Pastor Stephen Dedman

Tag: daily devotional

Advancing The Gospel

Encouragement

I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ.
‭‭Philippians‬ ‭1:12-13‬

Sometimes we are faced with unexpected circumstances. Either what we thought would happen didn’t or something happened that we didn’t plan for. Sometimes these life events can seem pretty intense. 

What do we do when we don’t know what the future holds? The Book of Philippians helps us learn about real life situations. 

Paul was faced with incredible life threatening circumstances. He was chained in prison for preaching Jesus. He was physically chained to a Roman guard. There was no way out. 

Can you imagine what was going through his mind? Would he actually be put to death for preaching in the name of Jesus? Would God somehow work a miracle and release him from prison? Or would he be forgotten about and spend the rest of his life in prison? 

His future was uncertain but he was sure of one thing as he stated in Philippians 4:19, “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” He knew God was in control and had a perfect plan. 

When we face unexpected circumstances of our own we need to have the faith to respond and react the way that Paul did. He didn’t miss out on what God gifted him with. He didn’t have a multitude to preach to, but he did share the gospel with the Roman guards. 

He didn’t have fellowship with other Christians but he did write to them and encourage them. Even though his circumstances were not what he expected, he knew that God would reveal Himself to be powerful.

When we face unexpected circumstances (and we will), we need to look at them with the perspective that God is up to something big and wants to use us in a specific way for His glory. As our verse for today states, Paul’s imprisonment was for Christ’s sake and for the Gospel to be advanced. 

Pray

Lord, help me to use every opportunity to share Your grace with others. Let me notice that my unexpected circumstances are for Your glory. Make my faith stronger. 

You Have Hope

Encouragement

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
‭‭I Peter‬ ‭1:3‬

Are you thankful for the works of Jesus Christ? We have hope through Jesus’ death and resurrection because he defeated sin on the cross. Jesus’ last words on the cross were, “It is finished.” His final words give us a living hope only found in Him. 

The hope that we have is based upon the fact that Jesus is coming back soon. When Jesus comes all things will be made new. This earth will be dissolved and a new earth will be created for our good. Until Jesus comes back we patiently wait for the glorious day to appear. 

Some days we let the worries of the world get the best of us. We sit and sour over things that sometimes are meaningless. If we dwell in the living hope of Jesus our mindset will give us a positive outlook on life. Our hope in Jesus will give us courage to face opposition of the enemy. And our assurance of Jesus’ return will Make for a great anticipation of good things to come. 

Until the day Jesus comes back we honor and praise His wondrous name. We live our life in a way that brings glory to God. We set ourselves apart from evil and resist the devil. We live every day like it is our last day here. We desire to hear Jesus say, “good and faithful servant.” 

You may be faced with a dilemma today but rest assured in the blessed hope of Jesus. He will see you through to the end. It may not be the outcome you were expecting but God has a purpose and a plan just for you. Will you trust in His blessed hope today?

Pray

Lord, thank you for giving me hope and assurance. I praise you and honor you for who you are. As I go through this day, help me to see what you have in store for me. 

God’s Eternal Love

Encouragement

The Lord your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.
Zephaniah 3:17

We need people in our lives that love us regardless of our failures. We need people who will lift us up and encourage us when we feel like giving up. Do you have someone that can cheer you up when you are down?

You need to realize that God goes far and beyond what anyone else can do. God loves us no matter what we look like or what we have done in the past. God loves with an unconditional, eternal love that is just unfathomable. 

Today’s verse makes us realize that God is always with us in all of our circumstances and is in the very middle of what is going on in our lives. It’s comforting to know that the One who loves us the most is right in the center of our lives. Even though we may think He is not actively involved, He is actually the One who is holding all things together in our lives. 

It’s great to have people in our lives that will help us when we need help. But the One who we need the most is Jesus Christ. We need Christian people in our lives that will point us back to Jesus when we have turned away or have lost all faith. 

Remember that the next time you witness someone who has given up faith and hope. Point them to the One who loves the regardless of what they have done. Direct them to the God who can bring them out of their circumstances and give them a new beginning.

Never forget how much God loves and cares for His children.

Pray

Lord, thank You for loving me and holding all things together when I feel like it is falling apart. Help me to point people to You so they can have the same kind of hope and peace that I have.