Tag Archives: human reasoning

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Charles Stanley – When Our Faith Wavers

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James 1:1-8

The Bible warns against wavering faith. This is the attitude of someone who goes from feeling certain that God will answer a prayer to merely hoping that He might (or becoming convinced that He won’t). Of course, since we’re human, we all experience periods of doubt. But what Scripture warns against is a lifestyle of spiritual vacillation.

Wavering can have many causes. For instance, one might fail to see the Lord at work in a situation. Or he might worry that trusting Jesus in a particular predicament conflicts with human reasoning. Another believer, focusing on circumstances rather than on God, may allow feelings to overcome faith.

A person who is “driven and tossed by the wind” (James 1:6) may lose confidence in the Lord and find his spiritual growth stunted. Such a believer can become a “double-minded man” (v. 8) because even as he prays, he tends to jump ahead of the Lord’s timing to manipulate a situation for his own desired outcome. When a Christian pays attention to his doubts in this way, he will often make wrong decisions that prove costly. And then, after all the maneuvering, he will frequently end up dissatisfied with the results and bothered by his lack of peace. What’s even worse, his faith may diminish.

Wavering is dangerous, so believers must develop confidence in the Lord. In Mark 11:24, Jesus says, “All things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you.” The closest we get to perfect faith while on earth is the ability to trust that what we ask in God’s will is as good as done.

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Charles Stanley – Identifying the Voice of God

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Matthew 16:21-25

At a very young age, a baby begins to identify his parents’ voices. Even after hearing them speak for just a few weeks, the child starts to distinguish that they sound different from other people. Similarly, God has supplied us—His children—with the capacity to recognize His voice. Over time we can learn to distinguish Him speaking to us through His Word, His responses to our prayers, and godly people.

To help identify God’s voice, ask:

• Is the message consistent with the Word of God? By examining Scripture, we will know to reject the voice that tells us we are under condemnation (Rom. 8:1) and accept the truth that the Lord forgives us.

• Does what we hear conflict with human reasoning? If so, it could be from the Lord—He tells us to turn the other cheek and love our enemies, plus other unexpected things like, “The last shall be first.”

• Do God’s words clash with our fleshly desires? He wants us to have godly enjoyment but objects to our gratifying earthly desires outside His plan.

• Are His words a challenge to our faith? He wants to build our faith to deepen the relationship with Him.

• Is courage required to obey God? When He speaks, a decision requiring sacrifice or change of direction is often necessary.

Jesus is the Good Shepherd (John 10:11), and He promises that we will be able to distinguish His voice so we can follow Him. He doesn’t want us listening to “strangers,” because then it would be easy for us to be led astray (vv. 4-5). Won’t you spend time in God’s Word so you will know His voice?