Pastor Stephen Dedman

Tag: grace

God’s Will For Your

Encouragement

And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,
‭‭Colossians‬ ‭1:9‬ ‭

Most Christians want to know what God wills for us to do but there is more to it than seeking answers to what job we should take, what car we should buy, or what person to marry. God’s will can be explained very easily.

Paul, writing to a group of Christians was encouraging and praying for them to know the will of God. He wanted everyone to be filled with the knowledge of His will. He was speaking specifically about pleasing God with our lives.

There are five aspects to God’s will that we should know and that Paul is explains to the church.

First, it is His will for everyone to be saved. If you are saved by the blood of Jesus you are in the right direction.

Second, we are to be spirit-filled. We should be led by the Spirit of God in all things. The Spirit of God guides and directs us.

Third, we are seek holiness because we are in the process of being sanctified or purified for righteousness.

Fourth, we should be submitted to the Lordship of Jesus. Make Jesus your Master and you will be His servant.

And fifth, we are to suffer for the cause of Christ.

These five aspects align our lives safely in the will of God. If we are doing these things we will know that we are in the will of God.

Pray

Lord, I pray for You to encourage me to seek your presence daily. I want to live inside the boundaries of Your will. Help me to glorify Your great name.

Thankfulness Leads To Joy

Encouragement

I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify your name forever.
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭86:12‬

Are you a joyful person? Do you look at the brighter side of life? A thankful heart leads to joy.

What is your source of joy? It’s easy to confuse happiness with joy. Joy is eternal and happiness is temporal.

If God were to take everything away from you like he did Job, would you still praise Him? If you were to lose your joy because you had no more money in the bank or popularity or a job then your joy is not in Jesus. You see, joy that last forever is from the Lord. Everything in this world is temporary but everything in the Lord lasts forever.

If Jesus is your true source of joy then He is all you need. He satisfies your every longing.

Jesus wants to give you more than you can imagine. He wants to give you a life of complete joy. But the only way to experience joy is to trust in Him.

Don’t let worldly things consume your heart and mind. The devil is trying to steal from you. The devil wants to keep you from experiencing the benefits of the Lord. The devil wants you to live in fear and panic. But God wants you to be full of joy!

Is Jesus your Master and Savior? Praise Him today for who He is. Give thanks to the Lord for He alone is great. Does Jesus have your whole heart?

Pray

Lord, I pray that I never find joy from any other source than You. Fill my heart with gladness. Let Your light shine through me.

God Does Big Things

Encouragement

Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”
‭‭John‬ ‭11:32‬

There are great blessings for those who patiently wait on the Lord. Wonderful things happen in His perfect timing and according to His will. Sometimes we just don’t understand why things are happening but we must remember that God is up to something big.

Lazarus had been dead 4 days when Jesus arrived to Bethany and He performed His last public miracle.  Mary and Martha came to Jesus and they were both an emotional wreck.  A messenger had been sent to tell Jesus to come quickly so He could heal their brother but He delayed and Lazarus died.  

As Mary and Martha were mourning the death of their brother, Jesus finally showed up. They were sad, angry and blaming Jesus for not healing their brother.  Little did they know something big was about to happen.  

Jesus walked over to the tomb and cried out with a loud voice for Lazarus to come forth and instantly he came walking out of the tomb. Everyone who witnessed this miracle was amazed and Mary and Martha rejoiced.

Jesus is never too late. He is always right on time. He knows what is happening in your life but the timing is all part of His master plan.  Sometimes we rush the things of the Lord.  We think we know what is best and we don’t wait for the Lord to do His wondrous work. This is when we mess up and take matters into our own hands.  

Abraham made a similar mistake with Sarah’s servant, Hagar, and forced the birth of a son (Ishmael) before having Isaac ?  It caused many years of serious havoc.

Always wait upon the Lord because He is going to show up at the perfect moment and will always prove Himself to be true through His blessings.

Pray

Lord, give me a spiritual mindset to understand Your master plan. Help me to patiently wait for all things to come together in perfect timing.