Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
He says, my word as a lamp to you, if
he'd light to your path. God sees the second step,
and the third, the fourth, the fifth, He sees all
of this. All we have to do is to be
obedient to Him, and I can say to you, Wisdom says.
Wisdom says, it's always best to obey God, even if
it's a tiniest step or if it's a major leap.
(00:21):
You can't lose either way, because He is the one
who is given the guide in some the direction. He's
the one who has the goals in mind.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
It's a common misconsumption that obedience to God somehow puts
a limit on enjoying life, but that's not the Lord's
intention at all. Today, on in Touch the teaching ministry
of doctor Charles Stanley, were reminded that God only wants
is best for us. Pay attention for some valuable principles
that can guide you in following the Lord's will in
(00:53):
every situation. Let's listen to doctor Stanley.
Speaker 1 (01:01):
Are you happier when you know that you're obeying God?
Are you happier when you know that you're being disobedient?
Then why don't we obey him? If you'll think about
the reasons people don't obey God. Well, I may miss something.
Are you going to miss something? That God, who loves you,
has planned your life? And may be some things in
(01:21):
life you need to miss, And there's some things in
life you need to be there when it happens. And
when you're walking in his will, you'll be there. You
will not listen, you will not miss when you walk
in the will of God and be obedient to him. Now,
let's think about how do we learn to obey God.
(01:42):
You didn't come into the world with knowing how. So
I just want to give you some things to consider
in your own life, because nobody knows your life like
you do. But you need to learn how to be
obedient to God. And the first one is simply this.
You must first choose to trust him. If you don't
trust him, you're not going to him. And sometimes trusting
(02:03):
him demands courage, it demands energy, it demands waiting. In
other words, if I'm going to trust him, that means
I'm going to do it his way. And if I'm
going to learn to be obedient, I must learn to
trust him. How do you learn to trust him? By acting?
Sometimes making mistakes, being ahead, being a little bit behind,
(02:26):
a little slow. But we learn to obey him by
trusting him. I believe he's who he says he is,
that he will do what he says he will do. Therefore,
I'm going to trust him. Therefore I'm going to obey him.
So the second thing is this, we must determine to
(02:48):
be willing to wait upon God in prayer. And that
is probably one of the most difficult things we have
to do, especially when we see something we want and
it's in reach. Yet God says yet, and so what
I'm said, well, I don't know why not. And then
people begin to look around and see what other people
are doing. Listen, the last thing you want to do
(03:09):
is ask your friends what you ought to do when
God's told you exactly what to do. Because they listen,
watch this. I'm not saying anything wrong with them, they
become tools of the devil. Now, when somebody comes to
me and says, what do you think I should do?
I'm very careful not to say I think you ought
to do so and so. But what I will say is,
(03:31):
let's ask, first of all, does that look like God?
Does that sound like him? Is anything in the word
of God? That gives us clarity about that. And you see,
you don't want to be too fast to give somebody
an aunwer. First of all, you and I could be
wrong if we only know part of the facts. Only
God knows all the issues. So if we say, why
don't you find out what God is saying? Well, I've
(03:53):
been reading the Bible. I haven't found anything to keep reading,
especially if you're reading it and you've already made up
your mind. And so if I'm going to be obedient,
I must be willing to wait when I don't understand
why I should wait, when I can't figure out what
God is up to, when I think I've waited long enough,
and this is what gets people in trouble. Well, you
(04:13):
know it's been four weeks gone by now and I
haven't heard of thing. So this is what I'm going
to do. Is that obedience? No, that's you taking it
out of God's hands, placing in your hands, making a decision,
and failing to trust him because you're failing to wait
for his timing or whatever may be going on in
your life. And so I think about that, I think
(04:34):
about what's required of me to wait two things, patience
and faith. If we're impatient with somebody else. We can
understand that if you're impatient, think about this, if you're
impatient with God. When you think about the impatient with God,
I mean the one who knows all, who has the
best plan for you. And I'm impatient with him. I
(04:56):
don't want to wait for his timing. Then we'll find
ou in trouble. Because God's timing is perfect. So if
I'm going to learn to really and true to be obedient,
I've got to learn to wait upon him. Another thing
is simply this, and that is I must learn to
meditate upon His word every day. You will not live
(05:16):
an obedient life with a closed Bible. Mark that down.
Did you hear that you will not live an obedient
life with a closed Bible? Amen? So ask yourself the question, well,
why do I need the word of God? Because this
is the primary way God leads us. And sometimes you
(05:38):
won't understand what God's up to in your life. But
I just gave you an example. You may just say, Lord,
I don't know what to do it to this situation,
I'm getting anxious, or Lord, I'll have to admit I'm
getting impatient. Speak to my heart. Here's where you go,
you think about how many things God has said in
his word Somewhere in here I'm going to find an answer.
