Pastor Stephen Dedman

Category: Encouragement

Declare His Greatness

Encouragement

One generation shall praise Your works to another, And shall declare Your mighty acts. I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty, And on Your wondrous works. Men shall speak of the might of Your awesome acts, And I will declare Your greatness.
Psalms 145:4-6

God’s works and mighty acts are worthy to be praised. It is the responsibility of fathers and mothers to teach their children about the greatness of God. Generation after generation shall declare His greatness.

Meditation upon God’s splendor moves people to praise. His creation and redemption are all part of His wondrous works. His nature is revealed in His works.

God’s power is spoken of by those who experience His greatness. Once you witness His excellence you will never stop speaking of His majesty.

We praise the Lord because of who He is to us. As small as we may be compared to all of creation, He has chosen mankind to be His best works.

God wants us to experience His greatness on a daily basis. He wants us to love Him for who He is. And as soon as your eyes are opened, you can’t help but love the Creator of the universe.

Do you love God with all of your heart? Let your actions prove it. Let your lips prove it.

What has God done for you today that makes you praise His great name?

Pray

Lord, You alone are worthy of all praise. Thank You for giving me the fee gift of Salvation through Jesus Christ. Let the words of my lips reflect my heart of joy.

Devoted To Scripture

Encouragement, Trust

Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching.
‭‭1 Timothy‬ ‭4:13‬

How important is the truth of God’s Word to you? Do you value the time in which you read and study the Bible? It must be important if you’re reading this devotional.

Keeping within the context of this verse, Paul is giving advice to Timothy on leading the church as a pastor.  Even though this is directed to Timothy as a minister, it can be beneficial for everyone.  As Christians, everyone is to be a spiritual leader of some sort.

Paul instructs Timothy to devote himself to the public reading, preaching and teaching of the Scriptures.  The Scriptures are to be the central focus of our life.  We can find true success in life if we devote ourselves to the Bible.  

The local church should be a place where people can hear the Word of God spoken accurately and plainly.  In Nehemiah 8, Ezra read from the Scriptures from early morning until midday.  As he opened the Book, the people stood and listened intently.

There is great power in hearing the Word of God.  Romans 10:17 says, “so faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”

Are you devoted to the Word of God?

Prayer

Lord, Your Word is my central focus today.  Give me passion for Your Word as I desire to hear it and obey it. Help me to meditate on it and speak it to others.

What God Wants You To Do

Encouragement

Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭10:39‬ ‭

One of the most difficult challenges we face as Christians is understanding what God wants us to do with our lives. Sometimes it seems as clear as day, and at other times, it may seem clear as mud.

Thankfully today’s verse provides insight as to what God wants us to do with our lives.

Jesus said to His disciples in Matthew 10:39, “If your first concern is to look after yourself, you’ll never find yourself. But if you forget about yourself and look to Me, you’ll find both yourself and Me.” Sometimes we get confused with who is first in our life.  

If we focus on demonstrating our love for God by following His direction, loving others, and sharing the Christian message of hope, other parts of our life will come along. As the verse in Matthew 10:39 says, when we adjust ourselves to God’s standard, the confusion goes away.  When we are living our lives for the Lord’s sake we are right where we belong.  

It’s not about being someone special or doing something magnificent. It’s about placing yourself under the lordship of Jesus Christ.  It’s about placing the Lord’s work above all other things.

What are you doing today to put others first?

Pray

Lord, I know You have a plan for me. Help me to remember to align my plans to Your will and only then I can accomplish both.