Pastor Stephen Dedman

Category: Encouragement

God Knows

Encouragement

Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?”
Genesis 3:9

God’s first words to Adam immediately after he sinned were, “Where are you?” Notice closely that God didn’t say, “I know what you’ve done.” God knew exactly what had happened and knew exactly where he was, but He was seeking after Adam.

God was not angry and He was not interrogating Adam and Eve. God’s heart was broken because there was a great gulf fixed between them and there must be a bridge built to connect man back together with God. The question was meant to make Adam realize that he was lost.

The question was also meant to encourage Adam to confess his sin. He could not plead the Fifth! He had to answer to God and give an account.

Satan’s goal is to cause separation between God and man. But God provides a perfect way for man to come back into fellowship with Him. Jesus says, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” – John 14:6

Where are you? Where are you in your relationship and fellowship with God? Are you close or are you hiding? You cannot plead the Fifth.

Pray

Lord, thank You for creating me and desiring to be with me. Thank You for providing a way through Jesus for me to be with You. Today, I draw close to You.

Problems Are Opportunities

Encouragement

And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, “They have no wine.”
John 2:3

What do you do when you have problems? Our problems are actually good opportunities for God to show us what He can do. They give God the opportunity to work on our behalf and display His glory.

Jesus’ mother knew exactly what to do with the problem. She went straight to Jesus and said, “They have no wine.” It is interesting to note that Mary did not tell Jesus what to do or how to resolve it. In verse 5, Mary simply said to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it.” 

When we give our problems to the Lord, we trust Him to work on our behalf and we do whatever He commands us to do. We must remain faithful and obedient to the Lord regardless if it makes sense or not. Jesus turned the water into wine because the servants were obedient to Jesus. 

Most of the time we want to tell Jesus how to fix our problems. However the most important thing to do when we give our problems to the Lord is be obedient and patient. Do whatever He tells you to do.

The servants obeyed the words of Jesus and had faith that He had a plan. They could have easily came up with excuses and reasons of why not to go fill up the water pots, but they didn’t. In the end, the servants were not only witnesses of the miracle, they were participants in it.

What is the Lord telling you to do? Allow the Lord to turn problems into opportunities. Only the Lord can do such marvelous works.

Pray

Lord, when You speak I will listen and obey. Help me today to do Your will and let me witness a marvelous work. 

Moving Forward

Encouragement

Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:13-14

Life is full of surprises and full of challenges. How we deal with the unexpected issues of our daily activities determines how view God. God allows us to encounter challenging circumstances for a reason.

The apostle Paul knew how to get through difficult situations by pressing forward. He understood that everything he faced was for a reason and had a purpose. Many of our struggles help us strengthen our faith in God and deepen our relationship with Him.

Instead of giving up we must step up. It’s easy to throw in the towel but it takes courage to keep pressing on. God encourages us to rely on Him for wisdom and understanding. With God all things are possible (Matthew 19:26).

Whatever your facing today just know that you are not facing it alone. As Christians we have everything we need through Jesus Christ. He gives us the strength to keep going and to overcome any new challenge or difficulty. Don’t ever think that you have to do it all on your own.

Jesus wants to be your Helper, Counselor and Savior. Trust Him for all things. Take on the attitude that Paul had and forget what has happened and reach forward to the things ahead. Press on! 

Pray

Lord, give me strength and courage today to do the things I must do. Help me to maintain an attitude that is pleasing unto You. Help me to keep my head up and my eyes on the prize.