants you to handle everything. I’m okay, I’m handling this. This is a lot for me to handle, but I’m handling it. God didn’t want you to handle it. He wants you to hand it over to him. Take your pain and hand it over to him. For that matter, take your life and hand it over to him.
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Thanks for joining us today on Connect with Skip Heitzig. Before we go, remember, your generosity helps share God’s Word around the world, bringing truth and hope to people who need Jesus. And this month, we’d love to thank you for your support by sending you a special resource bundle, Skip’s book, Biography of God, along with his six-message CD series, Expound Galatians. Together, these resources help you explore who God really is and how to live in the spiritual freedom He offers. Give today at connectwithskiff.com slash offer or call 800-922-1888. See you next time on Connect with Skip.
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Make a connection. Make a connection at the foot of the crossing.
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Connect with Skip Heitzig is a presentation of Connection Communications, connecting you to God’s never-changing truth in ever-changing times.
