Some people respond to these unknowns with confidence and assurance, yet many respond with fear and anxiety. Dr. Stanley uses the life of Moses to show how we can face life with confidence and assurance. No matter what we face, we have no reason to fear because we are children of God. For more messages from Charles Stanley, including this week’s broadcast, go to https://intouch.org/tv
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today in touch the Teaching Ministry of
Dr Charles Stanley reaching the world
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in touch the confidence to face the
unknown because you and not cannot see
into the future life is full of unknowns
the question is how do you now respond
to those unknowns in life some people
respond with confidence and Assurance
many people respond with fear and
anxiety and frustration and worry how do
you respond when you you face those
unknowns in life well that’s what I want
to talk about in this message entitled
the confidence to face the unknown and I
want you to turn if you will to Hebrews
chapter 11 and in the midst of a number
of short biographies of God’s Saints in
the past there’s one here about Moses
and I think In this passage of scripture
is the key to be able to face the
unknowns in our life with confidence and
assurance and absolute boldness no
matter what we face in life we do not
have to be afraid
we do not have to be anxious we do not
have to be fearful of all the outcomes
so in this 11th chapter of Hebrews
beginning in verse 23 here what the
scripture says by faith Moses when he
was born was hidden for three months by
his parents because they saw he was a
beautiful child and they were not afraid
of the king’s edict and if you’ll recall
that Pharaoh wanted to kill all of those
young Hebrew children the the male
children by faith Moses when he had
grown up refused used to be called the
son of Pharaoh’s daughter choosing
rather to endure the ill treatment with
the people of God than to enjoy the
passing pleasures of sin you need to
mark that one in your Bible the passing
pleasures of sin because that’s a good
description of what sins about verse 26
considering the reproach of Christ’s
greater riches than the treasures of
Egypt for he was looking to the reward
then he says by faith he left Egypt not
fearing the wrath of the king for he
endured as seeing him who is unseen by
faith he kept the Passover and the
sprinkling of the blood so that he who
would D he who destroyed the firstborn
would not touch them by faith they
passed through the Red Sea as though
they were passing through dry land and
the Egyptians when they attempted it
were drowned now all of us have
uncertain is in our life person goes to
work and they say you know we don’t need
you no more jobs are uncertain health is
uncertain relationships are uncertain
families are uncertain everywhere you
turn everywhere you look you look around
you and you ask yourself the question
what is security what is certain what is
for sure anymore what does the future
hold and that was a time when people
could have a certain bit of security
about their job and their future and
their finances but no more my friend
listen to me carefully if you do not
know God through his son Jesus Christ
you have absolutely no certainty about
anything in your life and you’re
naturally going to live with a sense of
uncertainty and some bits of fear and
anxiety and frustration and even though
you may have all the money in the world
you need to buy anything you need you
can’t buy good health you can’t buy
yourself life and avoid death you can’t
buy yourself into
heaven and therefore everything proves
to be uncertain no matter how many
degrees you have how wise you appear to
be without Christ everything in your
life is indeed uncertain and so the
question is how do we live how are we to
live and how can we live with certainty
in a world that’s so full of uncertainty
and insecurity and there’s so much
emphasis on security and so much
emphasis on benefits and so much
emphasis on the future and the truth is
in spite of all the plans that man makes
the only real genuine security he has is
wrapped up in not many relationships but
one specific relationship it is a
spiritual relationship it is a
relationship with Jesus Christ that is
the only true basis of security here and
Security in the life that comes after so
when we think about that I want you to
notice what this scripture says he says
in verse 27 by faith he left Egypt not
fearing the Wrath of the king for he
endured now watch that word he endured
as seeing him who is
invisible how does a person see what is
invisible well how does a person see God
you and I see him listen we see first of
all let’s put it this right I have to
tell you how I see him and this is the
best way for me to speak about it when I
open God’s word and begin to read one of
the things I’m always looking for I want
to see what God is up to I want to see
how he thinks I want to see how he
