Pastor Stephen Dedman

Tag: daily devotional

Refresh Yourself

Encouragement

And he said, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God of hosts; because the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life.”
I Kings 19:14

Doing the Lord’s work can be extremely exhausting. That’s why it is important to stay refreshed and encouraged. One can be easily defeated in the area of being discouraged.

Elijah got discouraged from doing the work of the ministry. He had just called down fire from heaven and experienced one of the most powerful victories on Mount Carmel. The prophets of Baal were defeated and people turned to God. It was a powerful revival.

But because of this great awakening, Elijah was facing death threats causing him to run for his life. He felt defeated and discouraged. Oh how quickly it can happen in our life as well.

When we focus more on our troubles and problems than on the power of God we can become overwhelmed with stress, anxiety and fear. And the devil will attack when we least expect it. Often times we get to this point right after we have accomplished great things.

The good news is that God commanded Elijah to rest. It refreshed his mind, body, and soul. God also sent him a helper, friend, and companion. Elisha was a blessing to Elijah.

Sometimes we just need to take a moment to get refocussed and refreshed. If you are overwhelmed and exhausted you probably need to rest. Trust the Spirit of God to get refreshed and encouraged.

One of the best ways to rest is to take time to worship and reflect on the goodness of God. Even God rested on the seventh day to reflect upon His good work.

Pray

Lord, You alone are God! You are my Lord and Salvation! I focus on You and Your kingdom today. Encourage me and strengthen me through Your Spirit.

Are You Full?

Encouragement

And these things we write to you that your joy may be full.
I John 1:4

Are you full? The quick answer to that question may be yes since it’s the day after Thanksgiving. It’s easy to be full of turkey, dressing, potatoes, and pies on one of the biggest eating days of the year.

But are you full of joy? That is what matters the most. Being full of joy can bring so much encouragement to our lives.

God desires that we be full of joy. Our hearts should overflow with joy and love. God’s grace and mercy is enough to fill us with joy when we consider it.

The Apostle John encourages Christians to be full of joy. Joy is an essential element of our walk with the Lord. A daily dose of Jesus can increase our joy. Are you filling yourself with joy?

It’s easy to be filled with meanness and darkness. Just participate in the ways of the world and those things will occur naturally. But joy comes from being in the presence of the Lord.

I want to encourage you today to be filled with joy. If you are not filled with joy start by counting your blessings and be thankful to God for His salvation. Then you can start a process of being filled with joy.

If you are overflowing with joy today let it show. Let the world know that you are full of God’s love and grace and kindness. Take time today to smile at people and encourage them as well.

Pray

Lord, fill my heart with your love. Let me be filled with joy that is indescribable. Let my joy be contagious to others.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Encouragement

And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 5:20

We have so much to be thankful for today. And we must give thanks to God for everything. In everything and everyone there is something we can give thanks for.

The Apostle Paul encourages us to be thankful for everything, good and bad. Paul set the greatest example of how to be thankful even when his circumstances were not so favorable. His heart was full of joy and he knew it came from the Lord Jesus Christ.

A heart that is thankful overflows with joy. A heart that is not thankful is full of groaning and grumbling. The difference is in your heart’s condition.

God can make a difference in your life. If you are having a difficult time expressing gratitude just set your mind on praising God for all that He has done for you and you will see a difference. Hopefully you’re already praising and thanking God for who He is and what He has done for you.

Despite all the negative things that have happened in our lives we have so much to be thankful for. We have many people who we should be thankful for. We have many things that we should be thankful for. But most of all we serve a God who deserves our expression and devotion of gratitude.

Thanksgiving is more than just food, family and fellowship, it’s a way of life. Let God fill your heart with joy and let it overflow with praise and thanksgiving.

Pray

Lord, I thank You for everything. I praise You for everything. Most of all I thank You for showing me mercy and grace and giving me eternal life.