Pastor Stephen Dedman

Category: Encouragement

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.

Share The Good News

Encouragement

What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice,
Philippians 1:18

Is sharing Jesus with others a priority for you? When was the last time you shared with someone the grace and goodness of God?

The most important thing to Paul was that Christ needed to be proclaimed and exalted. Even when he was in prison, Paul was thinking of ways he could preach about Jesus. The only thing that brought him joy was proclaiming the grace of God.

Paul’s message was not always received in agreement. Many times he was stoned, beaten or rebuked for preaching the name of Jesus. But nothing stopped him from preaching Christ. He loved Jesus.

What’s keeping you from sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ today? We have so many resources at our fingertips yet we sometimes remain silent. Even in some churches, Christ is not preached! This ought not to be so. 

Paul was motivated by God’s grace. He was living proof of what God can do with a person who desires to be used by God. We should be just as eager as Paul to share the Good News of Jesus. 

Paul could have lost heart being imprisoned in Rome yet he rejoiced in his circumstances. He recognized that God was ordaining every situation of his life. Despite all of the negative circumstances, he kept rejoicing and proclaiming the saving name of Jesus.

Are you motivated by the love of Christ?

Pray

Lord, thank You for what You have called me to do. Help me to keep rejoicing and speaking Your great name. I pray that wherever You guide me today, I will tell others about You.