Pastor Stephen Dedman

Tag: God

Enjoy The Good Times

Encouragement

‘“The Lord our God spoke to us in Horeb, saying: ‘You have dwelt long enough at this mountain. ‘ Deuteronomy 1:6

If God only allowed us to experience “mountaintop” circumstances, we would never experience trouble or sorrow. You might think that sounds great but neither would we experience any victories. Great victories allow us to see God’s greatness.

The Israelites had gathered together at the bottom of Mount Horeb while God spoke aloud to them concerning His law and commandments. Fire and smoke consumed the mountaintop, lightning flashed from the clouds, and loud trumpet sounds were heard for miles. The ground shook and the people trembled in awe of what they experienced. (Exodus 19:16-25) It must have been a truly amazing experience to behold.

At times God will graciously provide us with mountaintop experiences. These experiences come in various settings: during a worship service, in time alone with Him, with Christian brothers and sisters, or even on the side of the road with a flat tire.

You may wish you could spend the rest of your life on the mountaintop, but just remember, that mountaintop encounters are God’s way of preparing you for the battles that await you. Enjoy the good times and consider the bad times as a way to see what God has planned next.

Pray

Lord, thank You for giving me mountaintop encounters so that I know who You are. Thank you for giving me trouble and sorrow so that I know that You can trust You. Help me to appreciate the good and the bad times.

My Refuge

Encouragement, Faith

“I will say of the Lord , “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.”
Psalms 91:2

We live in a society today that can often make us feel restless. There is much panic and fear over things that are out of our control. But know for certain that God is in control. He knows what is happening in our world and He knows what is happening in your life, right now. He knows and He cares.

Psalm 91 gives us a promising word of encouragement and assurance of God’s protection. We will never find peace in our life if we don’t rely on God’s presence and one way is to meditate on His word. The Psalmist exercised his faith in God as he proclaimed, “He is my refuge, and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.”

God assures us of His divine protection despite the many dangers that surround us. We are encompassed with evil but rest assured that God has you in His hand. Romans 8:38-39 reminds us that nothing is able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Don’t think for a single minute that God is not able to protect you. Right now you are surrounded with guardian angels.

We will be restless until we find rest in Him. Take a few minutes today and reflect on how good God has been to you. Thank Him for providing His divine protection. God desires for you to live in peace and safety. But that doesn’t mean you’ll live a life exempt of danger or suffering. We all live in a world full of sin and in this fallen world life is difficult. God wants to reassure us that He is in control and is protecting your every step of the way.

It’s up to you to find rest and peace. The devil wants to steal, kill, and destroy all your peace and faith in God. But in the name of Jesus, all demons must flee. Find your peace and security in God today by taking Him at His word and meditating on His promises.

Pray

Lord, surround me with Your presence and give me assurance through Your promises. I trust You and know You are in control. Bless me today with peace.

By Grace Alone

Faith

‘Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God. ‘
2 Corinthians 7:1

Our acceptance by God is on the basis of grace through faith. We can’t earn it and we definitely don’t deserve it. God offers His righteousness so that we may be accepted through His Son, Jesus Christ. That’s grace!

Paul told the Philippian jailer, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved…” (Acts 16:31) There was nothing that he needed to do but believe and receive. Grace secures our position in Christ as being right with God.

Paul ultimately says in today’s verse, “Since we have been given grace we work toward complete holiness because we desire to honor God.” We honor God when we are practicing holiness. The day that we accepted Christ as Savior, our sins were forgiven but it doesn’t mean we are sinless.

Everyday we grow and mature in our faith. Our lives reflect what we believe. Are you working towards holiness? Are you becoming more like Christ?

The good news is that as a Christ follower, you have already been accepted by God. The pressure is off in regards to living a perfect life. When God looks at you He sees the perfection and righteousness of Jesus in you. In return, we desire to please Him in everything we do and say. We work out what God has worked in you through His power and grace.

Pray

Lord, I desire to please You with my life. Thank you for giving me the free gift of grace. I strive to live my life holy unto You.