Dr Charles Stanley - Strengthening Our Wavering Faith - Part 2

0:00At Verbo, we understand that even the best of plans sometimes need a little support, so we plan for the plot twists. Every booking is automatically backed by our Verbo care guarantee, giving you confidence from the very start. Whenever you need help, it's ready. Before you stay, through the moments in between, and after your trip. Because a great trip starts with peace of mind, and maybe a good playlist, but we've got the peace of mind part covered. Sarah Hernandez fights for working families. As a teacher, Sarah Hernandez helped students go to college, and when I attacked her community, Sarah Hernandez provided free legal help to immigrant families. Sarah Hernandez will fight for more housing, solutions to homelessness, and a more affordable California. Vote Sarah Hernandez for Senna. Add paid for by Gro California, add committees top funders Christian Larson and Timothy Draper, not authorized by a candidate or committee controlled by a candidate.

1:00We waver sometimes because we don't see him at work. Listen, God is at work in your life and my life every day all the time. There are things that He's working out in your life that you never even thought about asking Him about. His grace is at work in your life, working ahead of time, getting plans in your life in the future. He's working out things that are good for you in your life ahead of time before you even not even asked Him. Most believers want to have a great faith, but battle common anxieties like, what if something unexpected happens? Or will God do what He said? And are the promises really for me? If that sounds all too familiar, stay with us for in touch, the teaching ministry of Dr. Charles Stanley. You'll be encouraged to trust God and believe what He says. Here's part two of strengthening our wavering faith. James chapter one, and you'll recall that he's writing here to those who are going through difficult and hardship and persecution.

2:05So having introduced it in the first verse, he begins the second verse by saying, consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result that you may be perfect and complete lacking in nothing. But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all men or women generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith without any doubting, for he who doubts is like the surfer of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. But let not that man expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man unstable in all his ways. Now I want you to get the context of what James is saying here before we come to this matter of wavering faith because it all fits together.

3:06And so here's what he's saying. As these who were probably responding to him and talking to him about the difficult and hardship, talking about the trials, he's writing to encourage them. And so he says, now, count it all joy when you fall into diverse or various temptations and trials. That doesn't make any sense whatsoever. Why should I get rejoicing over pain and hurt and things that can't change and things that I can't alter in my life? That's exactly what he says. And so he says, if you'll notice, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance, he says, now, here's what I want you to do. He says, I want you to rejoice. Count it a joy when you fall into these testings and trials and temptations. Now, in the King James says, temptation, the word really a better word is trials because the word here means those periods of testing, which have a purpose in them. That is, there's an end to them and that end is this.

4:06That you and I would come through them with their faith being stronger and our heart being pure. So he says it will produce endurance. Endurance is that capacity to hang in there in our terminology to be steadfast, to be constant, no matter what. What does that take? It takes faith. And that kind of faith. Sarah Hernandez fights for working families. As a teacher, Sarah Hernandez helped students go to college. And when I attacked her community, Sarah Hernandez provided free legal help to immigrant families. Sarah Hernandez will fight for more housing, solutions to homelessness and a more affordable California. Vote Sarah Hernandez for Senate. Add paid for by Gro California. Add committee's top funders, Christian Larson and Timothy Draper, not authorized by a candidate or committee controlled by a candidate. He says, we'll be tested because all of us are going to face those circumstances in life where we have to learn to endure, to stay in it, to walk through a valley,

5:08and to remain there until God sees fit, to release us from it, or to bring us to the end. And so he says, count it all joy. And what about a count it all joy about? That I'm going through trials and testings and tribulations and hurting and pain, no. I am to rejoice over the fact that as a result of this, I will learn endurance. I will learn to walk in faith. My heart will be pure and my faith will be stronger and all of us can rejoice over stronger faith and a pure heart. When he talks about perfect results, he's talking about the fact that endurance is God's way of equipping us that is in making us fit to do the very thing he's created us to do. When he says complete, he means that he will work in our life until you and I are perfectly fitted to do what he's called us to do and to be the person's God wants us to be. He's not talking about sinless perfection. He's talking about a continuous, maturing process that goes on in our life when God is in the process of equipping us and enabling us to accomplish and achieve whatever he's called us for.

