Pastor Stephen Dedman

Devotional For February 3, 2024

You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
I John 4:4

Have you ever said these words to yourself, “I don’t know if I can make it another day?” We all face some days with circumstances that we wish we didn’t have to face. But just know with full understanding that Jesus has already overcome them and you belong to God.

Sometimes we try to rely on our own strength when we should be relying on the strength of our Lord, Jesus Christ. He holds the victory over sin and Satan. And as Christians, we are in Him. Jesus is greater than the devil who is in the world.

The power that is living inside of us is greater than the power that is living outside of us. The power that we hold inside of us is the power of God Almighty. The power that is in the world is the power of Satan. Satan has no power against us!

Stand strong today. Stand in the power and strength of Jesus and not your own. Stand against the power of the devil and he will flee. Take captive the thoughts that you have that you are weak. For you are strong in the Lord. You have victory over your enemies. 

Pray

Lord, I stand in awe of You today. I know that I belong to You and You have given me eternal life and forgiveness of my sins. Help me today to be encouraged… In Jesus’ name, amen.

Devotional For February 2, 2024

Whoever digs a pit will fall into it, and he who rolls a stone will have it roll back on him.
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭26:27‬

Solomon, in all his wisdom, shares in this verse about the truth of God. God will not allow a wicked and evil act to go unpunished. There are many examples in the Bible where people tried to do wicked things to God’s people but they didn’t get away with it. 

Pharaoh wouldn’t let the Israelites out of slavery, but God did. Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers, but God used him in a powerful way to save the nation. The Jews crucified Jesus, but He is alive!

The lesson of this proverb is to trust God to protect you and let Him punish your enemies. “Vengeance is mine,” says the Lord. (Romans 12:19) 

Even if your enemies strategically try to attack you, God knows what they are doing and He will take care of you. 

Pray

Lord, keep me safe from my enemies. Thank you for putting a hedge of protection around me. Fight my battles and give me peace that passes all understanding. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Devotional For February 1, 2024

And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me;“
‭‭Acts‬ ‭1‬:‭4‬

No one likes to wait. Especially for something great and wonderful. We want what we want, right now.  And sometimes we jump ahead and force things to happen on our timing. Waiting on the Lord and His promises is not a simple task to do.

Jesus instructed His disciples to stay in Jerusalem and wait for the Holy Spirit to come to them.  That’s all the details that they were given.  They didn’t know how long they would have to wait.  They didn’t even know what to expect. But what we see them doing is great.  They were together in the upper room praying and seeking the direction of God.  

The disciples were spending time together preparing for the next big thing to happen.  They were eagerly awaiting the presence and power of God to come down.  The next important thing was to replace Judas with Matthias. They were focussed on the things of the Lord.

What do you do when you are in a time of waiting?  It is important to focus on the things of God and never jump ahead of God’s timing.  Waiting is sometimes referred to as suffering, but the suffering is part of our character building.  

Patiently waiting on the Lord requires self-control and wisdom.  The reward is worth the wait.  When you are in a waiting period of your life consumeyourself in the Word of God, surround yourself with godly people, and focus on doing the Lord’s work.

Pray

Lord, help me to wait for Your direction. Give me wisdom and courage to wait for You to instruct me and guide me. I will patiently wait on You. In Jesus’ name, amen.