It’s understandable to feel worried and afraid during times of crisis. In this interview, Dr. Stanley addresses how the coronavirus pandemic has brought a new focus on our need of God, and how believers should have unshakable faith in His Word and almighty provision throughout such situations. And he especially emphasizes how in uncertain times in society, we should pray more and turn to God’s Word.

welcome to in touch with dr. Charles

Stanley the kovat 19 coronavirus has

everyone concerned and many people

hurting deeply but believers have the

capacity to maintain a godly perspective

in today’s encouraging program we’ll

hear Lisa Ryan’s interview with dr.

Stanley dr. Stanley it is such an honor

to be with you here today and to hear

from you throughout the generations you

have been such a steadfast voice of

faithfulness and encouragement and

especially in times of trial and so we

want to hear from our pastor today and I

was thinking about your 30 life

principles and how much of an impact

they have had on the lives of people who

are seeking to live a life of obedience

and I was thinking of two in particular

and wanted to get your response to them

if you don’t mind the first is God’s

Word is an immovable anchor in times of

storm and this certainly is a time of

storm as we are battling with this

coronavirus around the world how can

God’s Word be an anchor to us right now

well first of all the Word of God is

true when he says I’ll never leave you

nor forsake you you can trust him for

that and when he makes promises in his

word and I think about this promise I

just turned to a few moments ago listen

to this he says do not fear for I am

with you do not anxious they look about

you for I am your God I will strengthen

you surely I will help you surely I will

uphold you with my righteous right hand

and the Bible is full of wonderful

promises from beginning to end and the

more we saturate our mind with the truth

and recall the truth of the word of God

then the stronger we feel the more

capable we feel facing things because we

know that the God who said I’ll never

leave you nor forsake you we’re not in

this all alone we’re in this by the

permissive will of God

and he is still in control what passage

was that that’s Isaiah chapter 41

beginning in verse 10 hmm that would be

a great passage for people to write down

and continue to reflect upon as an

anchor and we know that an anchor keeps

the boat from from tossing about too

much it keeps it tethered and the Word

of God can tether us anchor us and the

word also says that that his word is the

same yesterday today right and forever

amen

well the other life principle I wanted

to ask you about is this adversity is a

bridge to a deeper relationship with God

and we know that in this time of

adversity it can draw believers in a

closer relationship with the Lord but

how can it draw unbelievers to the Lord

well the way it can drive unbelievers is

this they look around and at first they

try other things and they don’t work and

finally unbelievers are driven to God

when they feel absolutely helpless

nobody else they can turn to that has an

answer for the problem whatever the

problem may be whether it’s a disease or

relationship or some particular need God

is always there he’s waiting for us the

knowledge our need of him then it says

if he shows up well he’s been there all

along he waits for us to be willing to

acknowledge that we need God in our

lives and I think about people who

naturally normally they don’t think

about God they’ve got plenty of

everything they want they can do

whatever they want to do go wherever

they want to go sin all they want to

send and it appears they’re getting away

with it but they’re not well then as a

follow-up to that how can we as

believers be a reflection of Christ in

this time of crisis that would then

perhaps draw unbelievers to him I think

our confidence a sense of assurance our

expressions of that when we talk about

no I’m not afraid I’m trusting God he’ll

answer my prayer

he says he’ll give us strength when we

need it whatever we need he’ll provide

and I think as we go about our life

trusting God waiting upon him doesn’t

mean we won’t get sick doesn’t mean we

won’t have any problems but our faith

unshakable faith it’s a demonstration to

people who are looking for something to

believe in you know as we are as we are

listening to the news we hear you know

words like social distancing isolation

quarantine and I’m sure that can be a

trigger for many people a trigger of

loneliness and anxiety a lot of people

who are at home with families I’ve got

my husband at home they at least have

each other for some community and

communication and we were built God

created us to be in community and in

