Pastor Stephen Dedman

Category: Trust

Sing To The Lord

Encouragement, Trust

“I will sing to the LORD, Because He has dealt bountifully with me.”
‭Psalms‬ ‭13:6‬

David expressed his joy by singing to the Lord. He was overwhelmed with joy from meditating on the fact that God had given him salvation. He knew he was saved and rejoiced in it. Singing to God increased his joy even more.

David used singing to overcome negative thoughts and emotions. When he felt depressed he would sing. If he felt burdened he sang to the Lord. Singing and praising the Lord was his way of coping with the difficulties he faced.

As David reflected on his life he couldn’t help but notice how good God was to him. God was always there for him no matter what he was facing. Do you have a reason to rejoice unto the Lord?

If you have received the free gift of salvation, you have a reason to sing. If you know your sins (past, present, and future) are forgiven, you have a reason to sing. If you know your eternal home is in Heaven, you have a reason to shout!

God gave us Jesus so we could rejoice and be glad. Jesus gives us hope for a bright future. When we think about how good God is and how good He has been to us it should put a song in our heart.

David began Psalm 13 with thinking that God had forgotten about him. He was feeling abandoned and all alone but by the last verse he was rejoicing and was glad.

When you are feeling down just meditate on the goodness of God. If you feel depressed or overwhelmed with despair think about what good things God has done for you. It won’t take long before your sorrow turns to joy.

Rejoice in the Lord and be glad today. Put a smile on your face and a song on your lips. Let others around you know how good God is. Let them join you in singing to the Lord.

Pray

Lord, thank you for giving me Jesus. Thank you for forgiving me of my sins. Thank you for giving me eternal life in Heaven.

Disguised As Harmless

Trust

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.”
Matthew 7:15

The New Living Translation says it this way: “Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves.”

“Disguised as harmless” is a good description of what we see today. There are voices all around us that claim to speak God’s truth. But watch out, most of them are fake, false, and phonies.

Pay close attention to the voices you are listening to. Most importantly make sure you discern the voice of God. You can easily discern the voice of God when it aligns with the truth of the Scriptures.

God’s truth and word does not change and will not change. What He said 6000 years ago is still true today.

Sadly, there are bad people disguised as good people that claim to speak the truth. They tell you how to believe, what to do, what to say, how to vote, how to spend money, how to parent, etc… These voices sound good and look good but they are vicious wolves. Their intent is to devour.

Jesus warns us to make sure every voice we hear is supported with the authority of God’s Word. Does their message agree with the rest of the Bible? Does it point people closer to Jesus? That is why it is important to know what the Bible says to study it.

You have a responsibility to choose wisely who you listen to.

Pray

Lord, help me to discern who speaks in Your name. Let me speak truth and wisdom into others. Protect me and my sheep.

Living In Hope

Faith, Trust

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,”
‭‭I Peter‬ ‭1:3‬

Are you dwelling in the living hope of Jesus Christ? We have hope through Jesus’ death and resurrection because he defeated sin on the cross. Jesus’ last words on the cross were, “It is finished.” His final words give us a living hope only found in Him.

The hope that we have is based upon the fact that Jesus is coming back soon. When Jesus comes all things will be made new. This earth will be dissolved and a new earth will be created for our good. Until Jesus comes back we patiently wait for the glorious day to appear.

Some days we let the worries of the world get the best of us. We sit and sour over things that sometimes are meaningless. If we dwell in the living hope of Jesus our mindset will give us a positive outlook on life. Our hope in Jesus will give us courage to face opposition of the enemy. And our assurance of Jesus’ return will Make for a great anticipation of good things to come.

Until the day Jesus comes back we honor and praise His wondrous name. We live our life in a way that brings glory to God. We set ourselves apart from evil and resist the devil. We live every day like it is our last day here. We desire to hear Jesus say, “good and faithful servant.”

You may be faced with a dilemma today but rest assured in the blessed hope of Jesus. He will see you through to the end. It may not be the outcome you were expecting but God has a purpose and a plan just for you. Will you trust in His blessed hope today?

Pray

Lord, thank you for giving me hope and assurance. I praise you and honor you for who you are. As I go through this day, help me to see what you have in store for me.