6:19Then he says, but if any of you lacks wisdom, who's been talking about wisdom? We've been talking about trials and pain and hurt and heartache. He says, but if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God who gives to all men generously and without reproach and he'll be given to him. So now, why did he bring up wisdom because it takes wisdom beyond human wisdom to face difficult in hardship and trials in life and persecutions and misunderstandings. It takes wisdom beyond our own. It takes godly wisdom. And so therefore, when we face these situations in circumstances in life, if we are going to respond properly, we need to wisdom of God to know how to face those situations in our life that are beyond our control and things we can't change. And things we can't simply alter. We need godly wisdom. And so he says, now in order to receive the kind of wisdom that will equip you to endure and to come out with a pure heart and stronger faith and God making you the person he wants you to be, he says that kind of faith comes and God, if you will, ask him, will give it generously.

7:27He says, God will give it generously and he won't badger you about it. He says, listen, he gives it generously and without reproach, he won't come back and argue with you about it. That is, he gives it generously. But he says, now watch this. He says, but let that person ask in faith without any doubting for he says, he who doubts is like the surf of the sea driven by the winds in tossed. He says, don't let that person think or expect that they're going to receive anything from God. So what does he do? He creates the atmosphere here, persecution, difficulty, hardship, the process is that God's in the process, teaching us to endure, purifying our hearts, strengthening our faith. And he says, that comes as a result of wise and responding. If I respond to hardship and difficult and trial by blame and anger and hurt and bitterness and resentment and hostility and cost of attitudes, he says, I respond in the wrong way. If I respond properly, I'm going to need the wisdom of God to be able to listen to criticism and take it and accept it and move on.

8:30Going to be able to accept difficult and hardship and look to God and respond in the wise fashion. If I do that, he says, I'll need wisdom and that comes as a result of asking God. He is generously willing to do it. If I respond in the right fashion, I'm going to come out of winner. If I don't, I want. And if I ask with faith that's like the waves of the sea tossed here in yonder, he says, I won't get anything. And besides that, he says, being a double-minded man, unstable in all of our ways. Now, so he sets the whole pattern here for the issue of the weakness in our faith, that is wavering faith. Now what in the world is wavering faith? Wavering faith is faith that vacillates, that moves to and fro from...

9:42Yes, I believe he will, to I'm not sure he will. I know that he will. No, I don't think it's going to happen. I thought that's what he meant. I don't believe that's what he meant. I was certain that's what God said. I'm not sure what God says anymore. I got on my knees and asked him and I knew he was going to do it and yet somehow I'm not sure. Waving back and forth to and fro, he says, it's like the surf of the sea. The wind blows this way, the surf blows that way. Wind blows this way, you see the curls, they go that way. It's like a cork tossed in the sea. And for a few moments it looks like it's going to blow up to the shore. Next thing you know, it's going out to sea. And so he says wavering faith. Here's what wavering faith is. He says it's doubting God, being like the waves of the sea driven by the winds and tossed, don't expect anything from God if your faith is waving. And he says besides that, we're double-minded and unstable in all of our ways.

10:47Now what can you and I expect? What are the consequences of wavering faith? That is if I'm going from a feeling and going by reason and trying to figure all these things out, don't understand the ways of God. And so I'm just sort of out there operating by sight, sound and my sensitivity, my feelings, then what are the consequences? Number one consequence, you're going to miss the blessings of God. Listen to what he says now. But let him ask in faith without any doubting for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea driven and tossed by the wind, let not that man expect that he will receive anything from the Lord. That's pretty strong. Now what do men, is this a God of love? Isn't this a God that you say loves us unconditionally? Isn't this the one who said ask it and should be given you seeking you, should you find knocking it and should be open to you? What kind of God is this who comes along and says, if you if you have wavering faith? Wavering faith, now let me just put a parenthesis here. A person who has just been saved, who knows nothing, hardly about anything. It's going to be difficult for them to learn to trust God.

