God Never Gives More Than You Can Bear

God never gives you more than you can bear...

If someone would have asked me several months ago if this came from scripture, I would have said yes...or at least that it was a biblical truth. I have even said it many times, and tried to find comfort in that statement for myself. And yet it seemed as if what I observed all around me was the exact opposite. So what is the truth?
My eyes were opened during a recent Bible study called "The Grace Walk Experience" by Dr. Steve McVey. We were asked to examine 2 Corinthians 1:8-9 "We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead." (Emphasis mine)
It's all in there...the truth about the trials and suffering that comes into our lives. I would never compare the hardships or trials in my life to that which the Apostle Paul endured but I've had some hard times that have taken me into the pit. In these verses, Paul tells us the hardships that he and his companions went through were just too much for them to handle...it went far beyond what they could physically, mentally and emotionally endure. They couldn't bear the strain and the pain. It was so bad that they really just wanted to die so that they would escape the unbearable circumstances. But why would God allow them to get to this unbearable state?
Paul and his companions came to a place where they realized it was all in the hands of God, their very lives had to be surrendered into the hands of God. There wasn't anything they could do to save themselves or ease their suffering. And that was where God wanted them to be...the place where they would give up their self sufficiency and rest in His sufficiency.
God tries to get our attention. As I look back on the trials that I went through, I see that God was trying to get my attention but I kept on trying to control and handle everything on my own. It was only when I came to the end of my self sufficiency that I was able to see that is was all about God's sufficiency and not about mine.
No, I don't believe the statement anymore "God never gives you more than you can bear." It's a bit scary I have to admit. But I have seen in my own life that...I can't...but He can. Instead of relying on my self sufficiency (really non existent) I need to rely totally on His sufficiency.
I'll just trust God...how about you?

MaryAnn