Pastor Stephen Dedman

Category: Encouragement

In Your Midst

Encouragement

The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.
‭‭Zephaniah‬ ‭3:17‬

Isn’t it great to have people who love you no matter your faults and failures?  

Zephaniah 3:17 is a great verse to remind you how much God loves you no matter what you look like or what you have done in the past.  God loves you with an unconditional, eternal love that is unfathomable.  

Today’s verse reminds us that God is always with us in the very middle of what is going on in our lives.  It’s comforting to know that the One who loves us the most is right in center of our lives.  

Even though we may think God is not thinking of us or involved with what’s happening in our lives, He is actively involved and holding everything together. With God in our midst, He is protecting us and guiding every step of the way.

When we look back through the history of God’s chosen people we can’t help but notice how much God loves His people.  Because God loves us, He wants to save us.  There is so much proof that He goes to great lengths to be with us.  He provides a way through His Son Jesus to bring us back to Him.  His love is so amazing that we can’t comprehend its greatness.

Never forget how much God loves and cares for His children.

Pray

Lord, thank you for Your everlasting love and kindness. Thank You for never giving up on me. I rest in Your great grace and forgiveness.

Remain Positive

Encouragement, Trust

For all flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever. And this word is the good news that was preached to you.
‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭1:24-25‬

We hear a lot of bad news on a regular basis. We expect the news sources to keep us informed with what’s happening around the world but most of the news is negative. After hearing so much bad news and negativity for so long we can start to grow numb to it.

The Bible teaches us there is a day soon approaching when Jesus will come for His bride, the Church. The dead in Christ will rise from their graves and all Christians still living will meet Jesus in the air before entering into Heaven. This future event is called the Rapture.  

We see events unfolding everyday that leads us to believe the Rapture could happen at any time.  Violence and crime will continue to get worse and persecution of Christians will soon be like it was in the first century.  But don’t worry, there is hope.

The good news is given to us through the Word of God. The nightly news may be doom and gloom but God’s Word brings peace and comfort to those who believe it.

It is important to saturate ourselves with the Good News of Jesus Christ.. This dark world needs the positivity of the church until we leave this world. The Church should be the light that brightens the world.

What can you do today to brighten someone’s day? Can you share a compliment, extend a helping hand, or pass a smile to someone who is down. Positivity starts with you. You can make a difference in someone’s life today.

Pray

Lord, thank You for growing your church throughout the world. Help us be a part of spreading your good news. Keep me positive and grounded in Your truth.

Time To Pray

Encouragement, Trust

“So it was, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned for many days; I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven.”
‭‭Nehemiah‬ ‭1:4‬

When do you know it’s time to pray? Is it when things in your life are falling apart? Or when there is mass chaos all around? What has to happen for you to realize it’s time to pray?

Most of the time we wait till things get out of hand before we say, “I can’t do anything but pray that God does something.” If this is the case, we’ve waited too long.

Nehemiah received some news that deeply disturbed him. The Jews had gone back into their homeland to rebuild their city and temple, but the walls around Jerusalem were still in ruins. As you can tell in our Scripture verse today, Nehemiah was troubled in his heart.

His response to this terrible news was to turn to God with fasting and prayer. He knew he couldn’t do anything about it, but He knew God could.

Are there things in your life right now that are disturbing you? Are they out of your control? If so, it’s time to pray. When something lays heavy on your heart and you can’t get it off your mind, you need to turn to the Lord in prayer.

Don’t wait until it’s too late. The moment something troubles you, seek the Lord in prayer. Spending time in prayer with God will make a difference in your life. God will reveal special things to you and give you hope that something is about to happen.

Pray

Lord, I know You hear my prayers and You know my heart. I ask that You give me the solutions to my troubles. I seek You today for guidance and understanding.