operates in David’s life or Daniel’s
life or Joseph’s life or moses’ life I
want to see what he did I asked the
question why did he do it I want to know
if he did the same thing in someone
else’s life what would have happened if
this if he had not operated this way is
this a pattern is this a principle is
this is this who God is am I able to see
who God is yes listen the clearest and
the safest way to see God is to read his
word now here’s why I said it’s the
safest way because people can come up
with all kinds of ideas about what God
is like and there are many people who
believe have concepts of God that are
absolutely totally unscriptural God’s
not anything like what they say he is
and so in order to keep listen in order
to keep my focus right and to be sure
that I’m seeing God and not something
else I must be in the word of God
anything I see with my eye of faith that
contradicts the word of God I’m not
seeing the God who is God not seeing the
God who is God and so reading the
scripture I began to see how he operated
in moses’ life how did he operate in
Joseph’s life how did he operate in
Daniel’s life how did he operate in
Paul’s life how did he operate in the
life of Lord Jesus Christ how does God
work in the lives of these men to me
personally it has been the greatest
advantage of my life to go back read ask
the question over and over and over
again why what were you saying somebody
says are you questioning the scripture
no I’m questioning God’s actions in the
lives of these people not to question
whether he was right or wrong but to
question God what’s the principle what
did you do can I expect the same thing
to happen in my life if if you put me in
some challenge can I expect you to be
just as real to me as you were to Moses
David Daniel Joseph and all the Joshua
and all the rest yes I can why because
principles never change God never
changes he has a will and a purpose and
a plan for your life and having a will
and a purpose and a plan he will work
that out if you and I will submit to his
will and so therefore when I look at the
lives of these men and how they operated
so what happens I I’m I’m beginning to
see who God is I’m beginning to see God
therefore a second thing is this we see
God when we begin to be able to identify
the works of God in the lives of other
people as well as in our own life we see
his handprint his fingerprint his
footprint we see where God is we see how
he operates we see how he moves in
people’s lives we see how he saves the
Lost we see how he guides the Saints we
see how he undergirds us in our life in
difficulty and tral what are we doing we
are seeing the manifestation of God I do
not have to see a visible image of a God
who is so absolutely real awesomely real
I cannot describe him but try
wonderfully how to describe this awesome
God who has made himself so real what
did he say I’ll never leave you nor
forsake you what did he say he says he
came to indwell us every single believer
is indwelt by the presence of the Holy
Spirit who is one person of the godhead
therefore if you and I are one if you
and I are indwelt by one person of
godhead we have God living on the inside
of us and therefore we ought to be be
able to clearly see the presence of God
be aware of the presence of God not only
aware of his presence but see God at
work and if you and I going to live with
confidence and Assurance we must listen
we must train our heart to be able to
discern his presence we must train our
minds to be able to see him listen train
our spirits to discern truth from error
and the presence of God and the absence
of what appears to be the lack of God in
a situation or
circumstance that’s the key and he he
says he he says he endured as seeing him
who is invisible now in difficult
circumstances of our life you see why
does God allow them he says to teach is
endurance and what happens when you and
I go through difficulty we are we are
driven to God when we are driven to God
something happens now let’s think about
this for a moment the whole idea when we
said the Bible says blessed are the he
says blessed are the pure in heart for
they shall see God what do we mean by
pure in heart when person’s pure in
heart what does that require if a person
is pure in heart it means that our
thoughts are pure our thoughts are holy
does that mean every single solitary
thought’s holy no but it’s a way of life
for us and when something crops in
that’s not holy we deal with it
immediately and move on our thoughts are
holy our listen our motives are unmixed
our motives become pure we want to do
what is right because it’s the right
thing to do from God’s perspective our
conscience becomes clear when listen
when we walk before God with a pure
heart we’re going to have a clear
conscience our will is going to be
submitted to him our motives are going
to be unmixed and our thoughts are going
to be holy now you think about this when
our mind is spiritually
clear that’s when you and I will be able
to see the presence of God and this is
