Pastor Stephen Dedman

Behold, happy is the man whom God corrects; Therefore do not despise the chastening of the Almighty. For He bruises, but He binds up; He wounds, but His hands make whole.
‭‭Job‬ ‭5‬:‭17‬-‭18‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Question
Are you resisting something that God is using to refine and restore you?

Context
These words come from one of Job’s friends, Eliphaz. While his overall counsel to Job is terrible, this statement reflects a timeless truth found throughout Scripture: God’s discipline is not punishment meant to destroy, but correction meant to restore.

Application
No one enjoys correction. Whether if it comes through hardship, conviction, or unexpected trials, our first instinct is often to resist or question God’s goodness. But this passage invites us to see difficulty through a different lens. God’s discipline is evidence of His care.

Like a skilled physician, God may allow a wound in order to bring deeper healing. Like a loving Father, He corrects not to harm, but to guide us back to life, truth, and wholeness. What feels like breaking is often the beginning of restoration. The same hand that allows the trial is the hand that will heal you through it.

Instead of asking “Why is this happening to me?”, try asking “What is God shaping in me?

Truth For The Day
God’s correction is not condemnation, it is compassionate restoration.

Pray
Lord, help me to trust You even when I don’t understand what I’m walking through. Give me the humility to receive Your correction and the faith to believe that You are working for my good. Heal what is broken in me, and shape me into who You’ve called me to be. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

But certainly God has heard me; He has attended to the voice of my prayer.
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭66‬:‭19‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Question
Can you trust God’s silence as much as you trust His answers?

Context
Psalm 66 is a song of praise celebrating God’s faithfulness. The psalmist reflects on past deliverance and confidently declares that God hears the prayers of the faithful. Psalm 66 is a reminder of a powerful truth: God is never absent, He is always attentive. Even when we immediate answers come, He is listening closely to every word, every tear, and every unspoken burden.

Application
There are seasons in life when it feels like heaven is quiet. You pray, you seek, you wait, but nothing seems to change. In those moments, it’s easy to wonder if God hears you at all.

When God is silent, it means He is working in ways we cannot yet see. Just as roots grow deep beneath the surface before anything appears above ground, God is preparing something beneath the surface of your life.

Don’t let the silence shake your faith. Let it strengthen your trust. Keep praying. Keep believing. Keep leaning in. Stay consistent in prayer, even when you don’t feel a response.

Truth For The Day
God hears you even when you don’t hear Him.

Pray
Lord, thank You for always listening, even when I don’t feel it. Strengthen my faith in seasons of silence and help me trust Your timing. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.
‭‭I Corinthians‬ ‭2‬:‭12‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Question
Are you living like you already have what God has given you, or are you striving as if you don’t?

Context
Paul writes to the Corinthian church contrasting human wisdom with God’s wisdom. He explains that God’s truth is revealed not through intellect but by the Holy Spirit. Believers have received the Spirit, enabling them to understand God’s freely given gifts, which remain hidden to those relying only on worldly thinking.

Application
It’s easy to live as if we’re lacking wisdom, direction, peace, or purpose. The world constantly tells us to strive harder, learn more, and prove ourselves in order to gain what we need. But this verse reminds us of a powerful truth: as believers, we are not operating with the spirit of the world. We have been given the very Spirit of God.

Too often, we live beneath what God has made available because we’re listening to the wrong voice. The Spirit of God leads us into clarity, confidence, and deeper relationship with Him. When we slow down and listen, He reminds us of who we are and what belongs to us as children of God.

Today, don’t strive to earn what God has already given. Instead, walk in the awareness of His Spirit within you. You are not empty—you are filled. You are not searching—you are receiving.

Truth For The Day
God’s Spirit in me reveals and reminds me of all that He has freely given.

Pray
Lord, thank You for living in me. Help me to listen to Your voice over the noise of the world. Open my eyes to see what God has already given and teach me to walk in it with confidence and faith. In Jesus’ name, Amen.