Pastor Stephen Dedman

Learning God’s Will

Teach me to do your will, for you are my God! Let your good Spirit lead me on level ground!
Psalm 143:10

Learning something new can be a bit of a challenge. But once you discover how to do it, it can be rewarding and great. For example, learning to play an instrument can be difficult and time consuming but once you learn to play a song it’s exciting.

In the same sense, learning to do God’s will can be challenging but the reward is worth it all.

In this Psalm, David cries out to God for help. It’s a desperate cry for help. But right in the middle of this Psalm, David seeks to understand the will of God because he knows it’s the best thing. He knows that God is in control of all things but he wants God to reveal His will to him. 

This is the best attitude to have when we face difficult times in our life. Instead of praying for God to remove our trials we should face them with a perspective that God is trying to teach us something new. 

Just think about all the challenges that David faced during his life.

  • He was the youngest and smallest of his brothers but he knew he had a purpose. 
  • He took on the biggest and strongest Phillistine (Goliath) and experienced victory. 
  • He committed many sins but found forgiveness through God’s love and grace. 
  • He lost a child who was only a few days old but knew the child was with God in Heaven. 

The list can go on and on but David was always aware that God was maturing his faith and increasing his spiritual strength. 

That is how we should look at our life. God causes all things to work for His glory. God wants to see you grow in faith.

Pray

Lord, teach me to do Your will. Let Your Spirit lead me along the path that You desire. Increase my faith and give me strength to endure to the end.

God Desires Your Heart

“Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭10:39‬ 

There is one thing God desires from His people (Christians). There is only one thing that we need to give Him and that is our heart. He desires our whole heart. And when we give our whole heart to God, we are giving Him our all. 

Have you given your whole heart to God? God is concerned about our hearts. 

When we give our heart to God, in return we gain His wisdom, power and riches. Through the Holy Spirit we gain wisdom to make better choices and find the right words to speak. We receive divine power to overcome temptations and strength to get through tough times.

I think you can agree that giving your heart to God is better than giving Him anything else we have. Giving our heart to Jesus gives us eternity in Heaven. In order to give your heart to God we must die to ourselves and find new life through Jesus Christ. 

When we give our heart to Jesus he makes us a new person. He puts new desires in our heart, desires that glorify Him. Have you opened the door of your heart and let Jesus come in?

Pray

Lord, I give you my heart and want you to make me new. Fill me with your goodness and joy. 

Happy New Year

Thus says the Lord, who makes a way in the sea And a path through the mighty waters,
“Do not remember the former things,
Nor consider the things of old.
Behold, I will do a new thing,
Now it shall spring forth;
Shall you not know it?
I will even make a road in the wilderness
And rivers in the desert.”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭43‬:‭16‬, ‭18‬-‭19‬

It’s a brand new year! Great things are going to happen this year. Are you ready to be blessed?

You say, “How do you know great blessings are coming my way?” Because I’m expecting them!

You say, “How do you know what the future hods?” I don’t but God does. I know that God loves you and wants to see you be blessed. If you belong to the Lord you are a blessed child.

We may face difficult days, trying times, and challenging circumstances but God is with us every step of the way. He is already working it out according to His will.

What is your perspective for this year? Are you expecting to be blessed beyond measure? Will you be ready when the blessings come?

God is doing something new in your life. The past is gone and the new is here. He is shining new light and new direction for us to follow. Let’s look forward to some new exciting things.

Keep 2 Corinthians 1:20 on the forefront of your mind. Paul says, “For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.”

I pray you have a happy and blessed new year!

Pray

Lord, I thank you for giving me the greatest blessing I could ever receive and that is Your salvation. I am ready to do Your work and anticipate great things happening. To You all glory is given.