In Touch - July 6, 2010

July 6 
Our Faithful Father 
2 Timothy 2:11-13

All of us experience times when circumstances feel unbearable, prayers appear to go unanswered, and God seems distant. When that happens, we may wonder if He is the same as we once believed Him to be.

During such periods of helplessness, faith falters for some people yet grows stronger for others. What is it that can cause such opposite responses to suffering?

The key is simply one's understanding of and trust in God's faithfulness. This term means that the Lord never changes—He always does what is right, remains true to His promises, and is 100 percent reliable. In other words, we can trust our almighty God, regardless of our situation or attitude.

Our understanding of God relates to this concept. Do we trust Him enough to obey, even when obedience seems foolish? Are we so confident He hears and answers prayer that we consistently bring requests before His throne, even when we don't see an immediate response? Are we daily sacrificing our selfish desires and patterns of living because we believe His promise of eternity, joy, and peace? An answer of "no" may indicate a deficient understanding of God's character. That's why reading the Bible is so important—through Scripture's countless illustrations of our Father's attributes, we learn who He is and increasingly trust Him.

Thankfully, the Lord's faithfulness does not depend upon our circumstances, our feelings, or even our own faithfulness. He is true to His Word and true to Himself. How would your life look different if you had complete confidence that God was trustworthy and unchanging?

For more biblical teaching and resources from Dr. Charles Stanley, please visit www.intouch.org.

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Join Dr. Charles Stanley and In Touch Ministries as we intercede for our great nation. It is immensely important for believers to seriously consider where we are as a nation and understand the dangerous spiritual tide that is engulfing us. By clicking "Yes!" you are making the commitment to pray for our nation. In response to this pledge, we will be sending you a weekly e-mail to help you in this important endeavor. Each e-mail will include Scripture and prayer points to help unite us as a body of believers. There will be one e-mail per  week for the 140 days, beginning July 5th.

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Used with permission from In Touch Ministries, Inc. © 2009 All Rights Reserved.