Pastor Stephen Dedman

Category: Faith

He Is God

Faith, Trust

“Therefore know that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments;”
Deuteronomy 7:9

Faithfulness is part of God’s character. He keeps every promise because He is faithful and true. If God were not faithful, we could not be saved nor would there be any reason to pray and have hope.

God has proved His faithfulness by staying true to His word. God will never let you down.

We live in a world of broken promises. There are people suffering from broken promises and unfulfilled commitments. A person’s word is no longer considered good enough to keep a contract. Unkept promises make for a frustrating life.

There are times in our life when we face trials so challenging that we tend to think that God has forgotten about us or that He doesn’t care about what happens in our circumstances. That is not God’s character.

God loves you and He is faithful in every aspect known to man. He knows and cares about what you are facing.

Sometimes we tend to have an earthly perspective of God. We almost try to bring God down to our level. That is a big mistake.

God’s thoughts are not our thoughts and His ways are higher than our ways. (Isaiah 55:8) The next time you face a difficult situation just remember that God is faithful to His word. He will never leave you nor forsake you. He will never give up on you. He will never let the enemy devour you. He will never stop loving you.

Pray

Lord, thank you for always keeping your promises. Your words are faithful and true. Help me to always remember that You will never fail me.

Trust God’s Timing

Faith, Trust

‘For he says, “In a favorable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.’
2 Corinthians 6:2

God is never in a hurry and He is never late. God’s timing is always perfect. His schedule and our schedule may not be the same but He’s always right on time.

Our faith is tested when we learn to trust His timing. Waiting on God is a difficult thing to do when we are impatient.

At times it may seem like God is not listening but He is. It may seem like He is not meeting our needs but He is. God hears our prayers and He hears our cries.

The day that You need Him, God will be there to help. Don’t lose faith and never lose hope. And don’t ever think that He doesn’t care. He does care and He knows your needs.

Sometimes it can be frustrating having to wait on the Lord, but His plan for our lives is good. When we place our trust in His timing we can have total peace and joy.

Joseph had to trust God’s timing. He waited many years for the fulfillment of his dreams to come to pass. God was with him every step of the way. There was some trying times in his life but God timing was always perfect.

Trust that the Lord’s timing is perfect for you too. God wants to show you what you need to know when it’s the right time and place. Be patient and wait on the Lord. Good things come to those who wait upon the Lord.

Pray

Lord, I know Your timing is perfect. Give me knowledge and wisdom to discern the difference between my timing and Yours. Help me to wait on You.

Immediate Action

Faith, Trust

But Jesus said to him, “Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭8:22‬

There is a story about a certain tribe in Africa that elected a new king every seven years.  The king would reign for seven years being treated with the highest honor and given every luxury.  The king had absolute authority even to administer power of life and death over members of the tribe.  

The only catch was at the end of the seven years a new king was chosen and the old king was killed.  This practice went on for years and every tribe member knew the provision and there was never a shortage of men wanting the position.  They were willing to forfeit their lives in order to enjoy seven years of luxury and power.

Jesus encountered a disciple who wanted to follow Him but needed to go home and take care of some business first.  Regardless of the situation, Jesus commanded an immediate response and obedience.  Jesus knew the heart of this man and what was happening in his personal life.  

Jesus is not saying that we are to neglect our families and friends but instead He is prompting immediate action.  Either this man was being greedy and waiting for his part of the inheritance or this man valued his family more than Christ.  Regardless, Jesus instructed the disciple to follow Him right then.

Many of us have excuses of why we can’t serve the Lord to the fullest right now.  We may only get one opportunity for certain tasks and if we don’t immediately obey we will miss out on a great blessing.  The Lord wants us to be available to be used by Him on His timing.  Don’t get caught up in the luxury and power of this world only to miss an opportunity to serve the Lord.

Pray

Lord, You have my heart and soul.  Show me where I need to be in complete obedience to your plans for my life.