Pastor Stephen Dedman

Tag: daily devotional

Representing Christ

Encouragement, Faith

‘Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. ‘
II Corinthians 5:20

There is so much to the idea of being an ambassador for Christ. An ambassador does not speak on his own authority; his own opinions mean nothing. He represents the King who sent him. He is more than a messenger; he is a representative.

God has entrusted to us His message of reconciliation. God is making His appeal through us. This is why it is important for us to know His desires, values and priorities.

One might say that eliminating pain, poverty, and suffering would bring people true contentment. However, addressing the external needs won’t satisfy our spiritual needs. Even without pain, poverty, and suffering, you can still feel empty deep inside.

If we don’t address the deepest need of the human soul which is to know God, we’ve just given people a version of empty consumerism. Jesus always addressed the external and the internal needs of mankind. Meeting the external needs first gives us the opportunity to address the most important spiritual needs of people’s lives.

As an ambassador of Christ we should be the representative that shows others the love of God. Simply telling others that God loves them is not enough. We must prove it.

Pray

Lord, there are people all around me that need to know Your love and grace. Help me to represent You in such a way that people cannot resist the need of knowing You personally through Jesus Christ.

Happy Are The Meek

Encouragement, Trust

‘Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth.’
Matthew 5:5

Meekness is never described as weakness. In fact meekness consists of strength and self-control. It takes strength to remain meek and gentle.

Moses was considered as one of the meekest according to Numbers 12:3, “Now the man Moses was very meek, more than all people who were on the face of the earth.” Moses never showed weakness as he led the children of Israel in the wilderness for 40 years.

Meekness is defined as humility, patience and discipline under control. Sometimes when we are not under the control of the Holy Spirit we may say or do something that later we regret. Meekness is a characteristic of God that needs to be learned and practiced in every Christian.

Jesus said in Matthew 11:29, “Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” We can learn from Jesus as He was the example of meekness for all to see.

Submitting to God and obeying His Word takes self-control, patience, and discipline. Blessed are the meek. What or who are you facing today that requires you to be meek? Be patient and be humble. Be gentle and exercise self-control.

Pray

Lord, I love You and trust You. Instruct me in all my ways. Strengthen me to be meek and gentle yet bold and courageous.

Prepare To Worship

Encouragement, Faith

‘Let us come to him with thanksgiving. Let us sing psalms of praise to him.’
Psalms 95:2

Do you love to worship? Spiritual worship is much more than just showing up for a church service. Worship requires participation. When we meet together for public worship we need to make sure we are do our part.

Our hearts need to be prepared in order to worship effectively. It’s almost impossible to receive the most out of a worship experience just by showing up and going through the motions half heartily. We need to prepare our hearts for what God is going to do during our time of worship.  

Spending time in prayer before it’s time to worship makes a difference. Before we worship we should confess our sins and humble ourselves before the Lord. This will open the door for a wonderful opportunity for God to speak to our hearts.

Our attitude makes all the difference. If you worship with a negative attitude you should expect nothing in return. But if you expect great things to happen during worship, God will show up and bless you tremendously. You don’t want to miss out on a great blessing. The author of Hebrews says, “Don’t forsake or neglect the assembling together” (Hebrews 10:25).  There are wonderful blessings for those who desire to worship the Lord.

Prayer

Lord, as I prepare my heart for worship, I thank You for being a great and awesome God.  Let my mind and heart be in tune with Yours. Speak to me, Lord.