Pastor Stephen Dedman

Tag: grace

Consider Grace

Trust

To me (Paul), though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,
Ephesians 3:8

Paul understood the grace of God. When he discovered that Jesus was the Messiah his eyes were opened to the grace of God. Despite his murderous past and hatred of Christians, Paul was chosen by God to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

After his conversion, Paul was a total different person. He called himself “small Paul”. He was not one of the twelve disciples who followed Jesus, nor was he baptized by John unto repentance. Paul wasn’t among the men who received the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost but God chose to use him greatly.

Because Paul was made new in Christ, he had a great understanding of salvation. He gives us understanding of God’s grace through his personal experience. It is not surprising that Paul could only refer to himself as the very least of all the saints.

More importantly, he referred to God’s grace as “the unsearchable riches of Christ.” For someone who deeply knows that he has been forgiven and freed of the bondage of sin, he can preach the Good News of Jesus Christ. 

The moment we fully realize the fullness of God’s grace is the moment that we will bel sold-out for Christ. Reflect upon the grace that has been given to you.

Pray

Lord, I praise You for the unfathomable, unsearchable, boundless riches that I have received by grace through faith. I have every right to be condemned but instead You lifted me up into the courts of a heavenly royalty. Thank You for saving me from the depths of hell.

Problems Are Opportunities

Encouragement

And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, “They have no wine.”
John 2:3

What do you do when you have problems? Our problems are actually good opportunities for God to show us what He can do. They give God the opportunity to work on our behalf and display His glory.

Jesus’ mother knew exactly what to do with the problem. She went straight to Jesus and said, “They have no wine.” It is interesting to note that Mary did not tell Jesus what to do or how to resolve it. In verse 5, Mary simply said to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it.” 

When we give our problems to the Lord, we trust Him to work on our behalf and we do whatever He commands us to do. We must remain faithful and obedient to the Lord regardless if it makes sense or not. Jesus turned the water into wine because the servants were obedient to Jesus. 

Most of the time we want to tell Jesus how to fix our problems. However the most important thing to do when we give our problems to the Lord is be obedient and patient. Do whatever He tells you to do.

The servants obeyed the words of Jesus and had faith that He had a plan. They could have easily came up with excuses and reasons of why not to go fill up the water pots, but they didn’t. In the end, the servants were not only witnesses of the miracle, they were participants in it.

What is the Lord telling you to do? Allow the Lord to turn problems into opportunities. Only the Lord can do such marvelous works.

Pray

Lord, when You speak I will listen and obey. Help me today to do Your will and let me witness a marvelous work. 

Moving Forward

Encouragement

Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:13-14

Life is full of surprises and full of challenges. How we deal with the unexpected issues of our daily activities determines how view God. God allows us to encounter challenging circumstances for a reason.

The apostle Paul knew how to get through difficult situations by pressing forward. He understood that everything he faced was for a reason and had a purpose. Many of our struggles help us strengthen our faith in God and deepen our relationship with Him.

Instead of giving up we must step up. It’s easy to throw in the towel but it takes courage to keep pressing on. God encourages us to rely on Him for wisdom and understanding. With God all things are possible (Matthew 19:26).

Whatever your facing today just know that you are not facing it alone. As Christians we have everything we need through Jesus Christ. He gives us the strength to keep going and to overcome any new challenge or difficulty. Don’t ever think that you have to do it all on your own.

Jesus wants to be your Helper, Counselor and Savior. Trust Him for all things. Take on the attitude that Paul had and forget what has happened and reach forward to the things ahead. Press on! 

Pray

Lord, give me strength and courage today to do the things I must do. Help me to maintain an attitude that is pleasing unto You. Help me to keep my head up and my eyes on the prize.