Pastor Stephen Dedman

Forgiveness

Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭4:32‬ 

Is there someone you are having a difficult time forgiving? We’ve all had people that did something against us to makes us bitter. 

Maybe it was a false accusation or someone stole something from you. Maybe it’s your spouse, a family member, a co-worker, an ex-employer, or even yourself. We must come to the point of forgiving that person and that offense. 

We should know what the Bible says about forgiveness. But do we do it? The Bible says to forgive others just as Jesus has forgiven you. 

How many times have you asked for forgiveness and recommitted the very same sin? Over and over we sin against God but He is gracious to forgive us. 

The reason we must forgive others is to show the love of Christ that is living inside our hearts. When we don’t forgive we are storing up bitterness and anger which will eventually pour out like water. 

If you don’t forgive that certain person you will eventually become a miserable person. Just save yourself the time and energy and start practicing forgiveness. 

Sometimes forgiveness can be a difficult task. There are some very cruel people in our world that do cruel things. But here’s the thing… we cannot let someone else’s action dictate who we are or who we become. We cannot let a bad situation control our lives and make us live in agony. 

The power of forgiveness is beautiful. It releases the turmoil that has been living in your soul and gives you freedom to live in peace.

Pray

Lord, help me to understand true forgiveness and mercy. Help me to have a forgiving heart that shows others Your grace. Forgive me of my sins.

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”
Joshua‬ ‭1:9

Joshua was appointed by God to lead the people of God into the promise land. Stress and leadership pressures were upon him after Moses died. So God spoke a personal message to him to encourage him how to be a successful, spiritual leader. 

That same message is applicable to us today. God instructs us to be strong and courageous and to meditate on the Word of God. These are key elements to living a successful life under the lordship of Christ. 

The devil knows the power that God’s Word has on your life. Satan will do whatever he needs to do to keep you from experiencing the supernatural power of God. He will distract you, keep you occupied on things that don’t matter, and he will make you stress on things that God has already accomplished. 

The devil has a sneaky way of interfering with our daily walk with Jesus. It happened in the very beginning with Adam and Eve and it still happens today. But we have the mighty power of God to overcome and conquer the evil schemes of our enemy. 

God wants you to be strong and courageous. He wants you to lean towards Him for wisdom and safety. Everything we need is given to us through faith in Him. But it is up to you and I if we rely on Him to see us through. 

Would you rather have the resources from God or would you rather rely on your own human logic and strength? God wants you to trust Him and put your full faith into knowing He is all you need. 

Pray

Lord, I trust You and place my full faith in You because You know all things. I will encourage myself in Your Words and I will enjoy the life you have given to me. 

God’s Will Is Best

But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.
‭‭James‬ ‭1:25‬

The reason that Jesus could endure the suffering of the cross was because He knew it was God’s perfect will. He also knew that He would be raised from the dead. He knew He was the saving Grace.

There is perfect peace that comes from being in God’s will and power in knowing that you have eternal life in Heaven.  It is God’s will that everyone know and confess Jesus as Lord. It’s God’s will that everyone’s sins be forgiven.

We may never have all the answers to life’s problems but we do have a cure for our sin problem. It’s Jesus Christ. It’s forgiveness and grace. He is the One who saves us from all of our sins. 

Even though Christians continue to sin we have forgiveness, mercy, and grace. And it is a result of the obedience and compassion of Jesus. We won’t fully comprehend what salvation means until we are in the presence of Almighty God. It will be at that time that we fully understand the love of God and the will of God.

God wants the best for you. He wants you to prosper and succeed in this life, but it must be according to His will. God reveals His will to us through His Word. We will never know what we must do until we hear His voice. 

God’s Word speaks to us and gives us wisdom to choose what is right. We will never know His will for our life until we submit and obey His commands. Have you ever found it difficult to know what God’s will is for your life?  The answer lies in the fact of hearing and doing His Word. If we only hear His Word and not act upon it we are simply rejecting His great blessings. But when we hear and do His Word we are blessed.

Pray

Lord, You are my Savior and I submit to You and follow Your direction. Speak truth into me today. Give me wisdom to choose what is right.