If we’re being honest, most of us would admit that we prefer our own timetables to those of our heavenly Father. But what blessings do we miss by rushing ahead of His plan? In this message, Dr. Stanley assures us that we always have time to wait on God, and that time will always be well-spent. Learn to surrender your schedule to God, trusting that His timing for all things is perfect. For more messages from Charles Stanley, including this week’s broadcast, go to www.intouch.org/watch

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God has a plan for your life and if you

follow his plan you’re gonna be better

no matter what somebody tells you if you

follow your own plan you’re on your own

remember this that God who created you

who is infinite in intelligence who

knows all about your past your lineage

your present and the future God has a

plan that’s best for you whatever that

plan is but you must learn to listen to

it

four decades ago we started in touch

ministries to lead people worldwide into

a growing relationship with Jesus Christ

throughout the years we’ve seen God’s

greatness his love and his blessings in

such awesome ways that we just want

everyone to know him so let’s open God’s

Word and seek Him together next on

InTouch getting ahead of god one of

life’s most important lessons is to

learn to listen to God if you don’t

listen to him you’re not gonna know what

to do if you listen to him you’d then

have to decide whether you’re going to

obey Him or disobey Him but how will you

ever know how God wants you to live your

life if you don’t learn to listen to him

and not only to listen to him but also

recognize that God’s timing is always

perfect we don’t always agree with this

timing we have our own selfish reasons

probably but learning to listen to him

and also to follow his timing is a great

lesson in life in fact many people miss

most of his blessings because they don’t

wait for his timing they have his own

idea they get frantic they get worried

they listen to the news they listen to

somebody and on it goes

and never stop to thank God what’s your

plan what what do you want me to do when

do you want me to do it how do you want

me good what’s your will for my life and

I think our failure at seeking his

guidance and his direction is the timing

is a major issue and that he will recall

in the 12th chapter of Genesis here’s

what God said Abraham he said go forth

from your country from your relatives

from your father’s house to the land

which I’ll show you I’ll make you a

great nation bless

you make your name great so you shall be

a blessing and I’ll bless those who

bless you and curse those who curse you

and in you all the families of the earth

will be blessed now that is as

straightforward as you can put it that

could not be clearer and so God made

made it very very clear what he was to

do what he was going to do and so

instead of following God’s instructions

he just had a little slip handle and

slip there listen watch this carefully

God knows you perfectly he knows what

his will is for your life his purpose

for your life

he doesn’t make suggestions God gives

commands because God’s commands come

from a mind a will and a purpose that is

absolutely perfect

he will never ask you to do anything

that would not fit his will for your

life his will for your life is always

the best choice and if you’ll notice in

this passage of Scripture

he not only promised them that he to

have an heir he said in fact you go

ahead son look up in the sky and the

stars that you see your your heirs are

gonna be like that and then he told him

that be 400 years in Egyptian bondage

and but he’s told him that he was down

to within peace with a good old age and

that he would have a land of heirs so

what God promised it’s exactly what he

did

now he’s I’m gonna make you a name great

and all of us who believe us can trace

we can trace our lineage from today back

through Jesus back to Abraham and so I

want you to turn to the 16th chapter of

Genesis and some years had gone by since

God made that promise to him and Sarah

Abraham’s wife had borne him no children

but she had an Egyptian maid whose name

was Hagar when he left home he was

headed to Canaan God’s choice land when

he got there they were having a famine

so he goes south to Egypt

he had no business bringing her from

Egypt into his family so Abraham was an

awesome choice of God but he made

mistakes and we when God says something

he doesn’t say and do this if you want

to be sure you do this and do that no he

gave him specific instruction because he

knew what the future hell so there’s

this made so sarah said abram that

behold the lord has prevented me from

bearing children please go into my maid

perhaps i’ll obtain children to her and

abram listened to the horse of sarah he

kept making mistakes you think a man

chosen of god would listen to god but

what they want you to see after Abram

had lived 10 years in the land of Canaan

Abraham’s wife Sarah took Hagar the

Egyptian her maid gave her to her

husband as his wife he went into Hagar

