Dave’s Monday Blast – November 21, 2022

Why did the Lord give us His Scriptures? Pastor Charles Stanley comments: “The Lord gave us the Scriptures primarily so we could know Him; His nature, works, ways, and thoughts. The answers to our questions are found in the Bible, but they are scattered throughout and we must search for them, and in the process, we discover the amazing God who saved us. Glimpses of His identity are found in some rather unexpected places. That is why we should read the entire Bible regularly.”

He has not revealed everything to us simply because the “totality of God is beyond comprehension”. But much of what He wants us to know is revealed in His Word (Psalms 119:130). Stanley reminds us that “it’s God’s will that we grow in our understanding of Scripture, and that includes His commands.” At the risk of being too practical, 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says, “In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.”

This is an example of knowing EXACTLY what God wants us to do. We concluded our conversation last week with this question: How do we give thanks in every circumstance?

In 2 Corinthians 11:23 – 27 Paul reminds his readers that his life was filled with hardship (this is an understatement) simply because he chose to serve the Lord; yet he was still able to express his contentment in everything (Philippians 4:11 – 13). How could he do this? Paul could rejoice in the Lord because his mind was shaped by Scripture. Stanley says, “he also knew the keys that open the door to gratitude.”

Next week we will let Pastor Stanley unpack these keys for us.