(06:01):
I have never gone to the word of God. Maybe
that's the first time, of the second, or third of
the fifth time that at some point searching his word,
asking or what would you have me to do? That
he doesn't give me an answer. But you see the
answers available to everybody. Ask yourself the question, now, genuinely, Lord,
how often do I open your word and read it? Now?
(06:23):
You say, well, do you just read the Word of
God when you're looking for something? Though, that's why you
have read it every day? How many let me ask
you a question, how many of you are so busy
you don't have time to read the Bible? Well? Well, well, good, good, good, Yeah,
we all have time to read the Bible, right then,
(06:46):
why don't we? It's the word of God? He says,
I will guide you with my eye upon you. I
will teach you in the way which you should go.
What does that mean? It means this that God is
so personally interested in you that he will give you
guidance in every single solitary situation in your life period.
(07:08):
All He wants you to do is to be obedient
to it. Why should God answer your request if he
knows you're going to be disobedient anyway. Listen, you will
not live a godly life without an open Bible. And
one of my favorite passages is in Joshua chapter one.
I love this and this has been one of my
favorites for years. This is what he said. He said
(07:29):
to Joshua, Have I not commanded you to be strong
and of a good courage? He said, don't tremble and
be dismayed. The Lord, your God is with you wherever
you go. And that's a sort of a concluding statement.
And listen to what he says in verse seven. Only
be strong and very courageous. Be careful to do according
to all the law which Moses, my servant commanded.
Speaker 2 (07:52):
You.
Speaker 1 (07:53):
Don't turn from it to the right or to the left,
so that you may have success wherever you go. This
book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth.
You don't read it once a week, but you shall
meditate on it day and night, so that you may
be careful. Listen, be careful to do according to all
(08:13):
that is written in it. Then you will make your
way prosperous then you'll be successful. He says, he will
bless you in all that you do. But he says,
you've got to be in the word. The word of
God is his. He says, it's a light to our path.
And so He's given us his word to give us guidance,
the direction. And so I think about people, for example,
(08:36):
who never read the Bible, think about it for it.
They never read the Bible, and then they wonder why
things don't work out. And here it is in just
the very few verses. Be strong and ugh, good courage,
reading the scriptures day and night. Then of course we
must walk when the way is not clear. Look if
(08:59):
you will. And Hebrews chapter eleven, we must be willing
to walk when the way is not clear. Somebody says,
God's got to show it to me. You got to
write in the sky. God's not in the business of
writing in the sky. Look if you will. In this
eleventh chapter of Hebrews about Abraham, verse eight, by faith, Abraham,
(09:22):
when he was called obeyed by going out to a
place which he was to receive for an inheritance, and
he went out not knowing where he was going. He said,
what's that got to do with me simply this. I've
lived long enough to know that many times, if you're
going to be obedient to God, you've got a head
(09:43):
out and you will not know exactly what's going to happen.
I think about where, for example, we are in touch
today and because of God number one and so many
of you who have prayed and given and so forth.
We started that with a thirty minute prob in Atlanta,
eight o'clock on Sunday morning. We had two little orange
(10:04):
boxes that we call TV cameras, and today you can
hear it all of the world. We'll see it all
over the world. If somebody says, now, if somebody says,
how did you plan it? I had nothing to do
with it. I said that sincerely. Never planned it, never
programmed it, never said here's what we're going to do,
(10:25):
here's how we're going to get there. And this is
why what I want you to say is this. You cannot,
you absolutely cannot foresee and foretell what God is going
to do in your life until you obey him. Suppose
we just said we're not going to do that till
we get some expensive stuff. We're not going to do
that till we have certain things that we don't have,
(10:48):
and so forth. No, if God tells you take a
baby step, you take it. And if you don't know
why you're going next, listen. All you have to do
is to obey God today. What he tells you to
do to day, He already has tomorrow perfectly in mind,
perfectly in mind. So the reason we get in trouble
(11:08):
is because if we can't see our watch this carefully
you listen, say, man, if we can't see our way clearly,
we imply that God can't. He says, My word is
a lamp to your feet, light to your path. God
sees the second step, and the third, the fourth, or fifth,
He sees all of this. All we have to do
is to be obedient to Him, and I can say
(11:28):
to you, Wisdom says. Wisdom says, it's always best to
obey God, even if it's a tiny step or if
it's a major leap. You can't lose either way, because
He is the one who is giving the guidance in
the direction. He's the one who has the goals in mind.
And oftentimes I think people miss the will of God
(11:50):
for their life and the blessings of God because they
can't see their way. Clear. Well, you know, I can
see some of them, but I don't know. I just
you know, I'm just waiting. And sometimes my heart is
grieved when I see people who have ability to talents
and skills and just laying them aside because they can't
see how God's going to use them. Said, they don't
take the next step. You can't predict what He's going
(12:13):
to do. We know answers prayer, and we know that
he'll bless us if we do certain things. But somebody says, well,
why doesn't God just throw us the full story. What
if he say, here's where you go, Here's where I'm
going to take you. Here's the reason why. Because God
usually lets us take a step at a time. What's
he doing. He's strengthening our faith, He says, I want
(12:36):
you to follow me, trust me. You can't see your
way clear, but just trust me. And as I take
a step and he does what he says, my faith's
going to be stronger. And the longer I walk in
obedience to him, my faith's going to be stronger and
stronger and stronger. So think about this. Think about your children.
For example, they watch how you live, and if they
(12:57):
see you in the word of God. And they see
you talking about things of the scripture, and they see
you being obedient to God and decisions that you make
and seeing how God blesses you. It's just natural. Now
they may get themselves in a mess, for why will
they get back. Obedience is trusting, holy, righteous, omniscient, unconditional,
(13:22):
loving God to be in your life who he says
he will be, and you cannot lose. Now another thing
is this, I must be willing to experience conflict. If
I'm going to obey God. There's going to be conflict.
Every past in the world can take can tell you that.
But you know what, everybody who lives in God in
(13:45):
life's going to have something. You can be conflict in
your family, with your children, your husband, and your wife.
There's going to be conflict. For example, when God told
Joshua to march around Jericho and watch it fall down,
none of that fit anything human reason has with it.
You go through the scriptures and see how God challenged
his servants to do one thing after the other, and
(14:06):
oftentimes it created conflict in their minds and their hearts
because they wonder, how am I going to do this?
And this is why we come to the next thing.
You must be willing to leave the consequences to him.
If you wait till you can figure out the consequences,
you will not obey God. And every single day think
(14:29):
about this. You and I have the privilege of growing
just a little bit more every time we challenge and
we obey him. We grow. Every time we obey Him
and we watch him work in our life, we grow.
And this is why I say one of my mottoes,
obey God and watch him work, because if you watch
him work, you're going to see him work out his
(14:50):
will in your life in a way that'll surprise you.
It's just that simple. You said, I'm going to teach
my children to be obedient. That's what God's been doing
in your life ever since the day you've saved, trying
to teach you to be obedient to Him. Because what
happens to a parent who sees their son or daughter
grow up disobedient, rebellious, living in sin, breaks their heart.
(15:16):
Wasn't what they planned. And so the parents suffer as
a result of a child's disobedience. And so that's why
you and I have to be serious about being obedient
to God. Because the influence and the testimony that we have,
and certainly it's very evident if you and I disobey God,
(15:38):
they're going to be consequences. A parent that never disciplines
their children is in for hurt and pain and sorrow
and disappointment. And somebody says, well, I would obey God.
But suppose so I always want to say, suppose what
Suppose what Suppose God can't fix it? Suppose God doesn't
(16:02):
know about it, Suppose God doesn't show up, Suppose God
doesn't provide enough. All those supposes have no answer. In
other words, God is sufficient, adequate for every single thing.
It's a matter of being willing to obey Him and
leave the consequences to him. You see, if I don't
obey him, it means I don't trust him with the consequences.
(16:26):
And when you and I face any issue in life,
it boils down to that if I don't obey him,
I don't trust him with the possible consequences that could
take place. There's a result you and our losers, we
lose when we do not obey him. Then, of course
I must be willing to accept the divine chastisement in
(16:47):
response to my disobedience. If for example, you disobey God
and God brings down his hand of chastisement, and you
fight against it, against it, and you refuse, and you
blame God. What does it say. It says simply this,
(17:08):
I don't trust him, I don't believe what he said.
I don't like how he responded. When the truth is,
we've disobeyed him. Nobody likes chastisement from God, and he
says it's an act of love on his part for us.
When you and I are really when we really have
an obedient spirit and we do something that brings down
(17:30):
God's chastising hand, I'll know that I'm obedient to him
when I say, thank you God for not letting me
go the wrong way, thank you for not letting me
make that decision, thank you for not letting me have that,
thank you for showing me a different way. Other words,
if I have an obedient spirit, I'll thank him even
when I'm chastised. But if I rebel against it, blame him,
(17:55):
ask him why? When the truth is we know why,
then somehow I not learned to be obedient to it. Now,
when I think about all of those things and think
about what rebellion's all about, and all of God's servants
had to get chastised at some point. We all do,
and that's good for us. It's protection on God's part.
(18:17):
Never have When you think about your life and realize
that obedience is a learning process, what decision are you
facing today that you're having to deal with when it
boils down to get all this stuff out of the way,
(18:37):
it boils down to I'm going to be obedient to
God or I'm not. It's a decision. Ask yourself this question.
Is there a better way to make decisions in life
than seeking the mind, the will, the purpose, the plan
of God who loves you absolutely perfectly? There is not,
(19:01):
So I'd ask you this question. What is it that
you're facing that you're dealing with that would keep you
from saying, this morning, Father, I want your willing this
situation no matter what, and I choose to say today,
I will be obedient to you in this and I
(19:22):
will leave the consequences to you. Is there anything in
your life that would keep you from saying that? And
if it is, ask yourself this question, Well, if I
don't trust him, who am I going to trust? If
I don't obey him, what am I going to do.
You cannot lose obeying God. And if I could say
(19:47):
one thing in my dying moment, this is what I'd say.
Obey God, leave all the consequences to him. You cannot lose.
You cannot lose.
Speaker 2 (20:05):
Thanks for listening to in Touch, the teaching ministry of
doctor Charles Stanley. God's way is always the best way
you can trust. That is love for you, never falters,
and if you're a Christian, you can believe that He's
working in you for his glory and your ultimate good.
If you're wondering how to live with that kind of
(20:25):
faith in God, please visit us at InTouch dot org,
or take time to go back over what you just learned.
Look for the link to today on radio again. That's in
touch dot org. You can also call or text one
eight hundred in Touch if you prefer to write our
addresses in Touch Post Office Box seventy nine hundred, Atlanta, Georgia,
(20:50):
three zero three five seven. Trying to follow God is
feudle without taking the essential first step. Today's moment with
Charles Well Stanley is coming up.
Speaker 3 (21:02):
In places where churches have closed or never existed. The
need for discipleship beyond evangelism is urgent. Our mission is
to train people on the frontlines of ministry through life
principles training based on the biblical teaching of doctor Charles Stanley,
shaping people to reflect Jesus and empowering them to fulfill
the Great Commission. For more info, visit in touch dot
(21:25):
org slash Global. We're not the first to seek a
life of purpose. The Bible tells of many who followed
a specific path, step by step, with courage, with surrender
for a deeper purpose, a stronger passion. A lasting piece
(21:46):
introducing your path to purpose, passion and peace. A new
ninety day devotional inspired by the timeless teaching of doctor
Charles Stanley, available now at intuch dot org, slash store.
Speaker 2 (22:02):
You're listening to in Touch. Are you trying to live
a life that pleases God? There's a crucial event that
has to happen. First. Here's a moment with Charles Stanley.
Speaker 1 (22:14):
If you never trust that Jesus Christ as your person
will savior, then you're living a life that's rebetting against God.
What you're saying is you think you can do it
better than He can. What you're saying is you don't
trust what he said about heaven and hell judgment, So
you're going to live it your way. Now, I simply
want to say to you, you're not going to win
(22:36):
that game. You will die disappointed, full of regrets, and
full of pain in your heart, if not in your body.
And what does he say today is the day of salvation.
Call upon the name of the Lord. If you will
(22:57):
confess with your mouth Jesus's Lord and that he's raised
from the dead. He's a living Christ. That is death
at Calvin paid your sin dead in full. And if
you're willing to ask him to forgive you your sins
and to cleanse you, he will save you. Right now.
That's the testimony of the witness of the word of God,
the eternal word of God. I plead with you in
(23:19):
Jesus's name, to make the wisest decision you could ever make,
to make Jesus Christ the Savior Lord of your life,
and choose to live with this principle. I will obey
God in every aspect of my life, and I'll leave
all the consequences to him.
Speaker 2 (23:39):
If you have questions about who Jesus is and how
you can get to know him, visit in touch dot org.
You'll find information to help you take your first steps
with the Savior, and if you found encouragement to live
for Jesus through this program, please tell us your story
Next week on in Touch, It's easy to think worship
His manly about music and singing. Be back Monday to
(24:03):
begin the series that helps us understand the fullness of
what it means to worship the Lord on in Touch,
the teaching ministry of Doctor Charles Stanley. This program is
a presentation of In Touch Ministries Atlanta, Georgia, and remains
on this station through the grace of God and your
(24:25):
faithful prayers and gifts.
