IN TOUCH DAILY DEVOTIONAL 1 JULY 2024 BY DR. CHARLES STANLEY, MONDAY MESSAGE
TOPIC: Filling God’s “Gaps”
TODAY’S SCRIPTURE: Genesis 16:1-6
Has God given you a vision that is as yet unfulfilled? Has He assigned you a task that remains incomplete, though you’ve done everything you know to do?
The “gaps” the Lord creates in our life are designed for His specific purposes. Sometimes they are meant to prepare us for His preordained answer. It’s also possible He first wants to take care of some other necessary component of His plan. Perhaps a delay is intended to test our faith so He can prove Himself trustworthy. Or He may be using a pause as an occasion for correction.
It is always wise to wait on the Lord while He prepares us for His answers. We should pray and trust God, not acting until we’re certain that we have heard from Him and Him alone. Even people with godly intentions can be wrong—look at Abram’s poor decisions after listening to the seemingly solid logic of his wife. The result was that Sarai’s handmaiden Hagar conceived Abram’s child, which was not part of the Lord’s preferred plan.
Anything other than God’s plan carried out God’s way amounts to self-reliance. Depend on His Spirit when deciding how to proceed; any other course of action can lead to serious and lasting repercussions.
Bible in One Year: Psalms 107-111
Thought for Today: Wait for the Lord—He is working for your good.
For more biblical teaching and resources from Dr. Charles Stanley, please visit www.intouch.org.