she conceived and when she saw that she

conceived her mistress was despised in

her sight Sarah said Abraham may the

wrong done to me be upon you whose idea

was this anyway I gave my maid into your

arms but when she saw that she had

conceived I was despised in her sight

may the Lord judge between you and me

and so what we see is simply an act of

disobedience couldn’t wait for God and

listening to the wrong voices and people

are still listening the wrong voices

can’t wait for God I want to have it now

because I don’t understand how God can

do it I’ll do it myself

many people most people are living in

disharmony with God out of the will of

God doing it their own way because

things didn’t work out like they planned

God has a plan for your life and if you

follow his plan you’re going to be

better no matter what somebody tells you

if you follow your own plan you’re on

your own

remember this that God who created you

who is infinite in intelligence who

knows all about your past your lineage

your present and

future God has a plan that’s best for

you

whatever that plan is but you must learn

to listen to him and so because of

disobedience unwillingness to wait for

God Sarah has her way but she has not

only her way but a lot of the days and

years of headache and trial and strife

and conflict and all the rest and so she

has a child and Abraham is a hundred now

why would God wait that long what did he

do something before then because he

wanted to make a statement of the world

that his choice his lineage would be a

miracle from God he had a plan watch

this and this is why your prayer life

ought to be so important to you

listening to God gotta what do you want

me to do and I think about all the

things that transpire and the person’s

life and and which is a perfect example

of what happened here we don’t want to

wait for God’s tell me want to do it now

for example you’re gonna buy a house is

that the Lord’s will or is it not maybe

you said well you know what we’ve waited

and waited and waited so we waited long

enough we want now but you stepped ahead

of God because that’s the way look you

didn’t ask you out the direction I think

about people for example who are looking

for positions in life and one comes

along and they say well I better get

this is the best I can do you don’t know

that no telling what God has in mind for

you I think about people who get married

a few years ago about twenty one twenty

five twenty seven thirty oh my goodness

I’m I’m embarrassed I’m not met you know

what

don’t jump ahead of God because of what

your friends think and many people many

people miss the best in marriage because

they they gotta have it now and they and

they make choices before God isn’t able

to show them who that person is

and think about this you got to make

sure you the person you’re gonna marry

that doesn’t mean you go to bed with

them that night it means that you wait

until God is ready until you get married

we live in a society that does not want

to wait for anything that wants it now

no matter what the future price is and

if people who live in sin if they had

looked ahead and made God’s choices in

God’s timing life would be totally

different

well that’s making the purchase or

marrying someone or whatever it might be

going to college deciding on a major

well here’s what I’m gonna do did you

ask God about that

did God lead you or did he not listening

to God is a part of living the Christian

life listening to God is a part of life

God who knows it all who has planned the

best for you and you’re gonna make your

own foolish unwise choices because you

can’t wait yes you can wait you don’t

want to wait and you paid the penalty

for not waiting so look at your own life

are you living according to God’s plan

his will for your life are you asking

him for direction and guidance in your

life are you asking him about timing in

your life are you just making up your

own mind well I don’t have time yes you

do God take you off the scene just like

that if he wanted to you do have time to

wait on God that’s the best it’s always

the best so what happens we decide we’re

going to get ahead of God no we don’t

make those decisions

we just make decisions that please us

for the moment and I wish I could tell

every college student before you make a

choice in your in your particular

vocation and what do you want to do what

you’re gonna make your own you need to

ask God you don’t want to waste your

time and you don’t want to waste your

life after you graduate but if you

decide that you’re smart

love to make up your own mind you don’t

need God have I heard that so many times

you don’t need God yes you do if you

don’t think you need God listen no

degree will overcome your Eggman’s if

you think you do not need God you get it

you can get a beedi you can get a THD

you get any kind of these but if you

think you’re smarter than God you’ve

already failed so what happens we listen

to other people well here’s what I think

you ought to do it’s that what God said

