Pastor Stephen Dedman

Tag: joy

Joy And Peace

Encouragement, Faith, Salvation

Joy And Peace

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
Romans 15:13

The Source of Peace And Joy

God wants you to be filled with joy?  He also wants you to experience peace in all areas of your life.  He wants you to have peace with your family, peace with your friends, peace with your church family, and peace with the world.   He wants you to have peace within your work, your play and your worship.  The only way to experience peace and joy is through a right relationship with Jesus Christ.

The reason most people don’t have peace and joy in their life is because they are missing the free gift of salvation.  God gives us peace and joy through our faith in Jesus Christ.  Romans 5:1 says, “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Because we are born with a sin nature we are naturally at war with God.  Once we surrender and submit to the Lordship of Jesus Christ we are at peace and all sin is forgiven.

Another reason why most people don’t have peace and joy in their life is because they are seeking to be filled with worldly pleasures instead of the hope of God.  Even as a Christian we can get caught up in the trap of worldly living.  If we are not careful we will find ourselves seeking pleasure in things that will only last temporarily and will soon fade away.  However if we keep our minds and hearts set on the things of God we will enjoy the peace and joy that only God can give.

Prayer

Ask the Lord to fill your heart with peace and joy and then seek the things of God.

It Is I

Faith, Trust

It Is I

But He (Jesus) said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.”
‭‭John‬ ‭6:20‬

No Need To Fear

After Jesus fed the 5,000, the people who witnessed the miracle wanted to make him their king.  Jesus swiftly slipped away into the mountains to be alone.  The disciples got into the boat and set sail across the lake.  A storm was brewing and the waves became rough due to the high winds.  They rowed for about three to four miles when suddenly they saw Jesus walking on the water.  They became frightened as He came near the boat.  They thought it was a ghost.  Jesus spoke to them and they recognized His voice and gladly received Him into their boat.  The Scripture then says immediately they were at the shore.

There are some interesting truths packed into this event.  First, after every victory there is a valley awaiting.  Don’t be disappointed because the Lord is always with us regardless of where we are.  He is with us in our good times and with us in our suffering.  Second, the Lord’s presence makes for peace.  Jesus appeared during their struggles and spoke a peaceful word, “it is I; don’t be afraid.”  The Lord always provides peace and comfort during our trying times.  He will allow us to build strength and faith but He will never neglect us.  Third, the Lord’s power over nature.  Jesus walked on the water.  Some want to discredit the Lord walking on the water.  We must never forget that the Lord can do what He pleases to do.

Trusting the Lord during good times is easy.  Trusting the Lord during hard times is difficult.  Our faith in the Lord is what pleases Him the most.

Prayer

Lord, let me see You for who You are.  I want to be in Your presence and feel Your peace.  Help me to overcome my trials and suffering with your grace.

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A Joyous Perspective

Encouragement, Faith

A Joyous Perspective

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.
‭‭James‬ ‭1:2-3‬

Dealing With Difficulties

When was the last time you had a smile on your face when you were dealing with the difficulties of life?  Never!

Of course it’s easy to praise the Lord when things are going well.  It’s actually a very nice situation to be in.  But what about when God tests our faith and trust with the things that are near and dear to us?

We can experience joy when we endure trials and suffering as long as we have the right perspective. Praising the Lord for the suffering and trials we face reflects how we view God.  God uses our trials to purify and perfect us. We must always remember that God does not delight in seeing His children suffer.

I once heard a talk radio show host say that he called his brother on the phone to pray for him after he had recently lost his job and then seriously injured his back.  He said he was praying for God to remove the pain and suffering from his life.  But the brother replied and said, “I don’t want the pain and suffering to be removed until I have learned what God wants me to learn from it.”  Now that is a joyous perspective.

Prayer

Wouldn’t you love for God to tell you why you go through certain trials?  Well, you can and you need to. Pray for God to reveal his plans and purposes to you.  Pray for the ones you know who are going through some difficult times.