11:52And you know what God is very tender and loving and patient with that? What does he do? God pushes them quickly because he wants them to learn to trust him. That's one thing I think God moves right on with. That is teaching us to trust him when we first get saved. But now we're talking about trusting him, our faith wavering and he says, don't expect anything. Why would God say that? Well, think about this. When I'm wavering in my faith, I'm saying in fact the disposition of doubt. Listen, now don't visit this. Please God. It is a slam against his integrity. He is a God of absolute faithfulness, absolute truthfulness. Listen, he will keep every single promise answers our prayer. You see, I'm going to wait a minute. Just answered prayer business. I prayed some things and believe God for him and he didn't do what I asked. If you and I make a request of God and we know that's the will of the Father.

12:57And we ask him for it and we believe him for it and expect him to do it. Listen, he will do one or two things. He will give you exactly what you ask for or he will give you something better. Not something less, something better. Listen, if he alters the answer other than what I've asked him for, listen, it is always superior to my request. Always superior to my request. You know what that means? Then when you and I come to him and ask him specifically, there is no way to lose as a child of God. Now he may give you an answer and you think, well, Lord, that's not what I asked for. We must have got our communications a little mixed up. I mean, the signals got crossed. That's not what I asked for. You know what time will show you? Thank God for your wisdom that you knew better than I did exactly what I needed at that point in my life. So what happens? We miss the blessing. That's the first consequence of waving faith. We miss the blessing. He says, don't expect it. It's not going to happen. Because, listen, it's a slam against God. Lord, I know that's what you said, but I don't think he got it.

14:27I have committees top funders, Christian Larson and Timothy Draper, not authorized by a candidate or a committee controlled by a candidate. Now do it. Now here's how the devil works. Now the devil would never tell you, tell God you don't believe him. No. He just says, you know, it's not happening. God's not answering your prayer. Just because it doesn't come when I want it and the way I want it doesn't mean that God isn't working my life and answering prayer. And so what happens? We miss his blessings. Listen, God isn't asleep at your life. I don't care what kind of shape you're in. You may be as lost as you can be. God is still at work. You may be one of his children and you're going through difficult and hardship. God's at work. Things may have been going real, real well if you know all of a sudden the bottom drops out. Has God gone to sleep at your life? No. He's still at work at your life. And what do we do? If we want to come through it with the best of his blessings, we believe him no matter what we see, what we feel or what we hear.

15:30That's the way it happens. So first of all, we miss the blessings of God. Second thing is this. When a person's wavering in their faith, here's what happens. Little things can blow them off course. The slightest little thing can oftentimes blow them off course. Well, you know how trusty God, it didn't work. Oh, listen, if you to trust it, it didn't work. Just talk into him about it and telling him what you need is that's not enough. He says, ask and it should be given. You seek and you should find out. He says, what sort of things you should ask in prayer? Believing. Believing you shall receive. Not just asking. And what I want you to see is this faith isn't just the feeling. Faith is a definite act of my mind, my will and my spirit. God, I am trusting you. I'm expecting, I'm anticipating you to answer my prayer. Wake up, look in for it. Get up in the morning, expecting God to be at work, looking for the signs that he's at work. And when you don't see them, doesn't mean he's not at work. Now, there's one last thing, I think, is a consequence. There are probably many, but there's one last thing I mentioned.

