Pastor Stephen Dedman

Tag: Praise God

All Praise To God

Encouragement, Trust

Where there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?
Luke 17:18

Luke 17:11-19 tells the story of a marvelous miracle of Jesus healing ten men from the dreadful disease of leprosy.  Luke tells that there were ten healed physically, but only one was healed spiritually.  Jesus used this event to open the eyes of the spiritual blinded especially the priests.

Leprosy was associated among the people as a curse on mankind.  Lepers were the most miserable people.  Their physical pain was awful enough but they also endured complete isolation from family and friends.  

By law they were considered outcasts and remained so until their death because there was no cure.  And that is where we find these ten men, standing afar off, as Jesus passed through their village. As soon as they saw Him, they lifted their weak and raspy voices and cried out for mercy and help.  

Luke doesn’t tell us that Jesus heard them but rather He saw them.  With great compassion and mercy Jesus sent them to the priests in order to fulfill the Levitical law of healing.  And as they walked toward the temple they were all healed of the deadly disease.

Verse 15 is the climax of the story.  One of them, when he saw he was healed, returned and worshiped Jesus.  With thanksgiving in his heart and praise in his voice, the Samaritan received the spiritual blessing of salvation because of his faith.  The other men didn’t consider Jesus as God.  They were healed but not saved.

We should always be thankful for our physical blessings but we certainly show our gratitude to Jesus for saving our souls.  We do so through faithfully worshipping and serving Christ and showing compassion and forgiveness to all people.  If the only blessing we received was salvation, it is enough.  All other blessings are extra benefits.

Is there something God has done for you and you didn’t praise Him for it? Take a moment and praise Him.

Pray

Lord, I thank You for giving me spiritual insight.  I confess You as my Savior and I worship You only. I give You glory and honor for who You are.

The Mighty Works Of God

Encouragement, Trust

Then fear came upon all, and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has risen up among us”; and, “God has visited His people.”
Luke 7:16

What should be the proper response when we witness the mighty works of God? In today’s verse we read about the response of fear (honor) and praise. There was a holy fear of the person and power of Jesus.

When the people witnessed Jesus raise the widow’s dead son back to life, they instantly realized that they had seen the mighty work of God. They knew only God could raise someone from the dead.

The raising of the widow’s son is another great illustration of how much God cares and loves His children. God is at work in the lives of His children and He deserves to be feared and praised.

God is involved with our daily concerns and wants us to recognize His greatness. Everyday God displays acts of blessing, mercy and grace upon those who believe. It is up to us as to how we respond.

This widow was helpless and hopeless. She needed more than just comfort. She needed supernatural providence. And Jesus was the source of what she needed.

What is your response when you face your struggles? Do you get angry at God or praise God? Do you blame Him or do you worship Him?

If we keep a proper response of honor and praise to God in our daily lives, we will naturally praise and honor Him even in our struggles.

Keep a watch for the mighty works of God today.

Pray

Lord, You know my heart and concerns. You know what is on my mind and what I need today. I thank You and praise You for Your daily provisions and for blessing me with amazing grace.