Pastor Stephen Dedman

Tag: God

Be Strong In The Lord

Encouragement

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.
Ephesians 6:10

Sometimes life can be a real struggle. Reality can be obscured from a fantasy of what we watch in advertisements, in Hollywood, and what we see on social media.

While the battle itself is invisible, the battlefield is very much visible. Individuals fight, couples argue, families quarrel, and churches split. Add school shootings to the list as well. The struggles of our children are amongst the conflicts as well. Depression and anxiety added to the mix equates for a real messy situation. Life is a struggle.

The true reason of why we struggle in life is much deeper than we can imagine. What we commonly think is the source of our struggle is not seen. Paul says our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but an invisible battle between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan.

The good news is that we are strengthened and set free through Jesus Christ. Through Him we obtain strength and courage to endure any situation. The Lord helps us overcome any obstacle we face.

Satan doesn’t have any power over God’s children. When Jesus defeated Satan on the cross and defeated death on the third day when He arose. We who believe are set free to live an abundant life.

However, when we don’t rely on the strength of the Lord we become weak. Paul tells us to put on the whole armor of God. The struggle is real but the Lord is ready to deal with our struggles.

Armor up with the strength of the Lord through the truth of His word. Face your daily struggles with confidence and assurance of who you are in Christ. Don’t try to do life without Him!

Pray

Lord, I am powerless and need You. Strengthen me in the knowledge of Your truth and wisdom. Help me to understand that without Jesus I am nothing. Thank You, Lord.

Love Everlasting

Encouragement

The LORD has appeared of old to me, saying: “Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.”
‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭31:3‬

This is a beautiful passage of Old Testament Scripture. It is directed towards the people of Israel and how God has loved them with an everlasting love. The Lord surely fulfilled His promise to regather His children back into their promised land.

This is a great reminder that God’s love is everlasting. The Lord loves us in a way that we cannot fathom.

He redeemed His children from Egyptian bondage and provided for them while wandering in the wilderness. Even in times of rebellion and unbelief, God never rejected His children. Although there were times of discipline, He always restored them to a position of honor because He loved them so much. 

This is the love story told throughout the whole Bible. It’s His story of how He loves His special people unconditionally. No one can ever understand how much love He has for us.

There may be times when you may feel that you are not loved so be certain that God loves you. His love for you is everlasting just like the Israelites.

You may go through times of rebellion and unbelief, but God will never turn His back on you. No one will ever love you like God loves you. He doesn’t just say it, He proves it everyday. 

Pray

Lord, I love you. I am thankful for your unending love for me. As I show love toward others, let them sense your love that is in me.

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.