Pastor Stephen Dedman

Tag: christ

Problems Are Opportunities

Encouragement

And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, “They have no wine.”
John 2:3

What do you do when you have problems? Our problems are actually good opportunities for God to show us what He can do. They give God the opportunity to work on our behalf and display His glory.

Jesus’ mother knew exactly what to do with the problem. She went straight to Jesus and said, “They have no wine.” It is interesting to note that Mary did not tell Jesus what to do or how to resolve it. In verse 5, Mary simply said to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it.” 

When we give our problems to the Lord, we trust Him to work on our behalf and we do whatever He commands us to do. We must remain faithful and obedient to the Lord regardless if it makes sense or not. Jesus turned the water into wine because the servants were obedient to Jesus. 

Most of the time we want to tell Jesus how to fix our problems. However the most important thing to do when we give our problems to the Lord is be obedient and patient. Do whatever He tells you to do.

The servants obeyed the words of Jesus and had faith that He had a plan. They could have easily came up with excuses and reasons of why not to go fill up the water pots, but they didn’t. In the end, the servants were not only witnesses of the miracle, they were participants in it.

What is the Lord telling you to do? Allow the Lord to turn problems into opportunities. Only the Lord can do such marvelous works.

Pray

Lord, when You speak I will listen and obey. Help me today to do Your will and let me witness a marvelous work. 

Share The Good News

Encouragement

What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice,
Philippians 1:18

Is sharing Jesus with others a priority for you? When was the last time you shared with someone the grace and goodness of God?

The most important thing to Paul was that Christ needed to be proclaimed and exalted. Even when he was in prison, Paul was thinking of ways he could preach about Jesus. The only thing that brought him joy was proclaiming the grace of God.

Paul’s message was not always received in agreement. Many times he was stoned, beaten or rebuked for preaching the name of Jesus. But nothing stopped him from preaching Christ. He loved Jesus.

What’s keeping you from sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ today? We have so many resources at our fingertips yet we sometimes remain silent. Even in some churches, Christ is not preached! This ought not to be so. 

Paul was motivated by God’s grace. He was living proof of what God can do with a person who desires to be used by God. We should be just as eager as Paul to share the Good News of Jesus. 

Paul could have lost heart being imprisoned in Rome yet he rejoiced in his circumstances. He recognized that God was ordaining every situation of his life. Despite all of the negative circumstances, he kept rejoicing and proclaiming the saving name of Jesus.

Are you motivated by the love of Christ?

Pray

Lord, thank You for what You have called me to do. Help me to keep rejoicing and speaking Your great name. I pray that wherever You guide me today, I will tell others about You.

Keep The Word

Encouragement

Oh, that my ways were directed To keep Your statutes!
Psalms 119:5

Does this verse reflect your heart? Do your actions reflect God’s standards? As we mature in our walk with the Lord we should consistently reflect God’s will and ways in all our actions. 

However, we are human and we fall short of the target of perfection. The psalmist goes on to give us some helpful insights to overcome our daily temptations. In verse 9 he says,”How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word.” There is supernatural power in the Word of God.

If we are to reflect God’s ways, we must know and keep God’s Word close to our heart. In verse 11 he says, “Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You.” When we treasure God’s Word we hide it in our hearts and it provides for us a weapon against the temptation to sin. Thus the power of God’s Word!

If you desire to reflect God’s statues in your actions, you must know them and treasure them deep in your heart. The enemy wants to keep you in the dark but God brings all things to light. Verse 105 says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Again, it’s the power of God’s Word.

Can we live pure in an impure world? Absolutely. Can we overcome the temptation to sin? Of course. The power of God’s Word gives us victory!

Pray

Lord, I need to trust in Your Word and meditate on it day and night. Give me the desire to study it and the wisdom to understand it. Thank You for giving me Your Word.