relationship with with each other but at

a time like this when we’ve got a lot of

singles be the young singles or senior

adults what kind of comfort and

encouragement can you bring to them as

they are dealing with real loneliness

during this time of quarantine well one

of the first things they need to do is

to get into the world of God and begin

to read you say well maybe I don’t

understand at all don’t worry about that

when you’re hurting God will give you

understanding he will use his word to

come for you like nothing else can you

can hear sermons you can hear people’s

encouragement but it’s when your eyes

hit the truth of the word of God

something begins to happen in your heart

and so somebody says well I don’t know

the Bible you don’t have to know the

Bible

you take your Bible open it up to the

Psalms and start reading you know a lot

of people are have a real and tangible

concern about the loss of income as you

know businesses continue to close people

are sent home for more people that work

an hourly wage single moms that are

trying to make a way for their children

how would you bring comfort to people

and encourage them

when they are facing some very real and

tangible losses from a financial

standpoint well the first thing I would

do is I would turn to the book of

Philippians and I would read this 19th

1st of the fourth chapter my God will

supply all your needs according to his

riches in glory in Christ Jesus now it’s

that’s marked also times when I’ve had

knees listen to that my God will supply

all your needs and sometimes we think we

don’t have a particular need we need him

first of all and then there are other

needs he said I’ll supply all your needs

according to his riches and glory now

somebody says well how do I know he’s

gonna do this if you’ll notice he said

according to his riches God assumes

responsibility for meeting the needs we

have in our life also in the Bible it

says that as a man thinketh so easy and

we are unfortunately with the constant

news feed we are thinking about more

school closings more people contracting

this virus more restrictions more

information negative information about

the stock market how can we renew our

minds with the Word of God

and and are there other scriptures and

passages that you would encourage us to

meditate on you mentioned Psalm 91 and

that has been a particular comfort to me

right now what are some other verses

that we can meditate on well when I when

I’ll take the Bible and and begin to

look through and as you have mentioned

all these that I have marked when I’m

going through something that’s difficult

in my own life I flipped through the

scriptures for example do not let your

heart be troubled believe in God believe

also in me that person says well you

know I don’t know what a turn but if you

just turn through the scriptures

remember this that God will assume

responsibility for turning you to the

right book of the Bible or whatever it

might be for example he gives strength

to the weary and

to him who Lex might he increases power

Youth shall be weary and tired the

vigorous men shall stumble badly yet

those who wait for the Lord will gain

new strength they will mount up with

wings as eagles they will run and not

get tired they will look and not become

weary so you know this is I can’t

emphasize enough this is the most

important book in the world

and right now everybody ought to be

reading the Word of God and as I just

flipped through I have chosen you and

not rejected you do not fear for I am

with you they’re not anxiously look

about you and just over and over and

over in the scriptures and so somebody

says I don’t mind this is what I hear

most I don’t know how to turn just do

what I said just start reading God will

turn you to what he knows you need to

hear and especially the Psalms the

Psalms are a great place to start but if

you don’t know where to start

God is using even this circumstance

which is bad for a good purpose amen in

my life listen is no evil will befall

you no will any plague come near your

tent or he will give his angels charge

concerning you yes and so we you know of

all the things we could say that I could

set anybody is first and foremost the

Word of God the awesome powerful Word of

God that changes lives and what will

happen is this as you read the words

your attitude will change and you begin

to think about God in ways you never

thought about you’ll begin to recognize

your need of him and after you read it a

little bit you’re recognized well you

know what I believe I understand that

yeah and in a whole new way

let the favor of the Lord our God be

upon us confirm for us the work of your

hands all of a sudden the Word of God

gets inside of you you begin to believe

