Pastor Stephen Dedman

Tag: christ

He Knows My Name

Encouragement

And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, “Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house.”
Luke 19:5

Have you ever considered how big our world is? It makes us look really small in comparison. It also makes us feel really small. We can’t even imagine what lies beyond what telescopes cannot magnify.

In the Bible story about Zacchaeus, we can imagine what he felt as he climbed up into a tree to see Jesus walk by. Zacchaeus was not a popular person nor did he consider himself special. But when Jesus walked by, stopped and looked at him, everything changed in the blink of an eye.

Jesus called him by name and called him out of the tree so He could spend the afternoon with him. We know that it changed his life because after his encounter with Jesus he began giving money to the poor and refunding those he overcharged.

Before meeting Jesus, Zacchaeus was hated by everyone. But after receiving the free gift of salvation, he was a friend of everyone. Jesus changed his world and gave him a new life.

As we remember this amazing story, it would be advantageous for us to realize that Jesus knows everything about us. He knows our past, future, and what we face right now. When we encounter Jesus, He can change our life for His glory.

You may think that the Lord doesn’t care or isn’t listening to your prayers but He is. You may think that He has other things to be concerned about rather than your life, but He doesn’t. He is inviting you to spend quality time with Him today.

Pray

Lord, make me feel Your presence today. Let me know that You are doing something special in my life. Help me to never forget how much You love me.

Humility Matters

Encouragement

For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.
Luke 14:11

Take every opportunity to promote yourself before and above others. Seize occasions for recognition and manipulate your way into the center of attention. According to the world, this is the way to attain high esteem. 

But according to God’s design, you must put others first. Humble yourself. It’s when God sees your humility that He will exalt you.

If we put our efforts into promoting ourselves, we will be brought down and humiliated. Jesus spoke of a man who tried to enhance his own image (Luke 14:7-11). While attending a dinner, he quickly claimed the seat of most honor. When the host saw this take place, he humiliated the man by asking him to move to another seat, the lowest seat in the room. 

Jesus said the wise thing to do is seek the lowest position and allow someone else to exalt you when they feel that you need to be recognized. 

When we strive to remain humble, we bring glory to God and not ourselves. If we honor God, He will honor us. When the world exalts you, you are the center of attention. But when God exalts you, others will praise Him for what He has done in your life.

Allow God to be the One who honors you in the way that pleases Him!

Pray

Lord, please keep me humble. I ask You to remove all pride from my heart. May Your Holy Spirit transform me and change me.

Your Time Is Precious

Encouragement

See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
Ephesians 5:15-16

In what areas do you invest your time and energy to? What do you spend a lot of your time doing or thinking about? 

A fool makes unwise choices with his time and energy. With every new opportunity that comes along, the fool chases off in a different direction, not questioning whether that is the best choice. Most of the time the loudest voice gains the most attention. But at the end of the day, the fool squanders the investment of time and energy on the things that don’t matter.

The devil knows that if he can get you to waste your time and energy on things that don’t matter then you will not be investing in the things of God. At this moment, the devil is trying to rob your time in the Word of God. The devil knows how to tempt you and make you veer away from God’s best.

Time is precious. Don’t waste your time on the things that you know are not of God. Instead take time to listen for the voice of God as He directs you to the most important and best things that bring everlasting joy.

Pray

Lord, help me to spend more time with You today. Speak to my heart and show me what I need to do to accomplish Your plans. Give me wisdom to discern the most important choices I can make today.