why so many Believers don’t see the Pres
say well you know what I I just God’s up
y to someone if you ask the average
person where is god well he’s up here
that’s where I pray up in heaven well
while God is sitting at the on his
throne in the heavens he is also sitting
on the throne of our
heart and so that you and I have the
capacity to see God but listen God has
made it possible for us to see him and
the way he’s made it possible is he’s
given us his word he’s given us a
Discerning spirit and then he speaks to
us so very very clearly now I’ll tell
you one thing that’s helped me over the
years
and somewhere along the way I think in
my own desire to know who God was and
who he is uh this just became a part of
my thinking the way I think at night
time when I lie down at night and uh
talk to the Lord before I go to sleep uh
I always try to think about what I’m
going to do the next day as best I can
but secondly I always try to recall and
refresh my mind what happened during the
day and the reason I want to do that is
because I want to look for the evidence
of God in my life I want to see what did
God do I want to see how he helped me in
that relationship I want to see what he
did in answering this uh question I want
to see how he guided me in making this
decision I want to see how he protected
me in this circumstance and how many
times have you been driving down the
expressway and somebody cut right in
front of you and all of a sudden or
maybe you come to a traffic light and
it’s green it didn’t mean a thing to the
other person though it was red they came
right out in front of you almost hit you
what was your first response your first
response should have been thank you God
thank you Lord when we set God at our
right hand we’re going to be continually
listen continually looking for the
evidence of his presence and God’s
presence is so real when you think about
how many people who live in our city who
drive 80 mil an hour that seems to be
the speed limit and we’re 6 in apart 3
in apart 2 feet apart and if you’ll
notice the big TR they only have about 6
Ines left on both sides it’s dangerous
to be on the expressway who do you
think’s guiding and guarding every
single day almighty God don’t take that
for
granted now one thing about going to bed
at night and recalling those things
here’s what happens when you lie down at
night and you begin to evaluate what
God’s been doing in your life all day
long and you look for the evidence of
his handiwork his fingerprint you see
his protection his watch G here’s what’s
happening what’s happening is this you
are recalling you are listen you are
visualizing in your mind God at work in
your life during that day and what
you’re doing is you’re a listen while
you are
recalling and being able to listen
evaluate and being able to enjoy once
again and even better on the second go
round enjoy his presence enjoy his
handiwork enjoy the reality of God in
your life what does it do it just etches
it in your mind that much
deeper when you let the day go by and
you don’t stop to recall and to
reevaluate the Bible says we should
thank him every morning and rejoice in
the evening about God about what he’s
been doing in our life and you see
taking the time to recall is glorifying
to God taking the time to recall you’re
going to end up praising God and
thanking him because once you begin to
look for him you’re going to see God as
you have never seen him before and
you’re going to begin to realize he’s
been there all day long doing his work
in your life I mean when you’re on your
job the things you have to figure out
sometimes difficulties and situations
and circumstances you need him call upon
Him expect him he’s David says I keep
him at my right hand all the time I set
him before me I set him before me daily
and also what happens is this we begin
to interpret life through the mind of
God we begin to think the way he thinks
when you and I begin to see him we begin
to see how he operates then we begin to
think about this is the way God operates
that’s why you and I can end up being
wise and making wise decisions in our
life for the simple reason we begin to
understand the principles we begin to
see God as he is and when you begin to
see God as his it will affect every
single aspect of your life so let’s go
back the Bible says blessed are what the
pure in heart but they shall see God
which simply means if I expect to be if
I expect to be able to see the presence
of God and his manifestations in my life
it begins not with God but with me a
pure heart because when my heart is pure
my thoughts will be holy my listen my
motives are going to be
unmixed my conscience is going to be
clean and my will is going to be
submissive to him let me ask a question
is it worth is it worth walking in the
awareness of the presence of God to keep
your heart pure yes is it worth walking
in the power of God for your life and
his enablement in your life every day to
keep your conscience clean and your and