it and respond to it what will happen

and I believe this will happen when this

is all over

this book will once again be the number

one book in every household in America

one of the children in our church sent a

very

thoughtful question for a child and I

want to share it with you could this

virus be God’s Way of making us turn

from our sins and follow his commands

absolutely yes how because first of all

we’re having a need that we don’t have

an answer for we have to look to God and

we have needs that we can’t just

purchase the answer for we have needs

that we’re not sure exactly what it’s

going to take people are dying people

are getting sick and so the whole

atmosphere is totally changed and what’s

the answer at this point nobody has the

answer but God he’s getting our

attention he has gotten our attention

another one of our church members asked

this question dear pastor in Romans 8:28

God promises to work all things together

for the good of those who love him can

you give some examples of good things

that God can bring out of this crisis

well first of all the best thing that

had come out of it is we recognize we

need God we’ve been so blessed in so

many ways we felt like somehow we can

manage anything and everything now we

need God and it isn’t what we come up

with or what we can discover or we can

manufacture it is Almighty God reaching

down to give those people who are

scientists searching for answers the

answer is going to come from him

and so this is why we are helplessly

totally helplessly before Almighty God

in the sooner and the quicker we turn to

Him the sooner the quicker we’ll have an

answer we’re all under his canopy and as

we look to him trust him he is going to

provide my God shall supply all your

needs according to his riches in glory

in Christ Jesus not sometimes all the

times we know you in this church family

as a man of Prayer and many a time you

have kneeled right at this

falter and you have prayed for this

congregation you have prayed for our

nation we have seen you to be a man of

Prayer

how are you praying what are you praying

during this time and during this crisis

well my first prayer to God is Lord show

us what you are saying to us that’s the

most important thing not just get

everybody healed God shows what you’re

saying to us and second maybe merciful

to us the merciful to us of people who

don’t know you and then Lord I pray that

you’ll use this to bring many people

multitudes of people to know Jesus

Christ as their personal Savior and Lord

I pray that your people will be faithful

in these days as a demonstration to the

unbeliever that God is faithful to his

word he keeps us in his promises have

you seen God already beginning to answer

some of the prayers that you have been

petitioning in your home well yes I have

and I have seen I’ve seen some things

that I think Lord I don’t quite

understand this but I’m trusting you and

then I’ve seen situations where God

supplied needs that just weren’t

anywhere in sight at the time you are

loved around the world

we hear from people all over the globe

that have been impacted by in touch

ministries that have been impacted by

your teaching and who are changed their

lives have been changed but I promise

you no one loves you quite like your own

church family we love and adore you and

our concern for you so if you don’t mind

I have a couple of personal questions

that our congregation has set out as

well not just biblical not just the

illogical we want to know how you’re

doing well I asked me that because I had

Ecola twice and I’m being very careful

and I’m happy and I’m trusting God and

I’m believing he’ll take care of me and

I’m blessed

don’t have any complaints about me

personally and I’m trying to be careful

I want to be back preaching on Sunday

morning when we all get together and

we’ll do it on television as much as we

can what a wonderful wonderful

opportunity that whatever is going on

when people can’t go to church will be

there with the message of the word of

God to comfort them assure them

encourage them through it all one of the

children in our congregation asked their

mother does dr. Stanley have enough food

to eat what if his grocery store is

empty like ours can you give this little

girl some some assurance that you have

plenty of food and toilet paper well I

certainly can I do have enough somebody

says that you live by yourself no and

Jesus not together so I don’t feel like

I’m by myself and I have enough and I

have people who make sure that I do have

enough and I’m very very grateful for

that and so I wouldn’t want anybody to

think I’m suffering anyway I’m just

trying to stay healthy we take good care

of you one of the young moms in our

church has submitted this question dr.

