The Den Of Lions

October 14, 2019 Pastor Stephen Dedman Encouragement, Faith, Trust

The Den Of Lions

Then the king commanded, and Daniel was brought and cast into the den of lions. The king declared to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, deliver you!”
‭‭Daniel‬ ‭6:16‬

God’s Grace

Daniel had some enemies who devised a plan to remove him from serving the king and worshipping God. They went before King Darius and agreed that no one should serve anyone or any other god besides the king. Unknowingly of the plan of deception, the king set forth the 30-day decree.

Daniel went about his normal routine and went up to his window and prayed toward Jerusalem to God. The evil men knew they would find him praying and quickly brought him before the king to have him thrown into the lion’s den. The king was distressed after knowing what took place but had to go through with the plan of action. The king went to Daniel and said, “May your God, whom you serve continually, deliver you!” Then the king fasted and prayed all night for Daniel. The next morning the king was there to witness that Daniel had been delivered. God sent Angels to close the lions’ mouths. After all of this, the king wrote a new decree that all people were to worship and serve God.

Daniel found himself in a tough situation but he never stopped trusting in God. He continued to pray and he put his trust in God when faced with hungry lions. He found favor with God. Interestingly, God did not remove Daniel from the pit. He sent Angels to protect him but God wanted Daniel to witness something very powerful. God allowed Daniel to remain in the pit but with sufficient grace. God may not immediately remove us from our pit but He will protect us and give us grace to endure all that comes our way.

Prayer

Lord, Your grace is all I need. Keep me safe and take care of my enemies.

Endurance And Encouragement

October 8, 2019 Pastor Stephen Dedman Faith, Trust

Endurance And Encouragement

For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
‭‭Romans‬ ‭15:4‬ ‭

For Our Instruction

Reading and studying the Scriptures is not just to gain knowledge and wisdom. We engage ourselves with Scripture so that we may be encouraged as well. It must become a routine of our life in order to make a difference in how we live. As this verse says, it takes endurance.

The Word of God brings us hope. It is what connects us to the will of our Heavenly Father. It’s one thing to say that you are a Christian, it’s another to live as a Christian. God has given us His Word so that we may know what is expected of us as we live out our faith here and now. We are in the process of sanctification. Until we meet our Lord we are preparing for Heaven. How well are you preparing?

There are many things competing with the things of God. That is the reason why many today feel hopeless. The things of this world are not eternal and therefore will not sustain. The things which bring us hope are the things that are eternal. God’s love for example is eternal. God’s love brings us hope and sustains us even right now. God’s mercy and grace brings us hope. God’s patience brings us hope. The list can go on and on. But the fact of the matter is this; if we never dive into the Word of God for what it really is, then we may never really know lasting hope and contentment. Make God’s Word be part of your daily routine.

Prayer

Lord, I love Your Word. May it be my guide and way for living during these evil days. Speak to me today through it.

The Fool Says

October 7, 2019 Pastor Stephen Dedman Faith, Trust

The Fool Says

The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds; there is none who does good.
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭14:1‬

Make Room For God

David begins Psalm 14 by describing what many people say within their hearts, “There is no God.” This concept is formed from the mindset of atheism. This is not a new concept either. There have always been and will always be people who will not believe that there is a God. David says that those who say in their hearts that there is no God are fools.

David refers to these people as fools because they are not observant. Romans 1:20 says, “For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.” A person is foolish if they cannot realize that there is someone greater than themselves. The attributes of God can be seen by anyone. And if you don’t see these things, you are without excuse.

The result of believing that there is no God and refusing to make room for God in our lives is that we become corrupt. David makes this clear as he continues in verse 1, “They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds, there is none who does good.” We are guilty of being foolish when we do not make room for God in our lives. We may believe that God is real but if we don’t make room for Him in our lives we are considered as fools. Not only are we to believe that God is real and true, we must also make room for Him in our personal lives. We are to make sure that our lives are reflecting that we do believe there is a God and He is alive and with us.

Prayer

Lord, help me to make room for you in all the areas of my life. I depend on you daily and need you every hour.