Pastor Stephen Dedman

And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”
‭‭II Corinthians‬ ‭12‬:‭9‬

Question
How might God be using your weakness to reveal His strength today?

Context
In 2 Corinthians 12, the apostle Paul speaks openly about a “thorn in the flesh”, a persistent struggle he asked God to remove. Three times Paul prayed for relief, yet God did not take it away. Instead, the Lord gave Paul a deeper revelation: his weakness was not a liability but an opportunity for God’s power to be displayed. This moment reshaped Paul’s understanding of strength, suffering, and grace.

Application
We often assume that God’s greatest work happens when we feel strong, capable, and confident. But Paul learned that God often works most powerfully in places of limitation. The very thing Paul wanted removed became the place where God’s grace was most evident.

Identify an area of weakness, frustration, or limitation in your life. Instead of resisting it, surrender it to God and ask Him to reveal His power through it.

Truth For The Day
God’s grace does not always remove the struggle, but it always supplies the strength.

Pray
Lord, thank You that Your grace is more than enough for me. Teach me to rely on You in my weakness and to trust that You are working even when the struggle remains. Let Your power be made perfect in my life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.
‭‭James‬ ‭1‬:‭6‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Question
Where in your life are you wavering instead of trusting God fully?

Context
The Book of James is a practical letter written to believers facing trials and pressure. In chapter 1, James encourages them to ask God for wisdom with only one condition: they must ask in faith, not in doubt. This wasn’t about perfection, but about a settled trust in God’s character.

Application
Doubt doesn’t just affect what you think, it affects how you live. James paints a picture of a wave tossed back and forth by the wind. It has no stability, no direction, no consistency. That’s what a doubting life looks like. It’s constantly shifting based on circumstances, emotions, or fear. Faith, on the other hand, anchors you.

This doesn’t mean questions won’t come, but it does mean your confidence in God remains firm, even when life isn’t. The problem isn’t that God is unreliable. The problem is when our trust in Him becomes inconsistent.

God is not asking for perfect faith. He’s asking for committed faith. Don’t let your life be driven by the winds, be grounded in faith.

Truth For The Day
A steady faith in God will keep you from living a shaky life.

Pray
Lord, strengthen my faith. Where I have doubted, help me to trust You more. Keep me from being unstable in my walk with You. I choose to believe You are faithful, even when I don’t see immediate results. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

“These things I have spoken to you, that you should not be made to stumble.”
‭‭John‬ ‭16‬:‭1‬

Question
What is Jesus preparing you for right now that you may not fully understand?

Context
In John 16, Jesus is hours away from the cross. The disciples do not fully grasp what is coming… betrayal, arrest, crucifixion, fear, and scattering. Jesus is not reacting to events, He is preparing His followers ahead of time. He tells them about rejection, persecution, and hardship, not to discourage them, but to sustain them. Jesus knows the pressure that comes when faith is tested. He knows how quickly disappointment can turn into doubt. So He speaks truth in advance. He prepares them before the storm hits.

Application
Sometimes we only understand God’s words after we’ve walked through something difficult. But what if today’s Scripture is preparing you for tomorrow’s challenge? You may be misunderstood, face opposition, or experience loss. When it happens, remember that Jesus already spoke about this. Hardship is not proof that God has left you. It may be proof that He has prepared you. So instead of asking, “Why is this happening?” Ask, “How has Jesus already prepared me for this?”

Truth For The Day
Jesus prepares His people so they will not be caught off guard.

Pray
Lord, thank You for speaking truth before I even know I need it. When challenges come, help me remember that You have already prepared me. Teach me to trust that Your words are steady ground beneath my feet. Strengthen my faith today. In Jesus’ name, Amen.