Jeremiah 29:11-14

"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a futuree.  Then you will call upon Me and come pray to Me and I will listen to you.  You will seek me and find Me when you seek me with all your heart.  I will be found by you, declares the Lord."
     I think it's important to know the purpose of God saying this to His people.  T0hey were in captivity in Babylon, and land not their own.  They had just been torm from their promised land.  Most of the Israelites were probably scared out of their mind.  These people they were in captivity of weren't all that peaceful.  Their destination--Babylon--was probably not what they thought of "prospering."  They may have also thought they really didn't have much of a future in a foreign land.  And yet, God declares that he still has a plan for them, even in the midst of the "endesires" time of life.
     This scripture is good for transistion times of our lives, yes.  Indeed it springs in the hear of the reader/listener hope.  But the context of this speaks directly to those who might not be in the most "desires" of circumstances.  Even when it seems all hope is lost, it's not erally lost.  Eventually God brought Israel back from captivity as He promised.  Jonah didn't die in the whale.  Joseph wasn't a slave in Egypt forever.  Jesus didn't remain in the grave.  God tends to work best when it seems that all hope is gone.  He enjoys to work outside of the parameters of human logic.  God NEVER ever, ever, ever, ever, NEVER said that He wouldn't give us what we couldn't handle.  Specifically what that scripture is talking about in 1 Corinthians is temptation to sin.  (1 Corinthians 10:11-13 if you wish to verify me, here.)  What God did say is "My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness." (2 Corinthians 12:8b)  God understands that we are but dust, frail human beings.  He knows there are some things in life that we certainy cannot "handle."  For instance, in my life losing both of my grandmothers within 5 weeks my freshman year was certainly not something that I could not handle.  How does anybody "handle" the death of a loved one?  Or most recently, a friend of mine was hit by a car on his bike and has sustained some pretty nasty injuries.  He's still alive, praise God, but he is in pretty rough shape.  This isn't a knock on my friend, but to think that anybody can handle that kind of pain and also be bed-ridden(sp? hmm...) until recovery is hard.  Nobody likes to be helpless. 
     I don't believe God allows hard circumstances to come into our lives because He thinks that we're strong.  It doesn't mean that God doesn't think we're worthless or can't do anything.  Certainly not.  But, I believe that He allows hard things to happen so that we learn how to lean into Him, within the good and the bad.  Who ever said that life will be easy?  Jesus even told us that in this life "we will face trouble."  But even after that somber declaration, He declares: "But take heart! I have overcome the world."  We don't have to be strong when God is strong in us.  We can collapse in our weakness and allow His strength to empower us.  When we realize that the "end of me is the beginning of God" is where we realize that we don't have to be strong.  We don't have to stuff emotions; we can have a full breakdown within the arms of the Almighty, for He won't cast us out for giving in.  He will tell us what He said to Paul when he was asking God to remove his thorn: "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." 
     "Why do  you say, O Jacob, and complain, O Israel, 'My way is hidden from the Lord; my cause is desregarded by my God."?  Do you not know?  Have you not heard?  The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.  he will not grow tired or weary, and His understanding no one can fathom.  He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.  Even youths grow tired and weary, but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not be faint."  Isaiah 40:27-31