Devotion #108

No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

1 Corinthians 10:13 ESV

One of the great promises in God’s Word is that He is watching your life, and He won’t let you go through any more than you can handle—with Him. He knows you better than you know yourself, and He knows what you are capable of conquering with Him. He doesn’t promise it won’t be hard, He doesn’t promise He won’t take you to the end of yourself, but He does promise not to let you be tempted beyond your ability, and He does promise a way of escape.

Far too often, marriages want to call it quits. It just gets to be too much. Left unchecked, the millions of little daily disappointments grow to become walls too tall to climb. Year after year of frustration and lack of forgiveness lead to a bitterness that we feel cannot be overcome. They’re just not the person we thought we married, their sin is too great, there is just too much to work through. We forget the reason we ever chose this person in the first place, and we begin to look at our spouse with disdain. Our marriage becomes a trial we cannot overcome, it is beyond our ability. We believe we just made a mistake and we throw in the towel.

A key word in this promise is “temptation.” In Greek, that can also be translated “trial.” God, in His mercy, watches you in the trial you face today. The enemy may whisper in your ear, “Give in—you can’t win,” but that is a lie. God says there’s nothing in your marriage that you will face that you can’t have victory over. He wouldn’t allow it. He only allows you to be tempted to the point where you can win. Your marriage can be restored.

Know God is watching you, and He wants you to succeed at the Christian life. He wants to claim your marriage as a victory for Him. Considering His sacrifice and His great love for you, do you honestly think He would let you go through more than you can handle? No. He won’t let the waters drown you. He will keep the fires from burning you. He won’t allow the temptation to become so strong it knocks you off your feet. You might feel as if you are already being tried beyond what you can bear, but the truth is that God knows you better than you know yourself. You’re not going to lose it. You will survive. You don’t know what you are capable of in God’s strength. You will get through this. This trial won’t last forever. He will win.

But know this—He will take you to the edge of yourself and your ability to handle the trial in your own power. He wants you in a place where you cry out to Him that you cannot take it anymore because He wants you to know your need for our Lord and Savior. When we’re skating along in life and everything is going according to plan, we become confident in our own abilities and we no longer see our weaknesses. He wants to be the center of your life and your marriage, and until He is, He will allow the trial to continue.

Remember: God allows the struggle to go on so that we can draw down upon His strength and live in victory, so that He can reveal a place in our heart that is not in full surrender to Him, so that we can see our sinful nature, so that we can be transformed into His image. Allow Him to show you, and you will find victory and strength in the trials you face. You will find healing and restoration for your marriage.

Press on ~ you are loved 💗

Leave a Reply

Powered by WordPress.com.

Up ↑

%d bloggers like this: