Tag Archives: heavenly father god

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Charles Stanley – Unshakeable Faith

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Isaiah 40:9-14

Unshakeable faith develops as we embrace the foundational truths of the Bible. The sovereignty of God is one of those truths. To have faith that bears up under the hardest trials, we need to know that the Lord is always in control.

What do you accept as true about your heavenly Father? God’s sovereignty can be hard to believe when a loved one gets a catastrophic diagnosis or the place where you work is closing down. And when you hear news reports of scandal and destruction, you may find it even harder to reconcile that biblical truth with the evidence around you.

God invites us to discover the reality of His sovereignty through the pages of His Word. He bids us come to Him in faith. He beckons us to draw near to know the Truth—Jesus Christ (John 14:6). He is waiting for us to turn to Him with our fears and doubts so that He may reveal the depths of His love and wisdom.

God has filled His Word with assurance of His sovereignty, care, and concern for us. Do you honestly long to know Him as He really is? If so, be encouraged by the promise He spoke through Jeremiah the prophet: “You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart” (Jer. 29:13). Set aside any preconceived notions about how God should act, and the Holy Spirit will reveal that He is exactly who He says He is. Then, as we come to know Him more fully, our faith will grow in depth and steadiness.

Jesus invites us to come near and learn from Him (Matt. 11:28). Won’t you accept the Savior’s invitation and discover the truths that lead to unshakeable faith?

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Charles Stanley – Restored by Grace

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Luke 15:11-16

Independence is a highly valued quality. We teach it to our children, and we demand it for ourselves. There is even a statue called the Independent Man on top of the Rhode Island State House—it stands as a tribute to self-sufficiency and freedom.

The story of the Prodigal Son, however, shows us a less positive aspect of independence—one which, sadly, is woven into the fabric of human nature. The wayward son takes charge of his own life and shuns his father’s care and protection. Fortunately, the story doesn’t stop after revealing the boy’s downward spiral of sin; it also shows us the restoring grace of God.

Sin means acting independently of God’s will. It begins with a desire that is outside His plan. Next comes a decision to act on the desire. When we do, we find ourselves, like the prodigal, in a “distant country,” which is anywhere outside the will of God. To remain there requires deception. We deceive ourselves by thinking that we know better than God and ignoring any consequences. Defeat follows. For a time all may seem fine, but like the reckless son in the story, we’ll find that our way leads to defeat. Finally, we will arrive at despair resulting from famine of spirit, emotions, or relationships. That leads into desperation, where our choices are few and distasteful.

But desperation is not the end of the prodigal’s story. Nor is it the end of ours when we sin. Jesus gave this account of an earthly father’s forgiving love because He desired to point us to the restoring grace of our heavenly Father. God waits with open arms for us, His wandering children.

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Charles Stanley – Listening to God

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2 Samuel 7:8-22

Of all the heroes in Scripture, few are spoken of as respectfully as King David. What made him so special? David himself wondered the same thing(2 Sam. 7:18) The best answer is simply that he was a man who listened to God.

Righteousness is impossible unless we listen to the Father. When we do, we gain divine guidance, direction, discipline, and encouragement. This was certainly true of the shepherd-king (Ps. 63:1-8).

In the Psalms, we get a beautiful picture of David’s prayer life. Note four things he did when meditating on God:

1. He reviewed the past. Though David had made some serious mistakes, those hard times produced a necessary humility. Looking back helped him remember God’s faithfulness.

2. He reflected upon the Lord’s character. When we focus on His attributes, we grow in our understanding of who He is. This results in a more personal, interactive relationship.

3. David recalled God’s promises. He knew the Lord had always directed his steps—and with great success.

4. He made requests of his heavenly Father. God never intended for us to go through life alone. He is always ready to act on our behalf.

Stop for a minute and think about how you typically interact with God. If prayer time is dominated by your own talking, some adjustments may be in order. Just as the Lord spoke to David, God also has many things to say to you, if you’ll simply let Him speak.