Pastor Stephen Dedman

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Not My Will

Encouragement, Trust

Not My Will

Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.
Luke 22:42

God’s Will

As Jesus was praying in the Garden of Gethsemane the night before He was to be crucified, He was intensely praying for God’s will to be done.  Divinely, Jesus knew what needed to be done but on the humanity side He was dreadful of what was to come.  This verse points to the fact that Jesus was fully man and fully God.

Jesus was praying for God to remove the cup of suffering.  He was praying if there could be any other way besides the cross then let it be.  But if not, then the will of the Father is best.  Jesus wanted the will of God to be done, perfectly.  This should be our prayer as well.  We should pray for God’s will to be done in our life not matter what.  No matter what suffer, loss, or anguish we must face it will be for the Lord’s sake.

Sometimes we don’t fully seek the will of God for our lives.  We seek was pleases us the most and when we face a mess we turn to God for help.  God’s will is always best for us but it’s not always the easiest.  We too may face suffering and shame in our walk with God but in the end we should always remember that if it is God’s will then it is the best way.  It’s hard sometimes to agree to have God’s will to be done in our life but we should yield our will and way to His.  Since God knows all things and He knows the future then we need to pray the same prayer that Jesus prayed.

Prayer

Lord, today, nonetheless, not my will, but yours, be done.  I submit to your will and way for my life.

My Shepherd

Salvation, Trust

My Shepherd

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭23:1‬ ‭

Perfect Provision

The biblical shepherd knew everything about his sheep.  He knew what they wanted to eat and when they needed fresh water to drink.  He also knew the area well enough to guide the sheep in the right direction for the perfect food and water.  The sheep grew to trust the shepherd to meet their needs.  A good shepherd always gave his sheep the best.  The condition of the sheep was a reflection of the shepherd.

The Lord is our Good Shepherd.  (John 10:11)  The Psalmist was convinced that he would never “want” for anything because the Lord would always provide the best.  Just as the sheep need a shepherd so we need the Lord, our Good Shepherd, to meet our needs.  He provides everything we need just in time.  We do not need to worry of the Lord is going to provide, we just need to follow His lead and trust Him.  The Psalmist gives us a perfect illustration of how the Lord loves His sheep.  Even to die for us.

Is there something you are “wanting”?  It may be that you have turned your focus off the Lord and turned to a worldly perspective.  God’s economy is not the same as the world’s economy.  When our desires are distracted by a worldly attraction our sense of “wanting” changes.  We never need to “want” what the world has to offer.  If we keep our minds set on Christ and heavenly things, we will never “want”.  But if we place our passions on the things of this world we will find ourselves lacking because the things of the world will never satisfy our souls like the Lord does.  Keep your eyes on Jesus.

Prayer

Lord, I know you give me everything I need.  Help me not to want what the world has to offer but to desire your perfect provision.

Sow Bountifully

Encouragement, Faith, Trust

Sow Bountifully

The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭9:6‬ ‭

You Reap What You Sow

God loves a cheerful giver. (vs. 7)  A generous heart that gives freely and willingly is rewarded in the same manner.  God will bless you according to how you give.  Christian giving is reflected by one’s relationship with God.  The more we are aligned with the will of God the more we will experience the awesomeness of God.

Paul is teaching the Believers in Corinth an encouraging principle.  He promised them that if they would give bountifully, God will reward bountifully.  As Christians we should be willing to give what we have to those who are in need.  The early church was able to meet the needs of everyone.  Today we see a lot of people who are in need.  There are a lot of church members who are in great need of assistance.  Some do not speak out nor ask anything from their church.  We should all be prayerfully sensitive to the needs of our fellow Believers.  There is great joy in store for those who are able to give freely and willingly.

God wants us to give more than just our money.  He desires that we share our faith and talents as well.  We all are gifted in various ways that provide blessings to other people.  If you can give big, give it and watch what God will do with it.  If you can sing beautifully, sing so others can hear you.  If you can teach, wisely teach the Word.  If you can preach, what are you waiting for?  There is so many different ways that you can bountifully give of yourself and what you have.  Always remember that you have what you have because God has bountifully given.

Prayer

Lord, use what I have to help someone else in need.  Give me a generous giving heart.