Pastor Stephen Dedman

Problem Solved

Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.”
1 Samuel 17:45

We all have our problems.  How we deal with our problems is what makes a difference.  Some people ignore their problems and hope they go away while others face them head on and attack them with full force.  Whatever the case may be, our perspective of God is what makes our problems look small.

Notice how David acknowledged that Goliath was coming at him with full armor but it didn’t stop him.  David was experienced in the area of facing problems head on.  He had experience with beating off wild animals with bare hands.  Fighting the giant Philistine was nothing compared to the other animals he faced.  

David had something that most people don’t.  He had spiritual optimism.  David knew he had God on his side and that’s all he needed.  He knew God was bigger and better than any problem he faced.

David couldn’t ignore Goliath because he knew the power of God was with him.  He was prepared to have victory with just one throw of a stone.  We too, have the power of God to withstand any problem that comes our way.  

If we focus on the size of our problems they will seem very overwhelming.  But if our focus is on God our problems will seem pretty small in comparison.  Arm yourself in the name of the Lord.

Pray

Lord, I pray in the name of Jesus Christ that You give me victory over my problems today.  Your name is great and wonderful to be praised. Keep me in Your hand.

Moving Out Of Your Comfort Zone

“Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.”
‭‭Mark‬ ‭4:39‬

After He finished a long day of teaching, Jesus instructed His disciples to go to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. Jesus was in the boat and He used the water to amplify His voice so the large crowd could hear Him. As soon as they launched out into the deep, Jesus began to nap.

As soon as they began crossing the lake they encountered a mighty windstorm. The waves were so big they were crashing over into the boat. When great fear set in, the disciples awakened Jesus and asked, “Do you not care that we are about to drown?”

Jesus stood up and rebuked the wind and waves and then there was a great calm. Jesus turned to the disciples and said, “why are you so fearful? Do you not have faith?” Now they were afraid because Jesus had just commanded nature and it obeyed Him.

Jesus demonstrates His power as an example of who He is and what He is capable of doing. But He has to move us out of our comfort zone. As long as we remain in our familiarities we don’t need faith. But as soon as we feel uncomfortable and desperate, the Lord can work wonders.

We must be willing to go where Jesus wants us to go and do things that are beyond our capabilities. This is when we witness the mighty power of God in our lives.

Can you get out of your comfort zone and speak to someone who doesn’t know Christ? Can you go where you’ve never been and trust that Jesus will guide your every move? Are you willing to do whatever it takes to please God with your faith?

Jesus wants to use you to do things that are much greater than what you can do yourself. Trust Jesus and place your faith in Him.

Pray

Lord, I want to please You with my faith. I desire to be used as a tool to build Your kingdom. Let me witness Your power and majesty.

Knowing God’s Will

But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.
‭‭James‬ ‭1:25

The reason that Jesus could endure the suffering of the cross was because He knew it was God’s perfect will. He also knew that He would be raised from the dead.

Peace results from doing God’s will and knowing that you have eternal life in Heaven.  Even in times of persecution and tribulation, Christians can rejoice because God is always on our side.

We may never have all the answers to life’s problems but we do have a cure for our sins. It’s Jesus Christ. It’s forgiveness and grace. He is the One who saves us from all of our sins.

Even though Christians fall short of God’s glory, we still have forgiveness, mercy, and grace through Jesus. It’s all because Jesus knew the will of God and endured the cross.

God wants the best for you. He wants you to prosper and succeed in life, but it must be according to His will. God will reveal His will to us through His Word.

We will never know what we must do until we hear His voice. God’s Word speaks to us and gives us wisdom to choose what is right. We will never know His will for our life until we submit and obey His commands.

Have you ever found it difficult to know what God’s will is for your life?  The answer lies in the fact of hearing and doing His Word. If we only hear His Word and not act upon it we are simply rejecting His great blessings. But when we hear and do His Word we are blessed.

Pray

Lord, You are my Savior and I submit to You and follow Your direction. Speak truth into me today. I keep Your Word in my heart and on my mind.