16:34Not only am I going to miss the blessings of God, not only am I going to be knocked off by many little things that normally would not faze me at all, but I'm going to be miserable. There's not going to be any peace. My peace is going to be, listen, exchange for misery because how can I live with absolute peace in my life facing the difficultness and hardships? And we all go through them. You know what? There's not going to be a time in this life when we're not going to be facing something. That's the challenges of life. Listen, if we don't have a faith that is steady, certain, anchored, focused on God, we will weave our way through life and we will miss the best that God has for us. We'll miss the best because he says a double-minded man is unsteadying all of his ways. He's not getting anything. And I think one of the reasons that so many people do not pray is that they tried it and here's what they'll say. I tried it and it didn't work.

17:36I trusted God and let me tell you what happened. I'll tell you what happened. If you really trusted him, he had something better in mind for you than you asked for if it didn't suit his will for your life, then what happens? We end up saying, well, God didn't answer my prayer. We get angry at God and frustrated over God. Well, God, you didn't do this. You didn't do that. We need to back off and say, Lord, surely if you didn't answer my prayer exactly like I asked, you must have had something better. Now here's the bottom line. Now watch this. You listen and say, man. Listen carefully. The issue is, how do I correct this now? I know what's causing it and I know what the consequence is. How do I correct it? Here's how I correct it. Real simple. Don't let this go by you. You're asking God about something and you just... maybe he will, maybe he will. I think he will. I'm not sure. Here's what you do. You make a decision. Here's the decision. I choose to believe that God's trustworthy.

18:40Sarah Hernandez fights for working families. As a teacher, Sarah Hernandez helped students go to college. And when I attacked her community, Sarah Hernandez provided free legal help to immigrant families. Sarah Hernandez will fight for more housing, solutions to homelessness and a more affordable California. Vote Sarah Hernandez for Senate. I'd paid for by Gro California. I have committees top funders, Christian Larson and Timothy Draper, not authorized by a candidate or a committee controlled by a candidate. I choose to believe that God is faithful. I choose to believe that God will do exactly what He says. I refuse to doubt my God. Now listen carefully. You have to put this whole sentence in there. I refuse to any long doubt God. I didn't mention circumstances. I refuse to doubt God. Asking that you should be given, you seeking, you should find. What's ever you should ask in prayer believing you should receive. So be it even as you believe. I refuse to doubt God.

19:42Listen carefully. You don't make a decision to stop doubting your circumstances. You make a decision to stop doubting God. You make a decision to stop believing God. He says yes and will do what he says you'll do. Now what will help me do that? Getting in his word and meditating upon his promises. Because just what happens when I meditate upon his promises, God begins to listen. I begin to osmosen to my thinking. I begin to think the way God thinks. I begin to feel my mind and my spirit of those things that God has said all the time I'm doing that. Listen carefully. That's why it's not enough to come sit and listen to a sermon. That's not enough. You need to write it down. You need to take notes. When we open the Bible, read the Scripture when it says, asking that you'll be given, you seeking, you should find. That's what it says. You know what happens? Your eyeball hits that. Regions in your mind and your spirit. Then God's got something to work with. Feel your mind and your heart with the word of God. Recall the promise of when Satan hits you with one of these things and you begin to waver, you say, what's the promise of God?

20:45I have chosen. I will not doubt the living God. You know what happens? Your wavering back and forth is going to come to a screeching wonderful halt. And listen, the blessings of God are going to begin to flow in your life. You've got to make a decision. I will no longer doubt the living God who is the sovereign controller of this universe and has every aspect of my life in absolute total control. And nothing, listen, nothing is working in or gets me that he's not in control of. Let me ask you something. Do you think you have a need that God's unaware of? No. Did he not say my God shall supply all of your needs, the corner's riches and glory Christ Jesus? Yes. Do I believe God's going to meet my needs? Yes. Well, this is what I'm going to say. Well, this particular one, no. My God shall supply how many? All your needs, the corner, the what? His riches and glory in Christ Jesus. So what I have to decide is this. I refuse the doubt God. You know what that means? That means I'm trusting him. This point on. I'm believing him. If I make a decision, focus upon his word, focus upon him, meditate upon his word.