He says, my word as a lamp to you, if
he'd light to your path. God sees the second step,
and the third, the fourth, the fifth, He sees all
of this. All we have to do is to be
obedient to Him, and I can say to you, Wisdom says.
Wisdom says, it's always best to obey God, even if
it's a tiniest step or if it's a major leap.
(00:21):
You can't lose either way, because He is the one
who is given the guide in some the direction. He's
the one who has the goals in mind.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
It's a common misconsumption that obedience to God somehow puts
a limit on enjoying life, but that's not the Lord's
intention at all. Today, on in Touch the teaching ministry
of doctor Charles Stanley, were reminded that God only wants
is best for us. Pay attention for some valuable principles
that can guide you in following the Lord's will in
(00:53):
every situation. Let's listen to doctor Stanley.
Speaker 1 (01:01):
Are you happier when you know that you're obeying God?
Are you happier when you know that you're being disobedient?
Then why don't we obey him? If you'll think about
the reasons people don't obey God. Well, I may miss something.
Are you going to miss something? That God, who loves you,
has planned your life? And may be some things in
(01:21):
life you need to miss, And there's some things in
life you need to be there when it happens. And
when you're walking in his will, you'll be there. You
will not listen, you will not miss when you walk
in the will of God and be obedient to him. Now,
let's think about how do we learn to obey God.
(01:42):
You didn't come into the world with knowing how. So
I just want to give you some things to consider
in your own life, because nobody knows your life like
you do. But you need to learn how to be
obedient to God. And the first one is simply this.
You must first choose to trust him. If you don't
trust him, you're not going to him. And sometimes trusting
(02:03):
him demands courage, it demands energy, it demands waiting. In
other words, if I'm going to trust him, that means
I'm going to do it his way. And if I'm
going to learn to be obedient, I must learn to
trust him. How do you learn to trust him? By acting?
Sometimes making mistakes, being ahead, being a little bit behind,
(02:26):
a little slow. But we learn to obey him by
trusting him. I believe he's who he says he is,
that he will do what he says he will do. Therefore,
I'm going to trust him. Therefore I'm going to obey him.
So the second thing is this, we must determine to
(02:48):
be willing to wait upon God in prayer. And that
is probably one of the most difficult things we have
to do, especially when we see something we want and
it's in reach. Yet God says yet, and so what
I'm said, well, I don't know why not. And then
people begin to look around and see what other people
are doing. Listen, the last thing you want to do
(03:09):
is ask your friends what you ought to do when
God's told you exactly what to do. Because they listen,
watch this. I'm not saying anything wrong with them, they
become tools of the devil. Now, when somebody comes to
me and says, what do you think I should do?
I'm very careful not to say I think you ought
to do so and so. But what I will say is,
(03:31):
let's ask, first of all, does that look like God?
Does that sound like him? Is anything in the word
of God? That gives us clarity about that. And you see,
you don't want to be too fast to give somebody
an aunwer. First of all, you and I could be
wrong if we only know part of the facts. Only
God knows all the issues. So if we say, why
don't you find out what God is saying? Well, I've
(03:53):
been reading the Bible. I haven't found anything to keep reading,
especially if you're reading it and you've already made up
your mind. And so if I'm going to be obedient,
I must be willing to wait when I don't understand
why I should wait, when I can't figure out what
God is up to, when I think I've waited long enough,
and this is what gets people in trouble. Well, you
(04:13):
know it's been four weeks gone by now and I
haven't heard of thing. So this is what I'm going
to do. Is that obedience? No, that's you taking it
out of God's hands, placing in your hands, making a decision,
and failing to trust him because you're failing to wait
for his timing or whatever may be going on in
your life. And so I think about that, I think
(04:34):
about what's required of me to wait two things, patience
and faith. If we're impatient with somebody else. We can
understand that if you're impatient, think about this, if you're
impatient with God. When you think about the impatient with God,
I mean the one who knows all, who has the
best plan for you. And I'm impatient with him. I
(04:56):
don't want to wait for his timing. Then we'll find
ou in trouble. Because God's timing is perfect. So if
I'm going to learn to really and true to be obedient,
I've got to learn to wait upon him. Another thing
is simply this, and that is I must learn to
meditate upon His word every day. You will not live
(05:16):
an obedient life with a closed Bible. Mark that down.
Did you hear that you will not live an obedient
life with a closed Bible? Amen? So ask yourself the question, well,
why do I need the word of God? Because this
is the primary way God leads us. And sometimes you
(05:38):
won't understand what God's up to in your life. But
I just gave you an example. You may just say, Lord,
I don't know what to do it to this situation,
I'm getting anxious, or Lord, I'll have to admit I'm
getting impatient. Speak to my heart. Here's where you go,
you think about how many things God has said in
his word Somewhere in here I'm going to find an answer.
