Pastor Stephen Dedman

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Give Quietly

Faith

‘But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, ‘
Matthew 6:3

The people that Jesus was referring to were very generous people. Just as they publicized their righteousness they also publicized their giving. They wanted to be noticed for their good deeds.

Public recognition is still popular today. We see famous people get a lot of publicity when they give large donations to charity. Some even have buildings named after them.

Jesus tells us to be careful with public recognition. It’s nice to be praised when you do something for the common good but there is a greater reward for those who do it quietly and privately. Would you rather be rewarded by men or by God?

While it is biblical to do good deeds and to be generous, the lesson that Jesus is teaching us is about denying ourselves self-congratulation. It should become so natural for us to not even know that we have done something that deserves praise. It’s about giving for God’s glory.

What is your motive for doing good deeds? Is it to get a promotion or to get a favor in return? If so, you are giving with the wrong motive. The purpose of our generosity should not be to impress others but to impress God with our faithfulness.

Pray

Lord, all that I have is from You. Help me to be a good steward of what You have trusted me with. Increase my faith in You so that I will be a more giving person.

Declare His Greatness

Encouragement

One generation shall praise Your works to another, And shall declare Your mighty acts. I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty, And on Your wondrous works. Men shall speak of the might of Your awesome acts, And I will declare Your greatness.
Psalms 145:4-6

God’s works and mighty acts are worthy to be praised. It is the responsibility of fathers and mothers to teach their children about the greatness of God. Generation after generation shall declare His greatness.

Meditation upon God’s splendor moves people to praise. His creation and redemption are all part of His wondrous works. His nature is revealed in His works.

God’s power is spoken of by those who experience His greatness. Once you witness His excellence you will never stop speaking of His majesty.

We praise the Lord because of who He is to us. As small as we may be compared to all of creation, He has chosen mankind to be His best works.

God wants us to experience His greatness on a daily basis. He wants us to love Him for who He is. And as soon as your eyes are opened, you can’t help but love the Creator of the universe.

Do you love God with all of your heart? Let your actions prove it. Let your lips prove it.

What has God done for you today that makes you praise His great name?

Pray

Lord, You alone are worthy of all praise. Thank You for giving me the fee gift of Salvation through Jesus Christ. Let the words of my lips reflect my heart of joy.

Don’t Give Up

Faith

Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Ephesians 6:13

We’ve all encountered times when we were ready to quit. The thought crossed our mind that it wasn’t worth it any longer. We wanted to throw in the towel and give up.

Well… Paul encourages us to not give up or give in. The question that we must ask is, “have we done all that we can do?” You may quickly respond with a shouting “YES!” I’ve done all I can do and nothing has changed.

The Bible says, “…and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore…” (Ephesians 6:13,14) Paul didn’t say turn and run. He didn’t say give up. He said when you’ve done all to stand – Stand! Just stand there!

Sometimes that’s just the thing to do. Just stand in place and wait for the Lord. Let the Lord come to your rescue.

God is waiting for you to say, “I can’t do it any longer” or “I don’t have the strength to carry on.” That is when submission happens and the Lord can step in and do His job and help us.

All He wants you to do is stand there and just keep your position. Don’t give up and don’t give in to the temptation to quit. Just stand there and be quiet.

Stop complaining and start praising. All we have to do is just believe.

Pray

Lord, I am Your servant and You are my Lord and Savior. I belong to You and You are my strength and comfort. In You I will trust. Give me what I need to keep going.