Pastor Stephen Dedman

I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.
‭‭III John‬ ‭1‬:‭4‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Question
What truth from God’s Word do you need to put into practice today?

Context
John’s words reveal something beautiful about spiritual leadership and relationships: there is tremendous joy in seeing someone we love not merely know the truth, but walk in it.

It is one thing to hear someone quote Scripture. It is another to see Scripture shaping the way they live. Truth becomes visible when forgiveness replaces bitterness, obedience replaces compromise, generosity replaces selfishness, and faith replaces fear.

Application
John calls these believers his “children,” and his joy came from seeing their lives reflect what they had been taught. This is a powerful reminder for parents, grandparents, pastors, teachers, and every believer who has invested in someone else spiritually. We may not always see immediate results, but our faithfulness can produce fruit long after the conversation, lesson, or example has passed.

The goal of following Jesus is not merely to know more about Him. It is to allow His truth to transform the way we live every day.

Truth For The Day
The greatest evidence that we know the truth is that we live the truth.

Pray
Lord, help me not only to know Your truth but to walk in it. Let my life reflect Jesus in my words, choices, relationships, and actions. May those who watch my life see the reality of a faith that is lived out. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea.
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭14‬:‭25‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Question
Are you trusting Jesus in the middle of your storm?

Context
The disciples were exhausted. They had been battling the wind and waves for hours, and Jesus seemed nowhere to be found. Then, in the darkest part of the night, Jesus came walking across the water toward them.

Notice when Jesus came: not when the storm was over, but while they were still in the middle of it.

Application
Sometimes we wonder where God is when life becomes difficult. We pray, we wait, and the storm seems to continue. But Matthew 14 reminds us that silence does not mean absence. Jesus was not unaware of their struggle. He knew exactly where they were, and He came to them.

The storm did not stop Jesus from reaching His disciples, and your storm cannot keep Him from reaching you. What feels like the darkest hour may become the moment you experience His presence most clearly.

You may not know how the storm will end, but you can know who is walking toward you in the middle of it.

Truth For The Day
Jesus is present even when the storm makes His presence difficult to see.

Pray
Lord, help me recognize Your presence when life feels overwhelming. Give me faith to trust You until the storm passes. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Again the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and the LORD delivered them into the hand of the Philistines for forty years.
‭‭Judges‬ ‭13‬:‭1‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Question
Will you trust God while you wait?

Context
Israel’s story in Judges is a repeated cycle: rebellion, consequences, crying out, and deliverance. Judges 13:1 reminds us that sin can create seasons where it feels like nothing is changing. Israel had once again turned away from God, and for forty years they lived under Philistine oppression. Yet God had not abandoned them.

Before Israel even cried out, God was already preparing deliverance. He sent an angel to announce the birth of Samson, a child who would begin to deliver Israel from the Philistines.

Application
Sometimes we look at our circumstances and wonder, “Where is God?” But God can be working long before we see the evidence. His silence is not His absence. His timing is not our timing.

Truth for Today
God is still working, even when you cannot see what He is doing.

Pray
Lord, help me trust You when I cannot see Your plan. Remind me that You are always working. In Jesus’ name, Amen.