(06:01):
I have never gone to the word of God. Maybe
that's the first time, of the second, or third of
the fifth time that at some point searching his word,
asking or what would you have me to do? That
he doesn't give me an answer. But you see the
answers available to everybody. Ask yourself the question, now, genuinely, Lord,
how often do I open your word and read it? Now?
(06:23):
You say, well, do you just read the Word of
God when you're looking for something? Though, that's why you
have read it every day? How many let me ask
you a question, how many of you are so busy
you don't have time to read the Bible? Well? Well, well, good, good, good, Yeah,
we all have time to read the Bible, right then,
(06:46):
why don't we? It's the word of God? He says,
I will guide you with my eye upon you. I
will teach you in the way which you should go.
What does that mean? It means this that God is
so personally interested in you that he will give you
guidance in every single solitary situation in your life period.
(07:08):
All He wants you to do is to be obedient
to it. Why should God answer your request if he
knows you're going to be disobedient anyway. Listen, you will
not live a godly life without an open Bible. And
one of my favorite passages is in Joshua chapter one.
I love this and this has been one of my
favorites for years. This is what he said. He said
(07:29):
to Joshua, Have I not commanded you to be strong
and of a good courage? He said, don't tremble and
be dismayed. The Lord, your God is with you wherever
you go. And that's a sort of a concluding statement.
And listen to what he says in verse seven. Only
be strong and very courageous. Be careful to do according
to all the law which Moses, my servant commanded.
Speaker 2 (07:52):
You.
Speaker 1 (07:53):
Don't turn from it to the right or to the left,
so that you may have success wherever you go. This
book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth.
You don't read it once a week, but you shall
meditate on it day and night, so that you may
be careful. Listen, be careful to do according to all
(08:13):
that is written in it. Then you will make your
way prosperous then you'll be successful. He says, he will
bless you in all that you do. But he says,
you've got to be in the word. The word of
God is his. He says, it's a light to our path.
And so He's given us his word to give us guidance,
the direction. And so I think about people, for example,
(08:36):
who never read the Bible, think about it for it.
They never read the Bible, and then they wonder why
things don't work out. And here it is in just
the very few verses. Be strong and ugh, good courage,
reading the scriptures day and night. Then of course we
must walk when the way is not clear. Look if
(08:59):
you will. And Hebrews chapter eleven, we must be willing
to walk when the way is not clear. Somebody says,
God's got to show it to me. You got to
write in the sky. God's not in the business of
writing in the sky. Look if you will. In this
eleventh chapter of Hebrews about Abraham, verse eight, by faith, Abraham,
(09:22):
when he was called obeyed by going out to a
place which he was to receive for an inheritance, and
he went out not knowing where he was going. He said,
what's that got to do with me simply this. I've
lived long enough to know that many times, if you're
going to be obedient to God, you've got a head
(09:43):
out and you will not know exactly what's going to happen.
I think about where, for example, we are in touch
today and because of God number one and so many
of you who have prayed and given and so forth.
We started that with a thirty minute prob in Atlanta,
eight o'clock on Sunday morning. We had two little orange
(10:04):
boxes that we call TV cameras, and today you can
hear it all of the world. We'll see it all
over the world. If somebody says, now, if somebody says,
how did you plan it? I had nothing to do
with it. I said that sincerely. Never planned it, never
programmed it, never said here's what we're going to do,
(10:25):
here's how we're going to get there. And this is
why what I want you to say is this. You cannot,
you absolutely cannot foresee and foretell what God is going
to do in your life until you obey him. Suppose
we just said we're not going to do that till
we get some expensive stuff. We're not going to do
that till we have certain things that we don't have,
(10:48):
and so forth. No, if God tells you take a
baby step, you take it. And if you don't know
why you're going next, listen. All you have to do
is to obey God today. What he tells you to
do to day, He already has tomorrow perfectly in mind,
perfectly in mind. So the reason we get in trouble
(11:08):
is because if we can't see our watch this carefully
you listen, say, man, if we can't see our way clearly,
we imply that God can't. He says, My word is
a lamp to your feet, light to your path. God
sees the second step, and the third, the fourth, or fifth,
He sees all of this. All we have to do
is to be obedient to Him, and I can say
(11:28):
to you, Wisdom says. Wisdom says, it's always best to
obey God, even if it's a tiny step or if
it's a major leap. You can't lose either way, because
He is the one who is giving the guidance in
the direction. He's the one who has the goals in mind.