your motives unmixed and your thoughts
pure yes yes yes yes by all means it is
worth every moment of it it is worth
every confession and Every Act of
repentance because God wants to be more
real to us than we even want him to be
so well what kind of difference will
that make in your life here’s the
difference it’ll make it’ll make a lot
of difference first of all you will
begin to view life from a whole
different perspective you’ll begin to
view life not listen not from who I am
and what I have or how little I have
you’ll begin to view life not from my
handicaps my my my lack of and uh my my
no talents no gifts you’ll begin to look
at look at life this way thank God the
omnipotent one is living on the inside
of me thank God that today no matter
what happens the one who absolutely
supremely rules over everything is in
control of my life today I don’t have to
be afraid I don’t have to be anxious I
don’t have to be worried I know that
whatever I need my God is going to
supply my need it will affect every
single aspect of your life so let’s
think about maybe some specific things
for example you’ll begin to think in in
in positive terms you’ll begin to think
with with a sense of confidence not I
can’t but I can
because listen I can I can’t even
explain to you the awesome reality of
being able to see God so clearly in your
life and what happens is there is a joy
there is a confidence there listen there
is a bubble experience of exuberance
over an omnipotent omnicient omnipresent
Sovereign ruling God who loves you
enough get on the inside of your life
and guide you in those mundane decisions
in life that seem to be so very
unimportant he is there all the time you
begin to look at your own life from a
whole different perspective and and
certainly more positive and here’s what
will happen when Trials Come instead of
you saying oh dear God what am I going
to do here’s what will happen when you
begin to be aware of his presence in
your life and you begin to see him in
things you listen you will see the
difficulties the hardships and the
trials as stepping stones from God
you’ll see them as stepping stones to do
what building spiritual maturity
building the principles into your life
you’re be listen you’re beginning to
learn to know God now when you fell in
love with a person uh that you are
thinking about marrying or or the person
you’re already married to the more you
discovered about them I certainly hope
this is to be true the more you
discovered about them the more you love
them and the more excited you became
listen we can’t even compare loving
someone like a intimate personal
relationship with God because on that
side it’s absolutely perfect in this
earth there are no two perfect people
and on the other side with spiritual
things God is absolutely perfect He
Loves Us perfectly in every aspect
everything that comes from him is
absolutely perfect absolutely the best
and so what happens we begin to develop
this relationship our whole attitude
about ourselves and our circumstances
and the way we look at things the second
thing that happens is this and that is
obedience suddenly becomes much more
desirous to us than the pleasures of the
world when God becomes a reality in your
life a living reality that you can see
the manifestations day after day you
know what happens sin loses its appeal
listen one of our prayers ought to be
God draw me to yourself so closely sin
has absolutely no appeal to me
whatsoever but let make Holiness and
righteousness and sanctification let let
let that be the attitude of my heart and
what happens is sin will it will lose
its appeal because you’ll get so excited
about God and his relationship with you
and his love for you and his devotion
and and the manifestations and listen
his willingness to his willingness to
show himself real in your life sin will
lose its appeal in your life once you
begin to see God from that perspective
another thing that happen is this you
and I begin to see things as they really
are so much of what we see is not real
you can watch the news and you can uh
watch the movies and uh uh so much of
life’s not real and you see some people
for example you notice that uh when you
first see them they have this great
appeal and after you get to know them
they’re not for real it’s all fake it’s
all on the surface it’s not for real we
listen God gives us the ability to see
to see reality and and here’s what
happens when you and I begin to see
reality we begin to see that Satan has
fabricated all these lies about what
satisfies and what completes and uh
what’ll make you happy and full of joy
we begin to see things as they are sin
loses its appeal we begin to be able to
to better discern in our relationships
to other people what’s going on other
things that happens is this and that is
we begin to put to place the Eternal
over the temporal once you begin to see
the Lord in a whole different
perspective here’s what happens things
that are temporal lose listen they will
lose the priority in your life and
