Fathers Matter-Leading the Band

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Families are struggling today, and this has been happening for decades. Although there are many theories as to why, the best solution is found in God’s Word. After all, He designed the family to be the foundational unit of society, and He knows best how it should operate. No family goes without hardship, but God’s principles can help people navigate those ups and downs in a way that glorifies Him. Scripture clearly teaches that the Lord has entrusted headship in the home to the husband and father (1 Corinthians 11:3). This doesn’t mean that men are superior or more spiritual than women (Galatians 3:27-28); it simply shows that God, in His sovereign wisdom, has given them different roles. Even though our culture may find this offensive, it doesn’t change God’s ordained order, nor does is excuse fathers who abdicate this role. According to Scripture, the father’s responsibility is to lead his family physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Most dads work hard to provide for material needs, and many give the family adequate time and love. But how many are diligent to lead spiritually? Dads are responsible for teaching their children to read Scripture and pray, as well as for modeling righteousness. Wives and churches contribute to the spiritual training of children, too, but fathers will be held accountable to the Lord for spiritual leadership. Although this assignment is daunting, God has provided both His Spirit and His Word to guide and empower dads to accomplish it. When fathers take their rightful place, family relationships will improve.

Commentary from the In Touch devotional by Charles Stanley, June 16, 2019.

True Security

When you look at your paycheck, do you think of it as your hard-earned money? It’s tempting to view money as a result of our own efforts, but this perspective encourages us to act as if all our resources belong to us instead of to God. The truth is that God is the one who enables you to profit from your labors.

Thinking we have control over our assets gives the illusion of safety, but our sense of security quickly evaporates with the loss of a job or a bout with serious illness. True security is found only in the Lord, who knows all things – not in our monetary stockpiles or marketable skills. Knowing that God is in charge of our resources, whether we have much or little, should give us peace of mind because He is our provider and protector.

Recognizing that the Lord is in control of our material wealth helps with two things: It frees us from the discontentment of greed and allows us to be generous, because we never have to fear that we won’t have enough. He promises to supply enough for our needs as well as enough to share with others (2 Corinthians 9:8-10).

Commentary from the In Touch devotional by Charles Stanley, June 4, 2021.

Not by Bread Alone

Jesus quoted Deuteronomy 8:3.

Be Strong and Courageous

~Deuteronomy 31:1-8~

Have you ever faced a challenge that left you feeling inadequate and afraid?  The great men and women of the Bible weren’t superhuman, so they undoubtedly experienced the same weaknesses we do.  Though Joshua was a strong military leader, he probably felt inadequate to fill Moses’ shoes.  After all, Moses had talked with God face to face, performed amazing miracles, and led the Israelites out of Egyptian bondage.  How could Joshua ever expect to live up to that?

But remember, Moses didn’t start out as a mighty man of faith.  When God first called him to deliver the children of Israel, he focused on his own inadequacy and begged the Lord to send someone else (Exodus 4:10-13).  Moses must have known exactly how Joshua felt.  That’s why he exhorted his successor to be strong and courageous.

However, the strength Joshua needed was not going to come from positive thinking or puffed-up self-confidence.  What he needed was assurance that the Lord would go ahead of him every step of the way and give the nation the land as promised.  Confidence in God-given challenges never comes from within ourselves.  But when we believe the Lord and rely on His word instead of our feelings, He’ll give us the ability and courage that we need to accomplish His will.

If your life were always easy, you’d never need strength and courage – and you would miss great opportunities to get to know the Lord intimately.  Only as we face one faith-stretching challenge after another and experience God’s faithfulness will we learn to depend on Him instead of ourselves.

Commentary from Charles Stanley’s In Touch devotional, December 9, 2017.