April 28, 2023Earlier this month, two men who helped me grow spiritually went to be with the Lord: Charles Stanley and George Verwer. Today, I would like to share some of Brother Stanley’s writings. In “The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible” he writes: “When I was a young man, I had the opportunity to spend two very important and immensely rich weeks with my grandfather. He was a godly man, who loved the Lord with his whole heart. And though he did not have a formal education, he was tremendously wise and had great insight into the principles of God’s Word. One of the first things he taught me was this: ‘Obey God and leave the consequences to Him. No matter what He tells you to do, do it and trust Him for the outcome.’ This is a principle that I have learned to live by each day. There is nothing too great for God. He is above and over all things. He is sovereign, omnipotent, and omnipresent. My greatest needs are all met within Him.
The second thing he told me was to read my Bible every day. After his death, I was given his Bible and knew the moment it was placed in my hands that he had lived what he preached. Every page was well-worn, and most bore the marks of intense Bible study. Over the years, I have come to realize that God’s Word offers the wisdom and insight I need at every turn. I cannot and never will encounter anything that is beyond Him and the principles He has written in Scripture.
The Christian life is a wondrous adventure, full of twists and turns, good times and also difficult challenges. Through all of it, God’s Word is our greatest resource for insight, wisdom, hope, and guidance. Every problem we face has its solution in the Word of God. Where there is a need for comfort, peace, or courage, He provides it. To find His wisdom, there is simply no substitute for spending time alone with Him in prayer and the study of His Scriptures.”
Charles Stanley wrote these words in 2009, when he was in his 70s. I celebrated my 68th birthday two weeks ago and am grateful for men like him who have helped me understand God’s will for my life. In recent months, Karen and I have been studying the gospel of Matthew. Here is what Brother Stanley wrote about the Lord Jesus, based on Matthew 26: “Some believe that Jesus came to show us how to live a good life – and to be sure, He is our example of righteousness. We are to become like Him. But that isn’t the reason Jesus came. He came to earth so that He could die a sacrificial, substitutionary, all-sufficient atonement death for your sins.
If Jesus had not come, there would be no Crucifixion or Resurrection. The New Testament consistently confronts us with this message: Christ died for us. Jesus came so that you and I might have eternal life through the forgiveness He provides. But we must come to Him and confess our transgressions. When we do, He saves us and removes the burden of our guilt and shame.”
Thought for the weekend: “We waste our lives when we do not pray and think and dream and plan and work toward magnifying God in all spheres of life. God created us for this: to live our lives in a way that makes him look more like the greatness and the beauty and the infinite worth that he really is.” – John Piper (from his book “Don’t Waste Your Life”)
Steve