Pastor Stephen Dedman

Category: Encouragement

Happy Are The Meek

Encouragement, Trust

‘Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth.’
Matthew 5:5

Meekness is never described as weakness. In fact meekness consists of strength and self-control. It takes strength to remain meek and gentle.

Moses was considered as one of the meekest according to Numbers 12:3, “Now the man Moses was very meek, more than all people who were on the face of the earth.” Moses never showed weakness as he led the children of Israel in the wilderness for 40 years.

Meekness is defined as humility, patience and discipline under control. Sometimes when we are not under the control of the Holy Spirit we may say or do something that later we regret. Meekness is a characteristic of God that needs to be learned and practiced in every Christian.

Jesus said in Matthew 11:29, “Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” We can learn from Jesus as He was the example of meekness for all to see.

Submitting to God and obeying His Word takes self-control, patience, and discipline. Blessed are the meek. What or who are you facing today that requires you to be meek? Be patient and be humble. Be gentle and exercise self-control.

Pray

Lord, I love You and trust You. Instruct me in all my ways. Strengthen me to be meek and gentle yet bold and courageous.

My Refuge

Encouragement, Faith

“I will say of the Lord , “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.”
Psalms 91:2

We live in a society today that can often make us feel restless. There is much panic and fear over things that are out of our control. But know for certain that God is in control. He knows what is happening in our world and He knows what is happening in your life, right now. He knows and He cares.

Psalm 91 gives us a promising word of encouragement and assurance of God’s protection. We will never find peace in our life if we don’t rely on God’s presence and one way is to meditate on His word. The Psalmist exercised his faith in God as he proclaimed, “He is my refuge, and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.”

God assures us of His divine protection despite the many dangers that surround us. We are encompassed with evil but rest assured that God has you in His hand. Romans 8:38-39 reminds us that nothing is able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Don’t think for a single minute that God is not able to protect you. Right now you are surrounded with guardian angels.

We will be restless until we find rest in Him. Take a few minutes today and reflect on how good God has been to you. Thank Him for providing His divine protection. God desires for you to live in peace and safety. But that doesn’t mean you’ll live a life exempt of danger or suffering. We all live in a world full of sin and in this fallen world life is difficult. God wants to reassure us that He is in control and is protecting your every step of the way.

It’s up to you to find rest and peace. The devil wants to steal, kill, and destroy all your peace and faith in God. But in the name of Jesus, all demons must flee. Find your peace and security in God today by taking Him at His word and meditating on His promises.

Pray

Lord, surround me with Your presence and give me assurance through Your promises. I trust You and know You are in control. Bless me today with peace.

Prepare To Worship

Encouragement, Faith

‘Let us come to him with thanksgiving. Let us sing psalms of praise to him.’
Psalms 95:2

Do you love to worship? Spiritual worship is much more than just showing up for a church service. Worship requires participation. When we meet together for public worship we need to make sure we are do our part.

Our hearts need to be prepared in order to worship effectively. It’s almost impossible to receive the most out of a worship experience just by showing up and going through the motions half heartily. We need to prepare our hearts for what God is going to do during our time of worship.  

Spending time in prayer before it’s time to worship makes a difference. Before we worship we should confess our sins and humble ourselves before the Lord. This will open the door for a wonderful opportunity for God to speak to our hearts.

Our attitude makes all the difference. If you worship with a negative attitude you should expect nothing in return. But if you expect great things to happen during worship, God will show up and bless you tremendously. You don’t want to miss out on a great blessing. The author of Hebrews says, “Don’t forsake or neglect the assembling together” (Hebrews 10:25).  There are wonderful blessings for those who desire to worship the Lord.

Prayer

Lord, as I prepare my heart for worship, I thank You for being a great and awesome God.  Let my mind and heart be in tune with Yours. Speak to me, Lord.