21:54Affirm continuously. I refuse the doubt to live in God. I choose to believe God. I choose to believe this sovereign God will keep his word every time. Father, how grateful we are that you are so patient. You work so simply. You just move through the most difficult things of our life, loving us, enabling us, securing us, strengthening us. Deliver us from being double-minded, looking in two directions for the same thing. Let there no longer be civil war but absolute peace in our heart. That our trust is in you and you alone in Jesus' name. Amen. You're listening to In Touch, the teaching ministry of Dr. Charles Stanley. God knows all the details of your situation and he has the answers you need. Although the Lord's instruction may not always match your hopes, believers can be sure that God's plans will promote His glory and be for our good.

22:59To listen again, click on today on radio at In Touch.org and look around our website for help with living a life of faith in Jesus. And if you go to the store page, you can order a copy of Dr. Stanley's complete message today, strengthening our wavering faith or the entire teaching set called Learning to Walk By Faith. Our web address again is intouch.org or you can call or text us at the number 1-800-intouch. You can also write to us at In Touch, Post Office Box 7900, Atlanta, Georgia. This is Dr. Charles Stanley.

24:28The answers are found in the Word of God, but how do we know where to start? The free In Touch devotional can help point you in the right direction with biblically based content from Dr. Charles Stanley. You'll gain insight and wisdom through daily devotions, Bible studies and more. The In Touch devotional delivered monthly to your mailbox. Subscribe for free at intouch.org slash daily. We'll tell you all the best of Dr. Charles Stanley, we're to have strong convictions based on the Word of God. He's working out things that you and I would never know about in our future. In Touch Plus, your streaming network for quality Christian programming 24-7. Now watch this. In Touch Plus, streaming free on local now. You're listening to In Touch. God puts believers in situations that challenge their faith. Here's a moment with Charles Stanley.

25:31When I first came to First Baptist and I came as an associate pastor and then they were going to vote on calling me as the pastor. And I knew that God told me that I was going to be the pastor of the church and didn't tell anybody else that. And kneeling by the bed that afternoon, here's what God said. I knew he said it. When I looked around, there was no way. And I mean, I would come to church in preaching. I'd listen to all these folks who didn't like me and going to get rid of me and all these plans they had of how they were going to do it and so forth and not getting the prayer room. It's like God would say to me, if I ever heard Him ever say it just like He said this. Are you going to believe what you see? What you hear? What you feel? Are you going to believe what I said? Are you going to believe what you see? What you hear? What you feel? What I said. So I'd walk out there on Sunday morning getting me to preach the whole bunch of folks who didn't like me and didn't want me. A wonderful experience. Believe me. But you know what? I'd have a difficult time doing the week. Folks, giving me a hard time.

26:32I'd get in the prayer room on Sunday morning. That's not the only time I was there every day. But I'd get in the prayer room before I got there in preach and spend about a half an hour on I'd walk out there and you think I thought everybody just loved me to death. I mean, I had the most perfect peace, the most absolute awesome assurance. But I learned something. When God has told you something, you die with it, but don't change your mind. He would say to me, you're going to believe what you see. That was bad. What you hear? That was terrible. What you feel? That was a horrible. Are you going to believe that? Are you going to believe what I said? Well, finally, I just thought I was going to believe what God said no matter what. You have to keep your focus on God. For help maintaining a focus on God and walking with Him by faith, visit us at intouch.org. And if today's program motivated you to get to know Jesus better, we'd love to hear from you. On the next edition of Intouch, faith is essential in the Christian life and we'll hear an outline of the requirements of faith when we return.

27:37On Intouch, the teaching ministry of Dr. Charles Stanley. This program is a presentation of Intouch Ministries at Lanna, Georgia and remains on this station through the grace of God and your faithful prayers and gifts.