There are times when we find ourselves questioning God’s plan for our lives when we can’t seem to make sense of what is happening to us. His plan for our lives will often not unfold how we originally imagined or wished for it to, so we must trust in His divine providence even when the road becomes difficult. Dr. Michael Youseff (author of Counting Stars in an Empty Sky, the senior pastor of the Church of the Apostles, and the executive president of Leading the Way) unpacks these truths and shares from his own experiences of trusting God in a place outside of his comfort zone.
Biblical fathers and mothers of the faith present us with examples to follow, but can modern Christians really be the kind of believers they were? Dr. Michael Youssef, known for his worldwide ministry, “Leading The Way,” puts wisdom from his life and study in his latest book, “Counting Stars in an Empty Sky: Trusting God’s Promises for Your Impossibilities.” He says the Bible gives us stories of people who sometimes have less than model behavior.
“The reason I do this is I want to show believers in the 21st century that these heroes of the faith have not been washed and cleansed and sent to the laundromat and ironed and straightened and wrapped in cellophane and put on a pedestal. But we see their warts and all, and that helps me to rely on the grace of Jesus.”
As a native of Egypt, Youssef has unique insight into the region of the world in which the Bible is set. He combines scholarship, cultural knowledge, personal experience, and a desire to help others.
“I wanted to make a contribution and show if you fail, it’s not the end of the way. Abraham failed; you can turn just like he did.”
The main key for Abraham, as for modern believers, is trusting and obeying. In response to God’s promises, Abraham put feet to his faith, and ultimately, his descendants became more numerous than the stars as God had foretold.
Just as God revealed Himself in a personal way to Abraham, He is doing so with countless Muslims, using dreams and visions to reveal Jesus Christ. Anywhere the Gospel goes, God uses it to unlock hearts and open minds to the truth of the Messiah.
As Abraham chose to follow God, we, too, can choose to follow Him. When your obedience meets God’s promises, there’s not limit to what God can do.
Dr. Michael Youssef is the founder and president of “Leading The Way with Dr. Michael Youssef,” a worldwide ministry that leads the way for people living in spiritual darkness to discover the light of Christ through the creative use of media and on-the-ground ministry teams. He is also the founding pastor of The Church of The Apostles in Atlanta, Georgia.
