Pastor Stephen Dedman

Category: Trust

The Blessing Of Comfort

Encouragement, Trust

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Matthew 5:4

Life is tough.  Life on this side of eternity has it’s disappointments, discouragements, and defeats.  At some point in time we all suffer emotional discomfort.  

The people we love the most are the ones who hurt us the most.  It’s important that we learn how to endure our greatest disappointments and defeats so that we can be the person God has called us to be.

We can react to our hurt and pain by either mourning or moaning.  Mourning will lead us to comfort but moaning will lead us to complaining. The devil wants us to moan and complain because he wants us to be miserable.  

Jesus desires that we appropriately mourn so that He can comfort us and restore us.  We must learn to properly mourn when we hurt.

Jesus gives nine Beatitudes or Blessings that help us live according to His plan and purpose.  Verse 4 is the blessing of mourning that leads to comfort.  Jesus promises to comfort those who hurt.  

If there is anyone who can understand your hurt and pain,  it is Jesus.  The people who were singing, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord”  were the same people who were shouting, “Crucify Him, Crucify Him!” a few days later.  Jesus suffered more emotional hurt and pain than anyone else.

If you have lost a loved one or suffering the loss of a job, have you mourned? Maybe you have been hurt by a spouse, a friend, or even a church member.  If you are hurting, turn and talk to Jesus about it.  Jesus says, “Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)

Pray

Lord, I’m hurting and need Your love and compassion. Help me to forgive. Give me the power to overcome all things that try to pull me down.

He Is All We Need

Trust

‘Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise! No one can measure his greatness.’
Psalms 145:3

There’s only one God as revealed in the Bible. You can’t make up a god of your own choosing. Once you experience His greatness you don’t need any other gods.

Do you remember in Exodus when Moses went up to Mount Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments? He left the people for 40 days while he met with God. The people feared that he would never return and demanded that Aaron make them a “god” to go before them. (Exodus 32:1)

Aaron gathered all the gold from the people and constructed a “golden calf”. And sadly, they worshipped it and said, “O Israel, these are the gods who brought you out of the land of Egypt!” (Exodus 32:4)

When Moses returned he became very angry and threw down the two tablets, breaking them. He threw the golden calf into the fire, ground it into powder, scattered it on water, and forced the people to drink it. Then he instructed that the people repent and he went and pleaded with God.

Watch how great God is when we read Nehemiah 9:16-21. ‘“But you are a God of forgiveness, gracious and merciful, slow to become angry, and rich in unfailing love. You did not abandon them, even when they made an idol shaped like a calf and said, ‘This is your god who brought you out of Egypt!’ They committed terrible blasphemies. “But in your great mercy you did not abandon them to die in the wilderness. The pillar of cloud still led them forward by day, and the pillar of fire showed them the way through the night. You sent your good Spirit to instruct them, and you did not stop giving them manna from heaven or water for their thirst. For forty years you sustained them in the wilderness, and they lacked nothing. Their clothes did not wear out, and their feet did not swell!’

Why would we ever want to serve any other god besides the One true God of the Bible? He is all we need. Trust in Him to be your only source of wisdom and power.

Pray

Lord, I remove anything and everything that keeps me from serving You only. I trust in You for all things. Thank You for being so great to me.

Do You Follow Jesus?

Faith, Salvation, Trust

Whoever is not with Me is against Me, and whoever does not gather with Me scatters.
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭12:30‬

There are those who follow Jesus and those who follow Satan.  There is no other choice.  Everyone must decide who they will follow.  

To be against Jesus is to side with Satan.  If you are not serving Christ you are serving Satan.  If you are against Jesus you are against God.  There is no peace for those who are against God.

Joshua said, “And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15) 

The world has a lot to offer but it cannot give you anything permanent like what Jesus can.  The world will offer you happiness but Jesus gives you everlasting joy. Only Jesus can satisfy the longing of your soul.

Satan will deceive you and make you think that life is better without Jesus. Don’t fall in that trap. He comes to steal, kill and destroy. Jesus comes to give life and life more abundantly.

Which will you choose? To whom do you belong? Who gives you hope?

Pray

Lord, I will serve You and You only.  Guide me and direct my paths to do the work You call me to do. Thank You for giving me grace and forgiveness.