Pastor Stephen Dedman

Tag: jesus

Be Strong In The Lord

Encouragement

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.
Ephesians 6:10

Sometimes life can be a real struggle. Reality can be obscured from a fantasy of what we watch in advertisements, in Hollywood, and what we see on social media.

While the battle itself is invisible, the battlefield is very much visible. Individuals fight, couples argue, families quarrel, and churches split. Add school shootings to the list as well. The struggles of our children are amongst the conflicts as well. Depression and anxiety added to the mix equates for a real messy situation. Life is a struggle.

The true reason of why we struggle in life is much deeper than we can imagine. What we commonly think is the source of our struggle is not seen. Paul says our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but an invisible battle between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan.

The good news is that we are strengthened and set free through Jesus Christ. Through Him we obtain strength and courage to endure any situation. The Lord helps us overcome any obstacle we face.

Satan doesn’t have any power over God’s children. When Jesus defeated Satan on the cross and defeated death on the third day when He arose. We who believe are set free to live an abundant life.

However, when we don’t rely on the strength of the Lord we become weak. Paul tells us to put on the whole armor of God. The struggle is real but the Lord is ready to deal with our struggles.

Armor up with the strength of the Lord through the truth of His word. Face your daily struggles with confidence and assurance of who you are in Christ. Don’t try to do life without Him!

Pray

Lord, I am powerless and need You. Strengthen me in the knowledge of Your truth and wisdom. Help me to understand that without Jesus I am nothing. Thank You, Lord.

Love Everlasting

Encouragement

The LORD has appeared of old to me, saying: “Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.”
‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭31:3‬

This is a beautiful passage of Old Testament Scripture. It is directed towards the people of Israel and how God has loved them with an everlasting love. The Lord surely fulfilled His promise to regather His children back into their promised land.

This is a great reminder that God’s love is everlasting. The Lord loves us in a way that we cannot fathom.

He redeemed His children from Egyptian bondage and provided for them while wandering in the wilderness. Even in times of rebellion and unbelief, God never rejected His children. Although there were times of discipline, He always restored them to a position of honor because He loved them so much. 

This is the love story told throughout the whole Bible. It’s His story of how He loves His special people unconditionally. No one can ever understand how much love He has for us.

There may be times when you may feel that you are not loved so be certain that God loves you. His love for you is everlasting just like the Israelites.

You may go through times of rebellion and unbelief, but God will never turn His back on you. No one will ever love you like God loves you. He doesn’t just say it, He proves it everyday. 

Pray

Lord, I love you. I am thankful for your unending love for me. As I show love toward others, let them sense your love that is in me.

Are You Full?

Encouragement

And these things we write to you that your joy may be full.
I John 1:4

Are you full? The quick answer to that question may be yes since it’s the day after Thanksgiving. It’s easy to be full of turkey, dressing, potatoes, and pies on one of the biggest eating days of the year.

But are you full of joy? That is what matters the most. Being full of joy can bring so much encouragement to our lives.

God desires that we be full of joy. Our hearts should overflow with joy and love. God’s grace and mercy is enough to fill us with joy when we consider it.

The Apostle John encourages Christians to be full of joy. Joy is an essential element of our walk with the Lord. A daily dose of Jesus can increase our joy. Are you filling yourself with joy?

It’s easy to be filled with meanness and darkness. Just participate in the ways of the world and those things will occur naturally. But joy comes from being in the presence of the Lord.

I want to encourage you today to be filled with joy. If you are not filled with joy start by counting your blessings and be thankful to God for His salvation. Then you can start a process of being filled with joy.

If you are overflowing with joy today let it show. Let the world know that you are full of God’s love and grace and kindness. Take time today to smile at people and encourage them as well.

Pray

Lord, fill my heart with your love. Let me be filled with joy that is indescribable. Let my joy be contagious to others.