is that when y’all said oh is that just

what I said and oftentimes people are

deceived by appearance I want to marry

her because she’s beautiful and so we

make we made sure some basis of

appearance that’s not the will of God

sometimes it’s it’s just a matter of

impatient I believe in God I’m waiting

upon y’all but I only gonna wait so long

can you imagine telling God you have a

limit on how much time you gonna give

him before you choose somebody to marry

and you married them and you begin a

life of turmoil strife separation final

divorce listening to God is absolutely

essential to walking with God and

walking with God is absolutely essential

to living a life that brings

satisfaction and peace and joy and

everything you’re gonna need God’s going

to provide sometimes people because

they’re afraid of failure they gonna get

ahead of God well if I don’t if I don’t

do this and if I don’t do that and I’m

gonna I’m gonna miss out listen to me

carefully you never miss out

obeying God God knows all about your

future

he knows also what causes you to stumble

he knows your weaknesses he knows the

areas that he’s going to help you

through when you start out in life

without God you’re starting in the wrong

direction when you submit yourself to

him

you’re allowing Almighty God who knows

all about life they guide you to make

the right choices every single time I

think about in my own life I was 14 and

I knew that God said to me you must

preach the gospel it’s the only thing he

ever said to me at that point in my life

and I went through high school and

through college and I knew that’s what

you want me to do and that’s my third

seminar there all the rest God will tell

you what he wants you to do if you will

ask him it doesn’t mean he’s going to

tell you a whole life but he’ll tell you

the next step and the next step for the

next step for the next step God is

interested in your listen your success

if you follow him it doesn’t mean you’re

successful always mean that you’re rich

that you’ll have everything in life that

you want when you want it but it means

that your life will be full and it’ll be

filled with joy peace happiness there’ll

be some suffering in heartache and loss

yes but ultimately you will sense

satisfaction and completeness in life

people fear their gonna fail if they

don’t do it now that’s the devil’s lie

the issue is not your age the issue is

what’s the will of God that’s the key

and sometimes afraid that we’re gonna

miss out on something and then of course

the problem of unbelief well I will I

don’t believe that God has a plan for my

life I don’t believe I have to wait I

don’t believe this that what do you

believe that was if you don’t believe in

God what do you believe in if you don’t

believe God has a will for your life are

you just here by accident about through

your parents and it’s all up to you and

this crazy mixed-up fouled up world is

it all up to you to make a choice on

what you’re gonna do and where you gonna

do this and so forth and I think about

how many students would not be head over

heels in debt having finished college

you know $200,000 or more for their

college is that what God wanted you to

do he always has

I didn’t say easiest but it’ll be our

best in the long run and so we we pay a

penalty when we don’t wait on God

a perfect example Sara said listen I’ve

waited long enough I’m getting get Nolan

I won’t be able to have children so

let’s let’s let’s take this Egyptian

slave girl and let her be a substitute

that wasn’t the will of God God forgave

him in spite of what that was the only

mistake he made but it looked watch this

it looked like the simplest right thing

to do you can’t always tell by the way

it looks you can’t tell by the way it

counts you can’t tell by how many voices

they are that agree

what’s the will of God in your life and

so there’s the penalty we pay we can we

stuff heaven and part of that penalty is

we deny ourselves of God’s best think

about this you you can go ahead and make

a decision and you can get by for a

while you may get by all life but have

missed God’s best for you listen we

don’t we don’t get but one trip down

here you do know that don’t you we don’t

we don’t give a one trip well then why

take a wrong direction when you don’t

have to we deny ourselves of God’s best

we delay God’s purpose in our life when

we take a wrong turn purpose of God

isn’t finished isn’t completed you’re

heading in the wrong direction sometimes

people have to go through disasters

before they surrender themselves to God

and it willing to say Lord I want you

away in your will I’ve messed it up I’m

asking you to forgive me whether they

forgive you yes will he take you from

that point yes will you be able to

fulfill his will for your life maybe so

maybe not depends on what it is does God

give second chances third fourth its

Alleluia 10 11 12 he gives us all kind

of choices but each time we take a leap

in the wrong

choice we lose then of course we

experienced this Hartmann in our life

when we don’t wait upon him it’s gonna

