Pastor Stephen Dedman

Category: Trust

Wait On The Lord

Trust

“Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So, when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was.”
John 11:5-6

There are times in our life when we don’t understand why things are happening. We pray for God to allow things to go smoothly for us. But what about the times when things don’t go our way?

The words in verse 5 is what we expect to hear. We expect to hear that Jesus loved his close friends. Martha, Mary and Lazarus were very close to Jesus.

Jesus would often go to their house and eat the meals that Martha cooked and Mary would sit at His feet and listen to His stories. Their relationship with Jesus was personal. Jesus enjoyed being with them and they enjoyed being with Him.

What we don’t expect to hear are these words in verse 6. “So when He (Jesus) heard that Lazarus was sick, He stayed were He was two more days.” That is not what anyone expects Jesus to do. We expect Him to quickly go to Bethany and heal Lazarus and everyone is happy.

That’s our expectations. We want Jesus to come when we call for Him. We want Jesus to take action when we need Him. For Jesus to delay helping His close friends shows us that He has a bigger plan.

Jesus wanted to do something far beyond what anyone could have imagined. So He allowed Lazarus to into the grave a few days to prove who He was. When Jesus arrived to the place where Lazarus laid, He called out His name and the dead man came alive. The glory of God was shown so that many believed in Him as the Messiah.

We must remember that Jesus doesn’t always do what we expect. Sometimes He wants to do things that are beyond our comprehension. He wants us to know that He is able to do more than what we expect.

The Lord wants to show us that He is able to do things that are indescribable. But we must believe He is able. If He is able to give sight to the blind and life to the dead, He is able to take care of every problem we have.

Wait on the Lord and let Him do what He needs to do in your life. The wait may not be just for you. He may want to use your circumstance to show someone else who He is.

Pray

Lord, I wait for You to give me what I need. I trust in Your provision. Give me wisdom to see how Your working in my life.

Nothing Is Too Hard

Faith, Trust

“’Ah, Lord God! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you.”
‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭32:17‬

Have you ever discovered anything too difficult for God? It’s a truth that we know but do we believe deep down in our hearts that God can do anything, anytime, anywhere?

Sometimes we get an earthly mindset and limit the power of God. God is not limited to physical attributes. We can be guilty of underestimating the power of God.

Abraham and Sarah gave birth to a son when they were well past child bearing age. Sarah was too old to get pregnant. But God reminded Abraham, “Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, about this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son.“” ‭‭(Genesis‬ ‭18:14‬). What might seem illogical to us is possible with God.

There are many instances in the Bible that do not seem logical but the things of God can’t be explained physically.

  • It’s impossible for a man to live in the belly of a fish for three days.
  • It’s impossible for walls to crumble when all you do is blow your trumpets and shout.
  • It’s impossible for a baby to be born of a virgin.
  • It’s impossible for water to be turned into wine.
  • It’s impossible for a blind man to instantly regain his vision.
  • It’s impossible for a dead man to come back alive after being dead for three days.
  • It’s impossible for a man to walk on water.

The truth remains, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”” ‭‭(Luke‬ ‭18:27‬) Whatever you’re facing today, be reminded that God can do anything. Sometimes He will do things that are unexpected and unimaginable.

Pray

Lord, I know you can work all things out for your glory. Give me the courage today to know you will do it.

Are You Witnessing To Others?

Faith, Salvation, Trust

“”You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “and my servant whom I have chosen, that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me.”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭43:10‬

In the Bible, God’s children experienced miracles beyond imagination. They had prophets that preached warning and prophecy straight from God. What more did they need to be able to tell others how good God was to them? Other nations were jealous because God favored Israel so much.

There are countless passages of Scripture that prove God takes care of His chosen people. They are protected against their enemies and they are given gifts and blessings beyond comprehension.

Israel was God’s chosen people, a nation called to be His witnesses. They were told to proclaim the good news of God to pagan nations and to show them the need for salvation. They were to be a light to the Gentiles.

They were commanded to teach others about God and warn them that false gods and idols were useless and powerless. God established a promise and a blessing for His chosen people so others would notice how God was protecting and providing for them.

As Christians we are called to be witnesses for God. We need to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ. We need to openly speak about how good God is.

We are to shine the light of Jesus into our dark, sinful world. Unbelievers need to witness what we truly have in a relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

Is your life a witness to others? It’s not so much in what you say but in what you do. Your faith in God is proven through the choices you make everyday.

You may be faced with difficult choices today and your faith may be the deciding factor. Your faith in God will declare to others how and what you believe to be true about God. Others are watching you to see if what you believe is true.

Show the wonders of God by witnessing to others the wonderful love and grace of our amazing Father.

Pray

Lord, I need you today. Show me Your glory. Help me to be a living testimony to others. I want others to see You in me.