And oftentimes I think people miss the will of God
(11:50):
for their life and the blessings of God because they
can't see their way. Clear. Well, you know, I can
see some of them, but I don't know. I just
you know, I'm just waiting. And sometimes my heart is
grieved when I see people who have ability to talents
and skills and just laying them aside because they can't
see how God's going to use them. Said, they don't
take the next step. You can't predict what He's going
(12:13):
to do. We know answers prayer, and we know that
he'll bless us if we do certain things. But somebody says, well,
why doesn't God just throw us the full story. What
if he say, here's where you go, Here's where I'm
going to take you. Here's the reason why. Because God
usually lets us take a step at a time. What's
he doing. He's strengthening our faith, He says, I want
(12:36):
you to follow me, trust me. You can't see your
way clear, but just trust me. And as I take
a step and he does what he says, my faith's
going to be stronger. And the longer I walk in
obedience to him, my faith's going to be stronger and
stronger and stronger. So think about this. Think about your children.
For example, they watch how you live, and if they
(12:57):
see you in the word of God. And they see
you talking about things of the scripture, and they see
you being obedient to God and decisions that you make
and seeing how God blesses you. It's just natural. Now
they may get themselves in a mess, for why will
they get back. Obedience is trusting, holy, righteous, omniscient, unconditional,
(13:22):
loving God to be in your life who he says
he will be, and you cannot lose. Now another thing
is this, I must be willing to experience conflict. If
I'm going to obey God. There's going to be conflict.
Every past in the world can take can tell you that.
But you know what, everybody who lives in God in
(13:45):
life's going to have something. You can be conflict in
your family, with your children, your husband, and your wife.
There's going to be conflict. For example, when God told
Joshua to march around Jericho and watch it fall down,
none of that fit anything human reason has with it.
You go through the scriptures and see how God challenged
his servants to do one thing after the other, and
(14:06):
oftentimes it created conflict in their minds and their hearts
because they wonder, how am I going to do this?
And this is why we come to the next thing.
You must be willing to leave the consequences to him.
If you wait till you can figure out the consequences,
you will not obey God. And every single day think
(14:29):
about this. You and I have the privilege of growing
just a little bit more every time we challenge and
we obey him. We grow. Every time we obey Him
and we watch him work in our life, we grow.
And this is why I say one of my mottoes,
obey God and watch him work, because if you watch
him work, you're going to see him work out his
(14:50):
will in your life in a way that'll surprise you.
It's just that simple. You said, I'm going to teach
my children to be obedient. That's what God's been doing
in your life ever since the day you've saved, trying
to teach you to be obedient to Him. Because what
happens to a parent who sees their son or daughter
grow up disobedient, rebellious, living in sin, breaks their heart.
(15:16):
Wasn't what they planned. And so the parents suffer as
a result of a child's disobedience. And so that's why
you and I have to be serious about being obedient
to God. Because the influence and the testimony that we have,
and certainly it's very evident if you and I disobey God,
(15:38):
they're going to be consequences. A parent that never disciplines
their children is in for hurt and pain and sorrow
and disappointment. And somebody says, well, I would obey God.
But suppose so I always want to say, suppose what
Suppose what Suppose God can't fix it? Suppose God doesn't
(16:02):
know about it, Suppose God doesn't show up, Suppose God
doesn't provide enough. All those supposes have no answer. In
other words, God is sufficient, adequate for every single thing.
It's a matter of being willing to obey Him and
leave the consequences to him. You see, if I don't
obey him, it means I don't trust him with the consequences.
(16:26):
And when you and I face any issue in life,
it boils down to that if I don't obey him,
I don't trust him with the possible consequences that could
take place. There's a result you and our losers, we
lose when we do not obey him. Then, of course
I must be willing to accept the divine chastisement in
(16:47):
response to my disobedience. If for example, you disobey God
and God brings down his hand of chastisement, and you
fight against it, against it, and you refuse, and you
blame God. What does it say. It says simply this,
(17:08):
I don't trust him, I don't believe what he said.
I don't like how he responded. When the truth is,
we've disobeyed him. Nobody likes chastisement from God, and he
says it's an act of love on his part for us.
When you and I are really when we really have
an obedient spirit and we do something that brings down
(17:30):
God's chastising hand, I'll know that I'm obedient to him
when I say, thank you God for not letting me
go the wrong way, thank you for not letting me
make that decision, thank you for not letting me have that,
thank you for showing me a different way. Other words,
if I have an obedient spirit, I'll thank him even
when I'm chastised. But if I rebel against it, blame him,
(17:55):
ask him why? When the truth is we know why,
then somehow I not learned to be obedient to it. Now,
when I think about all of those things and think
about what rebellion's all about, and all of God's servants
had to get chastised at some point. We all do,
and that's good for us. It's protection on God's part.
