Charles F. Stanley - Can You Still Trust God?: What Happens When You Choose to Believe

Eternal Security: Can You Be Sure?

The Gift of Forgiveness

The Spirit-filled Life

The Source of My Strength

The Charles Stanley Handbook for Christian Living

Living in the Power of the Holy Spirit

How to Reach Your Full Potential for God

The Ultimate Conversation

Emotions: Confront the Lies. Conquer with Truth.

Every Day in His Presence Devotional

Waiting on God

Christmas: The Gift for Every Heart

Courageous Faith: My Story from a Life of Obedience

Wisdom from Above: Daily Encouragement from the Proverbs

Finding Gods Blessings in Brokenness

Standing Strong: How to Storm-Proof Your Life with Gods Timeless Truths

Everyday with Jesus: 365 Devotions for Kids

Jesus: Our Perfect Hope Devotional

The Will of God: Understanding and Pursuing His Ultimate Plan for Your Life

The Gift of Prayer

Gods Purpose for Your Life Devotional

2021 Charles F. Stanley

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During this tumultuous era in our history, Ive been struck by the anxiety and disheartenment I have seen as Ive talked to friends and loved ones. It is understandable. We are facing uncertain times and significant challenges. Whether it is the pandemic, the economic decline, the social unrest, the global political maneuverings, or what have youit seems there is more to think about than we can possibly wrap our minds around. And the truth of the matter is, we can overthink the issues that assail us until we are utterly obsessed with and confounded by them. We cant sleep. We cannot get away from them. We turn on the television, and there is more to baffle us. We are constantly praying about it allbut with fear about the problems rather than with faith that God is at work through all of it.

Pretty soon, every thought and every conversation are devoured by questions about what will happen. It is then we can become confused and overwhelmed with fear and pain to the point that we no longer trust the One who is truly in control of all things.

Perhaps you can identify with these feelings of helplessness and instability. You go to sleep imploring the Lord for help and wake up feeling unsettled, useless, and insecure. At the back of your mind may be the nagging question, Can I really trust God through all of this?

When things are going our way, trusting the Lord is easy. But when painful trials, unmet needs, or lost hopes assail us, the pain may cause us to ask, Can I still trust God? We may be tempted to question why a truly caring Father would allow sorrow and difficulty to touch His childrens lives. We may even doubt whether He is willing to do anything about our circumstances.

But God assured His people, Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I shall rescue you (Ps. 50:15). Can we truly rely upon Him to do that? Followers of Jesus Christ need to understand that He is not only able but also willing to fulfill every single promise in Scripture. Even when we cannot understand why God would allow certain situations to occur, understanding His ways always leads to understanding that He will act in a manner that brings about eternal blessings for His children. It is what you believe that makes it possible to ask the right questions in the face of a tragedy or great needs in your life.

So whether you have picked up this book because of the turmoil in the world, the unwise actions of others, or because of profound personal trials, please be assured that you have come to the right place. You are not alone. Your life matters to God. He cares for you. And yes, you can still trust Him.

Likewise, through the years I have discovered three essential beliefs for maintaining my faith in God that I will share with you now. Even when you lack understanding about your circumstances, these beliefs can form a solid foundation for trusting Him. Therefore, I challenge you to take a long, hard look at what you believe about Him. Your ability to receive the blessings God has for you is determined by the degree to which these wise truths are embedded in your soul.

In other words, God always does what is best for us. If we really believe this, we will trust Him even in our most difficult trials. Satan, who works to undermine our trust, often takes advantage of adversity by calling the Fathers motives into question. He whispers, If the Lord really loved you, He would not have allowed this to happenhe wants us to associate the sting of spiritual discipline with a lack of divine caring. However, the exact opposite is true. Hebrews 12:6 tells us, Those whom the Lord loves He disciplines, and He scourges every son whom He receives. So, while natural thinking says peace and happiness are tokens of Gods love, the Bible says difficulty and discipline are actually evidence of our membership in His family. The reason is clear: God cares for us so much that He will not allow us to stay as we are. Instead, He wants to transform us into the likeness of His Son.

We can depend on Gods love because of His characterit is His very nature to love (1 John 4:8). The Bible says, In Him there is no darkness at all (1 John 1:5); in other words, He is absolutely holy, righteous, and perfect and therefore could never mistreat one of His children. He will always do what is positive and caring in our lives.