Pastor Stephen Dedman

Category: Trust

All Praise To God

Encouragement, Trust

Where there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?
Luke 17:18

Luke 17:11-19 tells the story of a marvelous miracle of Jesus healing ten men from the dreadful disease of leprosy.  Luke tells that there were ten healed physically, but only one was healed spiritually.  Jesus used this event to open the eyes of the spiritual blinded especially the priests.

Leprosy was associated among the people as a curse on mankind.  Lepers were the most miserable people.  Their physical pain was awful enough but they also endured complete isolation from family and friends.  

By law they were considered outcasts and remained so until their death because there was no cure.  And that is where we find these ten men, standing afar off, as Jesus passed through their village. As soon as they saw Him, they lifted their weak and raspy voices and cried out for mercy and help.  

Luke doesn’t tell us that Jesus heard them but rather He saw them.  With great compassion and mercy Jesus sent them to the priests in order to fulfill the Levitical law of healing.  And as they walked toward the temple they were all healed of the deadly disease.

Verse 15 is the climax of the story.  One of them, when he saw he was healed, returned and worshiped Jesus.  With thanksgiving in his heart and praise in his voice, the Samaritan received the spiritual blessing of salvation because of his faith.  The other men didn’t consider Jesus as God.  They were healed but not saved.

We should always be thankful for our physical blessings but we certainly show our gratitude to Jesus for saving our souls.  We do so through faithfully worshipping and serving Christ and showing compassion and forgiveness to all people.  If the only blessing we received was salvation, it is enough.  All other blessings are extra benefits.

Is there something God has done for you and you didn’t praise Him for it? Take a moment and praise Him.

Pray

Lord, I thank You for giving me spiritual insight.  I confess You as my Savior and I worship You only. I give You glory and honor for who You are.

God’s Presence

Encouragement, Trust

And he said to him, “If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here.”
‭‭Exodus‬ ‭33:15‬

There are many people today who are not concerned about the presence of God.  They are not concerned if God is with them personally or in their church.  It is alarming to know how many people claim to be Christian but are not concerned with God’s presence.  

Moses was concerned with God’s presence.  He didn’t want to go into the Promise Land if God was not going with them.  Moses said he would rather stay in the wilderness with God rather than be in a land flowing with milk and honey and be without the Him. Moses couldn’t imagine living life without God’s presence.

We should be praying daily that we are aligning our life with the way that God desires for us to live.  We make life choices everyday but are we seeking God’s way?  Too many times we exclude God from our lives.  We often make the mistake of doing things that we think we should and never ask God if it is what we should be doing.

God’s presence is powerful and brings peace into our lives.  Without God’s presence we will face many turmoils and disturbances that will cause us to lose sight of God’s big picture.

Do you sense the presence of God where you are right now?

Pray

Lord, mold me to make me what You want me to be.  Plant my feet on solid ground and move me to where You want me to be.

Enjoy What God Has Made

Encouragement, Trust

And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭1:31‬

Have you taken time this week to appreciate God’s creation?  As you look out into space you can’t help but think about God placing everything in the right place.  The moon and stars are just perfect.

Just consider the things of the earth. A peaceful flowing river of crystal clear water carving out its path to the sea.  A sunset with a mixture of rich colors exploding with delight. Thick clouds swirling in motion to provide an afternoon thunderstorm.  

The heavens and the earth are full of God’s glory. They are His wondrous masterpiece.

God hasn’t made any mistakes and never will.  Everything He says and does is perfect and beyond imagination.  After creating everything into existence, He looked over His marvelous work and said it was very good.  

The words “very good” and can mean many things to different people.  If you were to say something was very good it would be your opinion.  A very good Mexican dish or a fresh warm banana pudding would be very good to some, but not to all.  When God says it is very good, it is not just another opinion but His glory revealed.

When you witness the beauty of God’s creation you can’t help but to notice His handiwork.  Even the birds and animals, the trees and grass in the field, and the fish in the sea declare His wondrous love.  He made everything for you to know who He is.  

Make sure to take time today to enjoy God’s perfect creation.

Pray

Lord, help me to take time to notice what You have handcrafted.  Thank You for thinking of me when You created all things. Help me to enjoy what You have made for my pleasure.