Pastor Stephen Dedman

Tag: daily devotional

The Greatest Demonstration

Encouragement

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:8

God wants to make Himself known to us. He shows and reveals Himself to us so that we shall know that we belong to Him alone. While He has never been seen by human eyes, His glory is revealed to us in various ways. He reveals Himself through the beauty of His creation. He will reveal Himself to us through people that He places in our lives. But most especially, God reveals Himself to us through His only Son, Jesus Christ.

Jesus is Emmanuel! He is the loving, good Savior who came to earth. Emmanuel means, God is with us. Jesus is God in word and flesh. 

From the Bible, we learn that we all sin (Romans 3:23). And the punishment for sin is death (Romans 6:23) and eternal separation from God’s goodness. Because we sin, we cannot go to be with God in heaven on our own when we die. God loves us so much, and he provided a way to rescue us from our sins about 2,000 years ago.

God makes His presence be known among us through the power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the invisible truth of God that encourages and convicts us of our sin. Most importantly the work of the Holy Spirit is in bringing people to salvation. When God shows His love for us, He reveals His nature and character to us so that we may know Him personally.

Pray

Lord, I want to see Your glory. Let the power of the Holy Spirit give me wisdom to see You as a personal God who loves me and cares for me. Thank You for sending Jesus into my life.

It’s Time To Walk

Encouragement

Jesus told him, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk!” Instantly, the man was healed! He rolled up his sleeping mat and began walking!
‭‭John‬ ‭5:8-9‬

As Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem, He was met by a paralyzed man who had been crippled for 38 years. This man went down to the pool of Bethesda everyday with the hopes that he would have an opportunity to be healed. 

Tradition holds that when the water in the pool started to bubble or stir, whoever was the first in the pool would be healed. The problem this man faced was he needed someone to assist him into the water. Little did he know the “Living Water” had come to him. 

The day Jesus came walking by changed this man’s life forever. Jesus asked him if he wanted to be healed. The man replied with the excuse we all would use, “I can’t.” 

He said to Jesus, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me.” (John‬ ‭5:7‬) Immediately Jesus commanded him to stand up, pick up his mat, and walk. 

Can you imagine the thoughts that were going through this man’s mind? He had never walked a day in his life. And if he was able to get up and walk he wouldn’t need help getting into the pool. 

Jesus instructed this man to stand up and quit making excuses. He was ultimately saying, all you need is Me!

This man had to be willing to get up. He had to be willing to take the first step. He had to be willing to try. He had to quit giving reasons why he couldn’t do something and have faith in Jesus. 

Sometimes things happen to us that keep us paralyzed from receiving a blessing from God. But we can’t let those things stop us from being blessed by God.

Some of the best blessings we can receive are brought forth because of our faith in Jesus. Yes, we may fall but Jesus will catch us. Yes, we may stumble but Jesus is there to help us. 

We may even go a wrong direction but Jesus is there to redirect our steps. Are you coming up with excuses of why you can’t do something? Stop giving excuses and get up and walk. Are you willing to overcome the fear that crippling you and fall into the arms of Jesus?

Pray

Lord, I don’t know all the how’s, where’s, why’s, or when’s but I know you will be with me through it all. Give me the willpower to stand up and walk in faith. 

In Great Distress

Encouragement

And David said to Gad, “I am in great distress. Please let us fall into the hand of the Lord , for His mercies are great; but do not let me fall into the hand of man.”
II Samuel 24:14

What do you think was David’s greatest sin? The first that comes to mind may be when he committed adultery with Bathsheba. But what about murdering her husband, Uriah. Both were terrible sins but those may not be the greatest of his sins. 

When David chose to number the people of Israel great consequences followed. Seventy thousand people died. God allowed pain, sorrow, and death to make David hurt deeply. David confessed his sin and repented.

God, in His grace and mercy, forgave David of his sin. God in His mercy doesn’t give us what we deserve, in His grace He gives us what we don’t deserve. God’s grace is forgiveness. Forgiveness isn’t cheap; it cost Jesus his life.

We must never doubt the promises of God, no matter how we feel when God disciplines us. There may be painful consequences to our sins, but these sorrows don’t mean we are not forgiven. 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” We must claim this truth in faith.

What sin is holding you captive? Confess it and receive God’s grace of forgiveness.

Pray

Lord, I confess my sin of… I need Your grace of forgiveness even though I don’t deserve it. Your mercies are great!