Words of Wisdom For Us All
Many of us are likely familiar with the teachings and writings of Dr. Charles Stanley, who served as pastor of First Baptist Church in Atlanta for many years. Dr. Stanley passed away a few weeks ago after a long, fruitful life, and a ministry that reached thousands of people. Since my parents live in Atlanta and attend a church whose pastor was greatly influenced by Dr. Stanley, they have shared numerous videos and interviews of him with me recently. A statement we heard over and over from him was so simple and powerful, a motto that he lived by:
Obey God, and leave the consequences to him.
I love these two “commandments” that are one. Another way we could express it is in title of the old hymn, “Trust and Obey.” In one of the interviews I watched with Dr. Stanley, he told a story of a feeling I’ve been familiar with lately. He stood up in the pulpit one Sunday with no idea of what he would say! For days he had been “stuck” and couldn’t think of what he was supposed to preach. He asked God over and over, spent much time in prayer, but when he got up on Sunday morning, he still had nothing. He walked to the pulpit that day, said a silent prayer, opened his Bible, and it fell open to this verse:
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. (Proverbs 3:5)
And from there, the sermon flowed. God’s Spirit flows through us as well, and it all begins with these two words of wisdom: Obey and Trust. Trust and Obey.
Whatever you are facing this week, I hope you will hear our Lord Jesus’ invitation to rest in Him, to obey his commandments, and to trust the flow of His Holy Spirit. Let us continue to listen for and share such words of wisdom
all good things to each of you,
dr. d