“No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man;
but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted
beyond what you are able, but with the temptation
will also make the way of escape, that you
may be able to bear it”
– 1 Corinthians 10:13 –
The brethren in Corinth thought their trials were the greatest. However, Paul tells them that their burdens were similar to everyone else’s. Therefore, he encourages them by having them remember that God’s faithfulness is the basis of our security. Trust in the promise is indispensable and not to enter into the reckless presumption of going into enemy territory, disregarding divine warnings.
The promise ensures that God will prevent the enemy from placing a burden beyond our strength. God is not the author of suffering; He came to put an end to it. He does not tempt anyone (James 1:13-14), but when He allows it, it is because He has a higher purpose than that pain. There are two types of pain: according to the world and according to God. The first is destructive, the second is constructive. It is a test of faith which draws the best from us. And God provides a way out. As Jesus showed us, that victorious escape route resides in the certainty of an “It is written.”
Horatio Spafford was a successful lawyer facing a number of adversities, such as his son’s death from scarlet fever, pressing financial situations, and a voracious fire that consumed almost all of his assets in 1871. Invited by his friend, the evangelist Dwight Moody, he decided to travel with his family with the goal of resting and visiting his friends in England. At the last minute, he had to stay and the family traveled without him. On the Atlantic, the ocean liner on which his beloved family was traveling collided with the English ship Lorchean and sank within twelve minutes. Most of the passengers and crew drowned in the ocean waters. Among the fatalities were Spafford’s four daughters. His wife survived and made it to Wales.
Once there, she managed to send this message by telegraph: “Saved alone.” Spafford took the first boat and traveled to meet his wife. In the area where the ship with his daughters had sunk, he began writing a hymn that has strenghtened thousands over the years: “It Is Well with My Soul.”
Both temptation and pain come from the enemy.
Man blames the Creator for the work of the corruptor.
God can allow it for a purpose of salvation.
God strengthens you and gives you a way out,
Even with tears in your eyes, you can sing,
“It is well; it is well with my soul.”