Pastor Stephen Dedman

God Is Up To Something Big

“Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.””
‭‭John‬ ‭11:32

There are great blessings for those who patiently wait on the Lord. Wonderful things happen in His timing and according to His will. Sometimes we just don’t understand why things are happening but we must remember that God is up to something big.

Lazarus had been dead 4 days when Jesus arrives to Bethany and He performs His last public miracle.  Mary and Martha came to Jesus and they were both an emotional wreck.  A messenger had been sent to tell Jesus to come quickly so He could heal their brother but He delayed and Lazarus died.  

As Mary and Martha were mourning the death of their brother, Jesus finally showed up. They were sad, angry and blaming Jesus for not healing their brother.  Little did they know something wonderful was about to happen.  

Jesus walked over to the tomb and cried out with a loud voice for Lazarus to come forth and instantly he came walking out of the tomb. Everyone who witnessed this miracle was amazed and Mary and Martha rejoiced.

Jesus is never too late. He is always right on time. He knows what is happening in your life but the timing is all part of His master plan.  Sometimes we rush the things of the Lord.  We think we know what is best and we don’t wait for the Lord to do His wondrous work. This is when we mess up and take matters into our own hands.  

Abraham made a similar mistake with Sarah’s servant, Hagar, and forced the birth of a son (Ishmael) before having Isaac ?  It caused many years of serious havoc.

Always wait upon the Lord because He is going to show up at the perfect moment and will always prove Himself to be true through His blessings.

Pray

Lord, give me a spiritual mindset to understand Your master plan. Help me to patiently wait for all things to come together in perfect timing.

I Am With You

I Am With You

Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭41:10

His Presence Is Everything

This is a verse we all should memorize and keep close to our hearts.  Whenever you feel that God may not be listening, remember this promise.  Or when you feel you just can’t make it another day, know that God is still there.  When you just cannot do it, He will.  He holds everything together in the palm of His hand.

The truth of this great verse is found in the promise of His presence. We never know what we may encounter from day to day, but we can count on God being right here with us.  If we have fear, His presence is all we need.  If we are without understanding, His wisdom surrounds us.  When we are lacking, He fills us with His love.  The power of His presence is overwhelming when we realize how close He is.  God is not far away.  As a Christian, He is living inside of you.  He wants to be part of your life.

We should seek and desire His presence everyday.  Moses said to God in Exodus 33:15, “If Your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here.”  Moses didn’t want to make a move until he knew God was going with them.  Moses was so use to seeking His presence that He would be lost without it. That should be our same attitude and desire.  God’s presence is the most important thing we know.  The Holy Spirit is God’s presence.

Prayer

Praise Him out loud by saying or singing, “You are my strength, You are my help, You are my God!”