God's Umbrella

No temptation has seized you except that is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. 

1 Corinthians 10:13 (also the memory verse challenge of the week)

You think you know a verse and then one day you notice something you haven't noticed before.  In the verse above the scripture says that when we are tempted God will provide a way out.  And that's where my memory of the verse use to end.  But as you can see - the verse goes on.  It finishes with "so that you can stand up under it" (depending on the version you're using).

I didn't understand what that meant.  A "way" that you can stand up under??  Then something struck me.  I like analogies - they simplify things for me.  So let's draw an analogy where rain represents our trials or the endless temptations from the devil.  There are periods in our lives where we simply get beaten down by the rain.  But God has provided us a way out so that we may stand up under it.

We know through scriptures that God is our shelter.  So with that in mind in our analogy God offers the protection and shelter of an umbrella.  Once it covers us, we are shielded from the barrage of temptations.  We no longer have to endure the constant pelting.  With His coverage we can now pick ourselves back up.  We can "stand up under it" and freely move about in the rain without getting wet.  His "way out" will get us to safer ground.

Now every time I read this verse I picture God's umbrella shelter over me. It gives me a great feeling to know I'm protected.  The rain will always come (the trials, the temptations) but I know enough now to take my Godly umbrella with me wherever I go. It would be foolish to go out unprepared.