Pastor Stephen Dedman

Tag: pastor stephen dedman

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. 

Enjoy His Presence

Encouragement

But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”
Luke 10:41-42

It’s easy to lose sight of the things that are most important in life especially when there are distractions. We all struggle from time to time with keeping our focus on what matters the most. 

Jesus said there was only one thing that is necessary, one thing important, but very few of us operate our lives like that’s true. Sometimes urgency of life robs us of the one thing that is most important.

Mary shows us in this story of her encounter with Jesus in Luke 10:38-42 what that most important thing is. Two sisters, Mary and Martha, along with their brother, Lazarus, offer hospitality to Jesus as they host Him in their home. Luke tells us that Mary is sitting at Jesus’ feet, soaking in His presence and His words.

On the contrary, Martha is preoccupied with the busyness of cooking, cleaning, and hosting. She is running around making sure everything is prepared and ready for a big meal. She got so busy that she ended up missing out on the most important thing.

Listen to what Jesus told Martha, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things! Calm down! There is only one thing necessary.” 

Today, do the one thing that is necessary. Put everything on pause or mute for a few minutes and be still. Sit and listen to the words of Jesus and enjoy His presence. Be like Mary, you won’t regret it.

Pray

Lord, I want to be in Your presence today. Fill my heart and soul with joy and give me peace. Allow me time to spend with You today.

Time To Worship

Trust

I will sing to the LORD, Because He has dealt bountifully with me.
‭Psalms‬ ‭13:6‬

David expressed his joy by singing to the Lord. He was overwhelmed with joy from meditating on the fact that God had given him salvation. He knew he was saved and rejoiced in it. Singing to God increased his joy even more. 

David used singing to overcome negative thoughts and emotions. When he felt depressed he would sing. If he felt burdened he sang to the Lord. Singing and praising the Lord was his way of coping with the difficulties he faced.

As David reflected on his life he couldn’t help but notice how good God was to him. God was always there for him no matter what he was facing. Do you have a reason to rejoice unto the Lord? 

If you have received the free gift of salvation, you have a reason to sing. If you know your sins (past, present, and future) are forgiven, you have a reason to sing. If you know your eternal home is in Heaven, you have a reason to shout! 

God gave us Jesus so we could rejoice and be glad. Jesus gives us hope for a bright future. When we think about how good God is and how good He has been to us it should put a song in our heart. 

David began Psalm 13 with thinking that God had forgotten about him. He was feeling abandoned and all alone but by the last verse he was rejoicing and was glad. 

When you are feeling down just meditate on the goodness of God. If you feel depressed or overwhelmed with despair think about what good things God has done for you. It won’t take long before your sorrow turns to joy. 

Rejoice in the Lord and be glad today. Put a smile on your face and a song on your lips. Let others around you know how good God is. Let them join you in singing to the Lord. 

Pray

Lord, thank you for giving me Jesus. Thank you for forgiving me of my sins. Thank you for giving me eternal life in Heaven.