Pastor Stephen Dedman

Tag: daily devotional

Abide In The Shadow Of God

Encouragement, Faith, Trust

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
Psalm 91:1

Has there ever been a time that you felt the Lord abandoned you in a difficult situation?  Rest assured that He has never left you nor has He ever forsaken you.  He can’t and He won’t.  

As long as we belong to Him this promise remains forever.  His love is too great to abandon us.  He desires for His children to rest in His presence.  

He is the One to turn to when in we run into trouble.  He is our safe place as this 911 verse promises.  The word “dwell” means to to take up residence. We live in the presence of God and seek Him as our shelter.  

The shelter of God is our protection.  This verse reminds us that He is continually looking over us and keeping us safe.  In the shadow we find relief from the heat.  Staying in His shadow guards us from disastrous elements.

Remember that as a child of God you will never walk alone.  Even though your struggles may seem hard and heavy, you still have the stronghold of God Almighty at your side.  Your difficulties are strengthening you for your next assignment from God.  

The entire chapter of Psalm 91 is packed full with the power of God.  It reminds us that He faithfully works all things together on behalf of those who love Him.  Allow God to fight your battles and use your circumstances to make you stronger in your faith.

Pray

Lord, help me to rest in Your presence and seek Your protection in all my situations.  Place me right where You want me to be. I will praise You in my storms.

Finding Favor With The Lord

Encouragement

But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.  These are the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God.
Genesis 6:8-9

According to a former Walmart employee in West Palm Beach, FL, a man entered Walmart and stole a large screen TV. When he walked out of the store he discovered that his truck had been stolen. Needless to say, he encountered a bad day. 

Even the ones who are causing evil will encounter evil as well. We live in an evil, sinful world.  Every where we look we see all kinds of evil taking place.  It’s everywhere.

Noah lived during a very corrupt time.  The Bible says everyone and everything around him was evil continually.  He faced a crisis during his day in time.  It’s hard to imagine a world worse than it is right now, isn’t?  

It is interesting to note that Noah was found righteous and blameless while living amongst such evil people.  Noah did what was right.  Scripture says he found favor in the eyes of the Lord.  God was pleased with the way he lived his life while being exposed to such evilness.

We all choose if we will do what is right or fall into the temptation of evil.  We live among evil people who get away with a lot of crime but that does not mean that we should. As Christians we are to be different from the rest of the world.  

It’s difficult to live righteously in a sinful world but if we look at Noah we see that it is possible.  It is not possible to be perfect but we should strive to be.

Pray

Lord, help me to strive for holiness and righteousness.  Help me to overcome any temptation that I face. Let me set an example to others of what You expect from every Christian.

Pleasures Forevermore

Encouragement

You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭16:11‬

There are mysteries concerning the things of God.  But there is one thing that is for certain.  He wants to reveal Himself to us and He desires for us to know Him in a close relationship.

David reveals three blessings for those who trust in the Lord.  First, David not only found the path of life, he also found the path that leads to eternal life.  David didn’t come up with his own path of life, God revealed it to him.  

David knew he was a sinner and that God was holy.  David knew God had a special purpose for him.  

The next blessing is the fullness of joy.  David knew God was the One who supplied his joy.  David had many ups and downs but he never lost the source of his joy. He searched the Lord to find true joy and contentment.  

The third blessing is within the pleasures of life.  David didn’t seek God for physical pleasures but for spiritual pleasures.  He trusted God for eternal pleasures that awaited him in Heaven.

As you meditate on this verse today, understand that the path of life is made known by God, the fullness of joy is found only in the presence of God, and eternal pleasures are for those who fully trust in Him.

Are you seeking God for the things of this world or for the things that are eternal?

Pray

Lord, I seek You to know You and to serve You.  You are all that I need and all that I desire.  Thank you for loving me and saving me.