things that are Eternal become the
priority and what’ll happen is it it
will affect your time the way you spend
your time it’ll affect with whom you
spend your time it’ll affect the way you
spend your money it’ll affect the way
you invest your money it’ll affect how
much you give to the Lord’s work it will
affect listen how you give yourself away
to others it affects every every single
thing about us because our perspective
changes now this God I’m beginning to
see who who he is and what he’s like and
when I begin to see what he’s like and
what he offers I want my heart to be
pure I listen I want my motives to be
unmixed I want my will to be
submissive I want my life to be an
expression of a living walking likeness
of the Son of God everything begins to
change so he says in his word he says
that he endured as seeing him who is
invisible and what happened one of the
results of that is that criticism and
misunderstanding no longer affect us the
way they used to when you and I listen
when when you and I are walking in the
presence of God and he’s ever before our
right hand and we keep him before us and
we beginning to see things from his
perspective criticism misunderstanding
do not bring us gloom and doom do not
bring us into depression and despair it
can just roll right over our head we can
absolutely walk away and absolutely
ignore it for the simple reason when we
walking in the will of God we’re able to
deal with those kind of things with a
sense of love and forgiveness no matter
what doesn’t mean that you’ll always be
happy about the way people treat you but
there’s a sense of confidence and
assurance that your God whom you serve
whose principles guide and direct your
life will enable you to walk through
every fire every difficulty no matter
what it might be you see when he said
that he endured is seeing him who is
invisible him who is unseen this isn’t
something that was limited to Moses this
is the gift God has offered to every
single one of his children and I want to
challenge you to ask yourself this
question do I see God in my
life where is the evidence of God in my
life in other words if he is man
there’ll be some evidence do I see God
listen do I see God in my relationship
to other people people do I see God in
my
conversation do I see God in my work do
I see him in my family do I see him in
relationships do I see him in do I see
him working in my finances do I see God
or do I
not do I see God in the expression of my
talents and my gifts do I see God in my
service is my life making an impact in
anybody else’s life do I see God working
in me and through me to affect someone
else’s life so I simply ask you a
question are you living your
life looking at the things that around
you your circumstances and your future
in the presence of almighty God or do
you find yourself feeling very very
alone do you find yourself feeling very
very
inadequate and alone and
helpless and
depressed and anxious and worried and
fretting and caring and
insecure and sometimes even
unapproachable by others because of
where you are in life then my friend
what you need to do is to receive Jesus
Christ as your personal Savior by faith
what do I mean by that I simply mean
that you’re willing to confess that what
the scripture says about him is true
that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who
went to Calvary and died for your sin he
paid your sin debt in full and if you
willing to ask him to forgive you of
your sins and tell him that you’re
receiving him as your personal savior in
that moment your sin is forgiven you
become a child of
God and you are returnly secure
throughout the rest of your
life if you want a peace that passes all
understanding if you want to be able to
face life and face it confidently and
assuredly you can only do that by having
God in your life through his son Jesus
and I want to encourage you examine your
life even even if you’re a Believer
examine your life and ask yourself this
question when is the last time I ever
said to God God show me
yourself when’s the last time I ever
express real genuine hunger in my heart
to see him at work in my
life and maybe it would be good if you
ask the Lord
Lord when I lie down tonight and every
night thereafter would you just remind
me that this is a wonderful time right
before I go into
unconsciousness to be
reminded of how you’ve been with me all
the day and what you’ve been doing in my
life Lord teach me how to
live seeing you in every circumstance of
my life it’ll change your life and
father how grateful we
are that you love us enough to make
yourself real to us
love us enough never to leave us nor
forsake us love us enough to pick us up
when we fault and fall love us enough to
hang in there with us when we are
growing
up and maturing in our spiritual
life thank you for
saying I will never no never forsake
you we give ourselves a fresh and a new
to you today to say
father teach us how to see
you in ways we have never seen you
before but we ask it in jesus’ name
amen