This past week, my son and I traveled to the San Jose area for several projects. Anyone who has made that drive knows the best way to survive long miles is a good conversation. Ironically, this turned into one of the longest trips I can remember. Traffic came to a complete standstill two or three times, both going and coming back. What should have been a short drive became hours of sitting still—and talking.
Somewhere along that road, I asked my son a question that has followed me for years: Will God ever give you more than you can bear?
We believe many of the same things and see the world much the same way, so this was not an argument. It was an honest search for truth. In the church today, there seem to be two ideas. One says God will never give you more than you can handle. The other says God often gives you more than you can handle so that you will learn to rely on Him. As I thought through that question, several men from Scripture came to mind.
First was Moses. For forty years, he lived as a prince in Egypt. He had power, education, and comfort. Then everything changed. He fled into the desert, running for his life, unsure where he was going or what lay ahead. Yet it was there, over another forty years, that God shaped him. The desert did not break Moses; it prepared him to lead a nation out of slavery and into freedom.
Then I thought of Joseph. As a young man, he was favored and full of dreams. Within a short time, he was betrayed, sold into slavery, falsely accused, and forgotten in prison. None of it seemed fair. Yet those years formed his character and prepared him to stand before Pharaoh and govern Egypt. What Joseph could not bear alone, God carried him through.
David came next. He was anointed king while still a shepherd, but the throne did not come quickly. Instead, David spent years hiding in caves, running for his life. God used the wilderness to shape his heart before placing a crown on his head.
Then there was Peter. A fisherman with strong hands and bold confidence. He followed Jesus closely yet denied Him when fear took hold. That failure crushed him. But it did not end him. God used it to humble him, strengthen him, and prepare him to become a pillar of the early church.
When I look at these men, the answer becomes clear. God knows exactly how much we can bear. He knows us better than we know ourselves. What feels like too much to us is never too much to Him.
God is not trying to overwhelm us. He is teaching us. He allows difficult seasons, so we learn to lean on Him. He allows weakness so we discover where real strength comes from. Scripture says, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor 12:9).
Every challenge becomes a lesson. Every heavy moment has a purpose. God is shaping us, growing us, and preparing us for what lies ahead—even when we cannot yet see it.
So, when life feels heavy, the question is no longer, “Can I handle this?” The better question is, “What is God teaching me right now?” He is near. He is faithful. And He will carry us through.
Strength does not come from having it all together. Strength is born in weakness.