When God rescued me from myself in my late twenties, He had a lot of work to do in my heart and soul. My worldview needed to be replaced with biblical truth and God used a few different Pastors on the radio to help get me started in this journey. I was working as a Vice-President for Southern Food out of Nashville, but that title was just a fancy remodel of the more accurate description of Supervisor. I was in charge of seven Wendy's restaurants, with locations as far south as Rome, GA and as far north as Cleveland, TN. and as you can imagine, I spent a lot of time in my car.
I've always enjoyed talk radio and during my commute I found a couple of stations that had programs from preachers such as, Tony Evans, Charles Stanley, Steve Brown, Chuck Colson, and my favorite, Chuck Swindoll. I look back with great fondness of driving those distances accompanied by some of my favorite teachers, pointing me to the truth about Jesus Christ and the life He desired me to live. Driving through the hills of Northern Georgia, the sun fighting to stay relevant on the horizon, with the promise of clarity that only the night is so quick to impart, were special times indeed.
Pastor Swindoll's voice contained a twinkle of humor that I found not just entertaining but life-giving. He imparted truths, sometimes hard truths, but never in an angry, arrogant manner. His voice conveyed the love of a grandfather, who was imparting wisdom essential to a well-lived life, but recognizing the element of free-will that his audience had inherited. I have owned several of his books but my favorite is, "Laugh Again". Using the book of Philippians as a base, Charles Swindoll shares the joy and faith that the Apostle Paul had throughout his Christian walk - even though he suffered so much persecution, rejection, and trouble. He shows us that our joy does not come from the world, but from our own faith and confidence in Jesus Christ. Highly recommended!
Chuck Swindoll’s "Five Statements to Remember" are designed to help believers shift from panic to peace by trusting in a sovereign God during difficult times. These statements, rooted in the book of Habakkuk, focus on acknowledging God’s power and wisdom over human limitations:
- God is able; I am not.
- He knows what’s best; I do not.
- He sees the end from the beginning; I cannot.
- He should have His way in this; I should not.
- God must be glorified through this; I must not.
My prayer is that these statements would offer as much encouragement and joy as they have brought me over the years.
