Pastor Stephen Dedman

Tag: gods will

He Will Make It Happen

Encouragement, Faith, Trust

I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass; I have purposed, and I will do it.
Isaiah 46:11

As Christians we seek God’s will to be done here on earth as it is in Heaven (Matthew 6:10).  In fact we pray for God’s will to be done in our lives.  There is no stopping the will of God nor is there a chance that we can change the will of God.  

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be God?  We are so thankful that God is who He is.  There is none like Him nor is there anyone or anything that can compare to Him.  There is one God and He is our God!

As He says in today’s verse, “I have said it and I will make it happen.”  Only God can fulfill those words and keep the promises that He speaks.  The reason He can make all things happen is because He plans and purposes all things.  

We need to grasp this concept and adapt it into our daily living.  God will use all things to work together for good to those who are called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28)

We pray and seek God’s will to be done but do we consider the bad things to be part of God’s will as well.  We tend to blame the bad things that happen on Satan.  Sometimes God’s will may allow us to go through trying times and through muddy waters before we receive the great reward.

God purposes and plans all things because He is in control of all things.

Pray

Lord, help me to know that You alone are in control and Your will is being purposed in my life. Give me peace and comfort of knowing that You love me and everything will be just as You have planned it.

What God Wants You To Do

Encouragement

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

One of the most difficult challenges we face as Christians is understanding what God wants us to do with our lives. Sometimes it seems as clear as day, and at other times, it may seem clear as mud.

Thankfully today’s verse provides insight as to what God wants us to do with our lives.

Jesus said to His disciples in Matthew 10:39, “If your first concern is to look after yourself, you’ll never find yourself. But if you forget about yourself and look to Me, you’ll find both yourself and Me.” Sometimes we get confused with who is first in our life.  

If we focus on demonstrating our love for God by following His direction, loving others, and sharing the Christian message of hope, other parts of our life will come along. As the verse in Matthew 10:39 says, when we adjust ourselves to God’s standard, the confusion goes away.  When we are living our lives for the Lord’s sake we are right where we belong.  

It’s not about being someone special or doing something magnificent. It’s about placing yourself under the lordship of Jesus Christ.  It’s about placing the Lord’s work above all other things.

What are you doing today to put others first?

Pray

Lord, I know You have a plan for me. Help me to remember to align my plans to Your will and only then I can accomplish both.

God’s Presence

Encouragement, Trust

And he said to him, “If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here.”
‭‭Exodus‬ ‭33:15‬

There are many people today who are not concerned about the presence of God.  They are not concerned if God is with them personally or in their church.  It is alarming to know how many people claim to be Christian but are not concerned with God’s presence.  

Moses was concerned with God’s presence.  He didn’t want to go into the Promise Land if God was not going with them.  Moses said he would rather stay in the wilderness with God rather than be in a land flowing with milk and honey and be without the Him. Moses couldn’t imagine living life without God’s presence.

We should be praying daily that we are aligning our life with the way that God desires for us to live.  We make life choices everyday but are we seeking God’s way?  Too many times we exclude God from our lives.  We often make the mistake of doing things that we think we should and never ask God if it is what we should be doing.

God’s presence is powerful and brings peace into our lives.  Without God’s presence we will face many turmoils and disturbances that will cause us to lose sight of God’s big picture.

Do you sense the presence of God where you are right now?

Pray

Lord, mold me to make me what You want me to be.  Plant my feet on solid ground and move me to where You want me to be.