Stanley I love my husband I love my kids

I can’t imagine life without them but

with schools canceled the kids at home

all day and my husband’s office closed

we are cooped up in this house and it’s

about to drive all of us crazy

is there a promise in scripture about

how God can keep us keep me from going

crazy can you help this desperate mom

well I wouldn’t suggest pills or

medicines to answer that but I would

think the father or the mother or to get

the children together and say this is

what we’re going through and we are

going to read the Word of God together

we want to find out what God says about

these things and if you don’t know any

other place to start start as we said in

the Book of Psalms I think reading the

Word of God together praying together

and parents when your children see you

on your knees

talking to a heavenly father they never

forget it and I can’t remember things

that ND and Bek had both said to me that

when we were going through some

difficult time just watching me get on

my knees and pray and they photographed

that on their mind that that was my

response the difficult in hardship and

then I would say to those parents

reading the Bible to said let’s get the

only the Bible all parents say well I

know that I understand it all well just

find the passengers that you do

understand be sure to get them to have a

Bible so they can read it with you and

this may be a good time to start family

devotions with your family and then I

think if they have questions then do

your best and say if you don’t have an

answer then write in touch or call in

touch and say look my kids are asking

these questions what do I say to them

and we deliver our best to answer those

questions and then you may have some

games that you play whether it’s

monopoly that’s old-time a game I used

to play or checkers or whatever it might

be but not those war games on TV that

that’s not the right one you know this

could actually be a wonderful time for

family and a real gift as families are

forced really to come together and share

quality time together if the weather is

good get out and get some fresh air play

something in the backyard of course we

want to keep all of the precautions that

we need to but there are ways that this

can be a great family time while we are

under some of these restrictions in our

country and especially since father’s

not been a lot of times yeah this is a

time for dad to be there give his full

attention to his children they’ll love

that you know what I saw this morning in

our neighborhood one of the deaths had

his his writer mower out and he had a

little trailer on the back of it and

three of his little kids and they were

riding around the neighborhood and the

kids were just having a ball I thought

you go dad that is a great idea that’s

right and you know just getting some

fresh

share with those kids and having some

wonderful time with them right well we

of course want to close this time by

asking you if you would lead us in a

prayer of faith and I know that it would

be a great comfort and though we are not

all sitting here in this congregation as

we are used to thankfully through

technology we are virtually all together

and as I mentioned earlier together

spiritually and we would love to have

you close our time together by praying

for us for the nation and for the world

would you lead us I would love to

Heavenly Father thank you for the

wonderful privilege of owning a Bible

for being able to understand the truths

of your precious word for the privilege

of bringing your promises to you calling

upon you asking you to meet our needs at

this time and believing in our hearts

that you will follow I pray that you

will bind the families together at this

sign

there will be new ways looking at each

other feeling toward each other that

when this is all over there’ll be a

closeness and the oneness and the unity

that we’ve never experienced before I

pray for the churches that people will

not give up hope they’ll not think that

their will that church will never meet

again just the sure people follow this

is temporary that you will put us back

together and there will be stronger than

ever before and we pray for the

president that you’ll give him wisdom

and strength and fortitude and those

around him will be supportive of him and

that you’ll give him the kind of wisdom

he needs to make decisions that will

make this country step forward not

backwards thank you Lord that you’re

accessible to us in every circumstance I

pray for all the pastor’s father

everywhere who are tempting me to meet

the needs of that congregation

especially those who are sick the

dangerous places they may be challenged

they walk through pray that you’ll

protect them

that they may preach messages that

emphasize the truth of the word of God

they’ll be praying for their

congregations that their congregations

will be praying for them and supporting

them we pray for all these physicians

God who are putting their bodies their

life on the line for the people they’re

ministering to father if you’ll give us

the privilege of just forgetting

ourselves and asking not just what’s

best for me but what’s best for my

family what’s best for the nation what’s

best for my co-workers what’s best for

me to walk and they got their life and

father I pray there will never be

exactly the same again there will be a

nation that has recognized literally

genuinely our absolute and total

dependence upon you for everything they

wiii never be as we have been may we be

a nation that acknowledges that the Lord

God Jehovah is our God and that we’re

trusting you through these days that

bring us through it and look back and

recognize that it was a time of great

spiritual growth in our lives in Jesus

name Amen

Psalm 121 from where shall my help

cometh my help comes from the Lord who

made heaven and earth thanks for

listening to today’s special

presentation on InTouch with dr. Charles

Stanley you can listen again when you

click today on radio at InTouch da da RG

and to learn more about trusting God all

the time with all your needs search

through the mini Bible based resources

on our website again that’s in touch da

da RG I hope you’ll join us again next

week as we learn more about the God we

can count on that’s Monday on InTouch

with dr. Charles Stanley

this program is a presentation of in

touch ministries Atlanta Georgia

USA

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