“‘GOD WON’T GIVE ME MORE THAN I CAN HANDLE’ – REALLY?” (James 1:9-18)
J.B. Stopford, Pastor, First Baptist Church, Earlville, NY
TODAY’S SPECIAL: “A Goat Funny”
Patient: Doctor, Doctor! I keep thinking I’m a goat!
Doctor: How long have you had this feeling?
Patient: Ever since I was a kid.
INTRODUCTION
(1) Written to “brothers/sisters” in the Lord – the letter was not written to a specific church but to God’s people, encouraging us how to live for God where He has wisely placed us.
(2) Written to spur contentment (vs. 9-11) – God calls both rich and poor for His glory. James begins here a repeated theme: life is brief, no matter how many years, no matter seeming success or failure.
What will we do with that breath of life God has given to us? In this section we continue the examination of “The Test of Faith”. We have looked at those “3 little words” (“count it all joy”!). Today we are going to look at…PAIN – through the eyes of 3 questions posed in our text. PRAYER
#1 The question of the heart: heart of the test is the fruit (v. 12)
We examined this verse several weeks ago when talking about the “crowns”. Let’s look at the companion passage, Rev. 2:11. The heart of this test in James is to see life through the eyes of eternity, not through the test!
#2 The question of the test (vs. 13-15)
(a). The Lord is not the source of this test! (v. 13). Nor can we say, “the devil made me do it!” as Flip Wilson used to say.
(b) The source of this test is one word: “desire”, which desire is further described with the previous word, “evil”. What on earth is “evil desire”?
Oswald Chambers, whose writings were transcribed by his wife and collected to form the wonderful devotional, “My Utmost for His Highest”, defines “desire” this way: “the need for companionship being met by loving only yourself.” (repeat!).
For Whom/whom have we been created for companionship? At least 2 answers: (1) The Lord (Gen. 3:8-9 shows that, as describing the fall, God was looking for the one with whom He had been enjoying sweet communion. And 1 John 1:5-7 God still hungers for our fellowship – with Him through His Word and prayer! How you doing here? (2) Others Gen. 2:19-29 shows that Adam could not find true companionship with the animals – God then created from him a wife with whom Adam could be “one flesh”. Again in 1 John 1:1-4 joy is made complete when believers enjoy fellowship with one another on a regular basis! BUT when the “desire” for that companionship – either with the Lord, with one’s spouse, or with other believers – is directed elsewhere, the chain of events of James 1:13-15 becomes a royal test.
And what is the end of that test? DEATH (v. 15) – separation from the true companionship that God has provided. That death may be eternal – a physical death. OR it also may be being “dead while alive” – the life becomes routine, useless, and most empty.
Are you at this point today? Remember 1 John 1:9. Come back to where you left off – come back to the cross!
#3. The question of the source of the pain (vs. 16-18)
(a). Here is a tough question! What then is the source of the pain we often have on a regular basis? Once again, Oswald Chambers asks an interesting question: if you were God, would you create pain? Does pain have eternal purpose? Our text says that through our faith in the cross, we have both a new birth and we become His first-fruits – even in pain!
(b). So then how does God use pain for His glory? We need to be familiar with at least 3 passages:
(1). Psalm 11. The Lord allows tests to show that there is a wide distinction between those who are righteous and those who are wicked – with no foundation!
(2). Psalm 26:1-3. Those who are trusting in the Lord can lovingly say to God, “bring it on! Prove me! Show me by your test that I belong to you!”
(3). 1 Corinthians 10:13. Perhaps the most familiar of the 3. This verse has been translated loosely, “God won’t give me more than I can handle” – why? Because what I am experiencing is no different from what anyone else on this earth does – but with one HUGE DIFFERENCE: God is allowing this test to draw attention to Himself through us, through you and me. Cling to this verse – it’s a good one.
CONCLUSION
A number of years ago there was a young man named Rick. He had a wonderful wife, young daughter, good job. Everything was going so well with him – he just loved his family and loved to provide for them. But then the unthinkable happened, and the source of his loss of physical strength was ultimately given a name: non-hodgkins lymphoma. Over the course of many months he had many treatments of various kinds. Yet in the hospital, with seemingly “much time” on his hands, he realized that there was one thing he didn’t have: assurance of eternity. He asked for his pastor to call him – and in a tender conversation on the phone, Rick trusted Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Savior. Finally, it became apparent that his time on earth would be brief. Yet both in life and in death, this test for Rick became a royal tribute to God’s glory on display.
That is the extreme test – yours maybe simply a splinter in your finger or a hangnail on your toe.
Ask yourself one question: in Whom is my trust? With my foundation, am I prepared to trust Him?