Pastor Stephen Dedman

Tag: jesus

He Knows My Name

Encouragement

And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, “Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house.”
Luke 19:5

Have you ever considered how big our world is? It makes us look really small in comparison. It also makes us feel really small. We can’t even imagine what lies beyond what telescopes cannot magnify.

In the Bible story about Zacchaeus, we can imagine what he felt as he climbed up into a tree to see Jesus walk by. Zacchaeus was not a popular person nor did he consider himself special. But when Jesus walked by, stopped and looked at him, everything changed in the blink of an eye.

Jesus called him by name and called him out of the tree so He could spend the afternoon with him. We know that it changed his life because after his encounter with Jesus he began giving money to the poor and refunding those he overcharged.

Before meeting Jesus, Zacchaeus was hated by everyone. But after receiving the free gift of salvation, he was a friend of everyone. Jesus changed his world and gave him a new life.

As we remember this amazing story, it would be advantageous for us to realize that Jesus knows everything about us. He knows our past, future, and what we face right now. When we encounter Jesus, He can change our life for His glory.

You may think that the Lord doesn’t care or isn’t listening to your prayers but He is. You may think that He has other things to be concerned about rather than your life, but He doesn’t. He is inviting you to spend quality time with Him today.

Pray

Lord, make me feel Your presence today. Let me know that You are doing something special in my life. Help me to never forget how much You love me.

Humility Matters

Encouragement

For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.
Luke 14:11

Take every opportunity to promote yourself before and above others. Seize occasions for recognition and manipulate your way into the center of attention. According to the world, this is the way to attain high esteem. 

But according to God’s design, you must put others first. Humble yourself. It’s when God sees your humility that He will exalt you.

If we put our efforts into promoting ourselves, we will be brought down and humiliated. Jesus spoke of a man who tried to enhance his own image (Luke 14:7-11). While attending a dinner, he quickly claimed the seat of most honor. When the host saw this take place, he humiliated the man by asking him to move to another seat, the lowest seat in the room. 

Jesus said the wise thing to do is seek the lowest position and allow someone else to exalt you when they feel that you need to be recognized. 

When we strive to remain humble, we bring glory to God and not ourselves. If we honor God, He will honor us. When the world exalts you, you are the center of attention. But when God exalts you, others will praise Him for what He has done in your life.

Allow God to be the One who honors you in the way that pleases Him!

Pray

Lord, please keep me humble. I ask You to remove all pride from my heart. May Your Holy Spirit transform me and change me.

Guilty or Guilt-Free

Encouragement

And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.
Genesis 3:8

Since the fall of man, mankind has been hiding from God. The shame of our sin creates an urgency to hide from the presence of God. Immediately after Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden tree they hid from God. 

Their shame and guilt made them flee from the holiness of God. But notice most importantly that it was God who came searching for them.

It is a natural reaction to want to hide from God when we are caught up in sin. Have you noticed in your life that when you are free from the guilt and shame you desire to be in the presence of God? 

When we have unconfessed sin we try to hide and shield ourselves from God. Adam and Eve covered themselves and hid behind some trees. But God knew what they had done and went seeking after them.

Sometimes we think that God is mad at us when we sin. We think that His anger is going to be severe or that He will not forgive us. So we do what is natural and hide. 

For some reason we honestly think we can hide from God. The truth is, we can’t hide from God and He isn’t mad at us. 

God has been pursuing man since the fall of man. God has been actively chasing after His children since the beginning. He wants a relationship with us. 

It was God who initiated the search and rescue mission for us. Luke tells us that Jesus came to seekand to save those who are lost. (Luke 19:10) God knows that we are sinners and He has provided a way for us to have a relationship with Him through His Son, Jesus.

Are you running from God? Are you trying to hide something from God? Just know that you can’t. 

God knows exactly where you are and what you are doing and most importantly, He cares for you. He wants you to free yourself from the shame and guilt of your sin and open yourself up to Him.

Pray

Lord, You know my heart and You know my every step. I confess to You all of my sins and ask for Your forgiveness. Keep me in Your presence and shield me with Your grace.