Read: Matthew 26:36-46

A father lost his 5-year-old son to cancer. Someone said to him, “God never gives us more than we can handle.” Instead of those words being an encouragement to him, they depressed him and he wondered why he wasn’t handling the loss of his son. He was so depressed that he could hardly breathe. He knew that he desperately needed God at that moment.

When Jesus was praying in the Garden of Gethsemane, He was apprehensive of the impending suffering which was to come upon Him. He prayed, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death… O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me” (Matt. 26:38-39). Despite His uneasiness, He willingly went through that for our salvation. Jesus said, “Nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will” (Matt. 26:39). Even though the crucifixion of Jesus was the divine plan for salvation, Jesus’ apprehension about the physical suffering shows that He was fully human, even though He is fully God. Our Lord is able to understand us. Heb. 4:15 says, “We do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.”

The apostle Paul said, “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 Cor. 10:13). Even though the context of those verses are with respect to temptation, we can be assured in the fact that when we go through suffering in life, our God is with us and He will help us to bear it.

When you go through suffering, and when you think that it is too much for you to bear, throw yourself on God’s grace and mercy. He will strengthen you. He is “our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Ps. 46:1).