be disharmony and so life creates

situations that create disharmony but

when we’re committed to him he enables

us to walk through it they grow in the

midst of it to be better because of it

and still follow his will no matter what

then of course we suffer great

disappointments in life out of the will

of God you’ll be disappointed and I

think some of the people think that

they’ve got it all together

in the head and direction in their life

out of the will of God and thinking well

you know what can happen in our

situation and Julie is blessed as we are

we must be doing the right thing not

necessarily your plants may be able to

finance your schooling and part of your

life may be but that doesn’t mean that

you’re in the will of God and you’re not

gonna have them forever the issue is

what does God want and you have to ask

yourself this question am i wise enough

to stop in my life right now and ask the

question Lord what do you want for my

life what are you willing to do in my

life what what’s the next step for me

according to your plan and your will you

so how do I know God’s gonna speak to me

because they promised to he said listen

to this he said he is God he acts in

behalf of the one who waits sorry

when you say Lord I’m not joining the

for I need to know your will what’s the

next step in my life God will be there

to show you what that is if you’ll trust

him but if you don’t trust them then you

don’t get yards guidance you can’t have

God’s guidance and live in sin you have

a choice to make

then of course I imagine there’s

somewhere long away you can anticipate

defeat after defeat after defeat and

maybe destruction and you

look what happens to people’s lives then

have to be that way and so the issue is

how am I gonna live my life am I gonna

live it I caught him to God’s will and

following him may not have this that in

the other but I want to know God what

are you on for my life would you not

agree that happiness joy peace and

contentment and satisfaction are all

more valuable than Apollo money they are

all more valuable they’re all more

valuable than notoriety and all the rest

but it’s the choice we make we all make

that choice every day

am I gonna be obedient to God today or

am I not am i gonna follow the steps of

a God who loves me unconditionally whose

promise to give me direction promised to

provide for my life

promised me the best am I gonna choose

him am I gonna choose the voice of God

am I gonna listen to the call of the

world and go that way it’s a choice and

I wish I could speak to every one of you

out there who already messed up your

life you made some choices in life that

right now you’re suffering from let me

just tell you this God will forgive you

if you will ask him to forgive you and

surrender your life to Jesus Christ and

I think about all of you who are going

through situations and circumstances and

you’re in the things you know you have

no business it’s Rick in your life and

ruining your future if you’re willing to

stop and ask God to forgive you and

there was and to receive Christ as your

Savior and surrender your life to him

he’ll take you where you are and he’ll

change your life totally it’s a decision

you make if we confess our sin

faithful and just to forgive us of our

sins is God and had us in the right

direction would you do that

do you own God’s best I can tell you

this no one else can choose God’s best

for you God has chosen what’s best if

you’re willing to listen you can

experience God’s best God is willing to

forgive you cleanse you of all your sin

and give you a new beginning it is the

choice you make and my prayer is you

will make the wise choice the change

he’s listening because remember this you

can’t change this listen can’t change it

you reap what you sow what have you been

sowing you reap more than your soul

where are you and you even later than

you so you cannot avoid or escape when

you sow you can be forgiven but it

doesn’t change all that while you have

the opportunity as God to forgive you to

cleanse you ask him to give you a new

beginning whether you are 16 or 66 you

can have a new beginning will it be like

I read the original plan forgot it head

for your life no but he’ll take you away

you are you don’t know whether you gonna

be 67 or not you don’t know how long you

gonna live so I think if you’ll think

clearly it’s time you made a decision

between you and God through His Son

Jesus and surrendered your life to him

and watch him work you’ll be awesomely

surprised and that’s my prayer for you

and father thank you that you can rescue

anybody you’re willing to rescue

everybody

the forgiveness that Jesus provided

through his death at Calvary takes care

of every kind of sin imaginable and I

pray that every person who hears this

message will stop think confess repent

of their sin and surrender their life to

you and then what you work in this

awesome way in their life in Jesus name

Amen

if you’ve been blessed by today’s

program please visit us at intouch.org e

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