(18:17):
Never have When you think about your life and realize
that obedience is a learning process, what decision are you
facing today that you're having to deal with when it
boils down to get all this stuff out of the way,
(18:37):
it boils down to I'm going to be obedient to
God or I'm not. It's a decision. Ask yourself this question.
Is there a better way to make decisions in life
than seeking the mind, the will, the purpose, the plan
of God who loves you absolutely perfectly? There is not,
(19:01):
So I'd ask you this question. What is it that
you're facing that you're dealing with that would keep you
from saying, this morning, Father, I want your willing this
situation no matter what, and I choose to say today,
I will be obedient to you in this and I
(19:22):
will leave the consequences to you. Is there anything in
your life that would keep you from saying that? And
if it is, ask yourself this question, Well, if I
don't trust him, who am I going to trust? If
I don't obey him, what am I going to do.
You cannot lose obeying God. And if I could say
(19:47):
one thing in my dying moment, this is what I'd say.
Obey God, leave all the consequences to him. You cannot lose.
You cannot lose.
Speaker 2 (20:05):
Thanks for listening to in Touch, the teaching ministry of
doctor Charles Stanley. God's way is always the best way
you can trust. That is love for you, never falters,
and if you're a Christian, you can believe that He's
working in you for his glory and your ultimate good.
If you're wondering how to live with that kind of
(20:25):
faith in God, please visit us at InTouch dot org,
or take time to go back over what you just learned.
Look for the link to today on radio again. That's in
touch dot org. You can also call or text one
eight hundred in Touch if you prefer to write our
addresses in Touch Post Office Box seventy nine hundred, Atlanta, Georgia,
(20:50):
three zero three five seven. Trying to follow God is
feudle without taking the essential first step. Today's moment with
Charles Well Stanley is coming up.
Speaker 3 (21:02):
In places where churches have closed or never existed. The
need for discipleship beyond evangelism is urgent. Our mission is
to train people on the frontlines of ministry through life
principles training based on the biblical teaching of doctor Charles Stanley,
shaping people to reflect Jesus and empowering them to fulfill
the Great Commission. For more info, visit in touch dot
(21:25):
org slash Global. We're not the first to seek a
life of purpose. The Bible tells of many who followed
a specific path, step by step, with courage, with surrender
for a deeper purpose, a stronger passion. A lasting piece
(21:46):
introducing your path to purpose, passion and peace. A new
ninety day devotional inspired by the timeless teaching of doctor
Charles Stanley, available now at intuch dot org, slash store.
Speaker 2 (22:02):
You're listening to in Touch. Are you trying to live
a life that pleases God? There's a crucial event that
has to happen. First. Here's a moment with Charles Stanley.
Speaker 1 (22:14):
If you never trust that Jesus Christ as your person
will savior, then you're living a life that's rebetting against God.
What you're saying is you think you can do it
better than He can. What you're saying is you don't
trust what he said about heaven and hell judgment, So
you're going to live it your way. Now, I simply
want to say to you, you're not going to win
(22:36):
that game. You will die disappointed, full of regrets, and
full of pain in your heart, if not in your body.
And what does he say today is the day of salvation.
Call upon the name of the Lord. If you will
(22:57):
confess with your mouth Jesus's Lord and that he's raised
from the dead. He's a living Christ. That is death
at Calvin paid your sin dead in full. And if
you're willing to ask him to forgive you your sins
and to cleanse you, he will save you. Right now.
That's the testimony of the witness of the word of God,
the eternal word of God. I plead with you in
(23:19):
Jesus's name, to make the wisest decision you could ever make,
to make Jesus Christ the Savior Lord of your life,
and choose to live with this principle. I will obey
God in every aspect of my life, and I'll leave
all the consequences to him.
Speaker 2 (23:39):
If you have questions about who Jesus is and how
you can get to know him, visit in touch dot org.
You'll find information to help you take your first steps
with the Savior, and if you found encouragement to live
for Jesus through this program, please tell us your story
Next week on in Touch, It's easy to think worship
His manly about music and singing. Be back Monday to
(24:03):
begin the series that helps us understand the fullness of
what it means to worship the Lord on in Touch,
the teaching ministry of Doctor Charles Stanley. This program is
a presentation of In Touch Ministries Atlanta, Georgia, and remains
on this station through the grace of God and your
(24:25):
faithful prayers and gifts.
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