Charles F. Stanley - In Step with God: Understanding His Ways and Plans for Your Life

2008 by Charles F. Stanley

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Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE, The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations noted niv are from the HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Stanley, Charles F.
In step with God : understanding His ways and plans for your life / Charles F. Stanley.
p. cm.
ISBN 978-1-4002-0091-7
1. Spirituality I. Title.
BV4501.3.S7333 2008
248.4dc22

2008029598

Printed in the United States of America

08 09 10 11 12 QW 5 4 3 2 1

This book is dedicated to my special friend Sid,
who beautifully illustrates a life in step with God.

Let me know Your ways that I may know You,
so that I may find favor in Your sight.

Exodus 33:13

CONTENTS

Some years ago, I remember watching my grandson as he tried to operate a toy he had been given. His hands moved quicklypassing over every detail of the object as he searched for the right turn or switch that would bring the object to life. No matter how hard he tried, nothing worked. I reached across the table where we were sitting and picked up the instructions. The first step told us where to place the batteries and alerted us to the fact that they needed to be positioned in a certain direction. I double-checked what we had done earlier and found that one was positioned incorrectly. Grateful for the set of instructions, I made the change and continued reading. Step two told us where the on/off switch was located. And step three encouraged us to be sure that the item was placed firmly on the floor because if we had done what we were supposed to do, there would be action. A second later, that was exactly what happenedlots of action and lots of fun.

Many other times I was very glad that I had a set of instructions to help me understand what I needed to do. Mostly these were times when I wanted to understand Gods ways not just so I could make a good decision, though that is extremely important, but so I could know Himthe way He operates, thinksand know His intimate love for me. Moses prayed, If I have found favor in Your sight, let me know Your ways that I may know You, so that I may find favor in Your sight (Ex. 33:13, emphasis added). This became my prayer and my greatest desire.

In reading this passage, I noticed that Moses used the phrase favor in Your sight twice in one sentence. It is obvious he had one clear goal, and that was to know God. He was not satisfied with knowing a little something about Him. He wanted to understand the way He worked so he could know Him better. I believe Moses understood that this could be a reality. The Lord had spoken to him at the burning bush, but He also had made His presence known on many other occasions. He revealed His power and ability to save at the crossing of the Red Sea. Yet these two events did not tell Israels deliverer what he wanted to know. He wanted to know God on an intimate levelsomething much deeper than just realizing He exists. His quest to know the Lord led him to a deeper levelone that changed his life focus forever.

Would you like to know God and also know that you are walking in step with His will and plan for your life? If you are a believer, your answer is more than likely yes. But you may not be sure how to do this. You read your Bible, go to church, and give your tithe, but you know very little about His nature and His characteristics. You know He loves you, yet you have not experienced the depth of His love intimately and personally. Until you begin to understand His ways, a spiritual shade will remain closed in your life. You may know right from wrong in certain areas, but do you have knowledge of why God wants you to live a certain way? What motivates Him? Why does He do what He does? Why does He respond the way He responds? Why does He act the way He acts? Once you begin to understand the way God thinks and operates, you will understand Him better, and suddenly you will realize that your knowledge of God has deepened and your desire to please Him has increased. A light goes on inside your heart and mind, and you realize that He loves you with an eternal love.

Over the years, I have listened as people expressed their desire to understand how God works. Many have said, If only I knew what He wanted me to do, I would do it. Others have tried desperately to make sense out of tragic or challenging circumstances only to come away feeling more alone. Often this happens because they are not truly seeking to know the Lord but are simply looking for relief from their emotional and mental stress and pain. God will reveal Himself to us. But before He does, we must come to a point where we surrender to Him. This means that we desire to know Him more than we desire to have our way. The men and women used by God have hearts solely devoted to Him.

Moses drew near to the Lord, and we must decide to do the same. To refuse is to miss the awesome opportunity of knowing the infinite God of the universe. The secret to knowing Him is not found any other place than in an intimate and loving relationship with the Savior. Moses saw the burning bush, and he was drawn to it. Within his heart was a growing passion to know the one true God.

Likewise, Joshua encountered the angel of the Lord hours before Israel was scheduled to march on the city of Jericho. He had heard Moses tell of the first time he stood in Gods presence. Therefore, at the Lords command, he immediately removed his shoes as an outward sign of humble adoration to God. Similarly, after hearing the angels words spoken to her, Mary replied, Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word (Luke 1:38). Neither of these people or countless others whose lives intersected with the Lord were solely interested in their personal comfort and care. Each one came to a point where his greater hunger and thirst were to know God. Show me, and teach me Your ways that I may knowYou was the cry of their hearts. With deep emotion, David wrote, As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God (Ps. 42:12).

These words represented Davids passionate pursuit to know and understand Gods ways so that he might become the person whom God called a man after My heart (Acts 13:22). Davids enemies were in a red-hot quest to hunt him down, but fear would not conquer his heart. He wanted God to know that his deepest longing was to know Him. From the depths of despair he wrote,

Deep calls to deep at the sound of Your waterfalls;
All Your breakers and Your waves have rolled over me.
The Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime;
And His song will be with me in the night. (Ps. 42:78)

The more we learn about God, the more our lives change. We learn to rest in the fact that He is God, and He is at work. We may not know all there is to know about His ways, but we learn quickly that He is sovereign, in control, and willing to guide us at every turn. What security this brings to our hearts and minds.