Pastor Stephen Dedman

Tag: Rest

Abide In The Shadow Of God

Encouragement, Faith, Trust

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
Psalm 91:1

Has there ever been a time that you felt the Lord abandoned you in a difficult situation?  Rest assured that He has never left you nor has He ever forsaken you.  He can’t and He won’t.  

As long as we belong to Him this promise remains forever.  His love is too great to abandon us.  He desires for His children to rest in His presence.  

He is the One to turn to when in we run into trouble.  He is our safe place as this 911 verse promises.  The word “dwell” means to to take up residence. We live in the presence of God and seek Him as our shelter.  

The shelter of God is our protection.  This verse reminds us that He is continually looking over us and keeping us safe.  In the shadow we find relief from the heat.  Staying in His shadow guards us from disastrous elements.

Remember that as a child of God you will never walk alone.  Even though your struggles may seem hard and heavy, you still have the stronghold of God Almighty at your side.  Your difficulties are strengthening you for your next assignment from God.  

The entire chapter of Psalm 91 is packed full with the power of God.  It reminds us that He faithfully works all things together on behalf of those who love Him.  Allow God to fight your battles and use your circumstances to make you stronger in your faith.

Pray

Lord, help me to rest in Your presence and seek Your protection in all my situations.  Place me right where You want me to be. I will praise You in my storms.

My Refuge

Encouragement, Faith

“I will say of the Lord , “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.”
Psalms 91:2

We live in a society today that can often make us feel restless. There is much panic and fear over things that are out of our control. But know for certain that God is in control. He knows what is happening in our world and He knows what is happening in your life, right now. He knows and He cares.

Psalm 91 gives us a promising word of encouragement and assurance of God’s protection. We will never find peace in our life if we don’t rely on God’s presence and one way is to meditate on His word. The Psalmist exercised his faith in God as he proclaimed, “He is my refuge, and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.”

God assures us of His divine protection despite the many dangers that surround us. We are encompassed with evil but rest assured that God has you in His hand. Romans 8:38-39 reminds us that nothing is able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Don’t think for a single minute that God is not able to protect you. Right now you are surrounded with guardian angels.

We will be restless until we find rest in Him. Take a few minutes today and reflect on how good God has been to you. Thank Him for providing His divine protection. God desires for you to live in peace and safety. But that doesn’t mean you’ll live a life exempt of danger or suffering. We all live in a world full of sin and in this fallen world life is difficult. God wants to reassure us that He is in control and is protecting your every step of the way.

It’s up to you to find rest and peace. The devil wants to steal, kill, and destroy all your peace and faith in God. But in the name of Jesus, all demons must flee. Find your peace and security in God today by taking Him at His word and meditating on His promises.

Pray

Lord, surround me with Your presence and give me assurance through Your promises. I trust You and know You are in control. Bless me today with peace.

Will You Rest Today?

Encouragement, Trust

“Then they returned and prepared spices and fragrant oils. And they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment.”
Luke 23:56

One of the most forgotten of the Ten Commandments is the command to “rest.” As Jesus’ body laid in the tomb, it’s a great reminder that we are to rest just as God did. After God incarnate declared, “it is finished,” He honored the Sabbath once more just as He had at the beginning of creation. In the tomb, God rested. 

Have we forgotten the command to rest? For the Jews, the Sabbath was a day to rest and not do any kind of work. The laws were very strict of what one could do on the Sabbath. For example, women were not permitted to look into a mirror lest they be tempted to pluck hair, which would cause her to break the law.

Remember, the word Sabbath means rest. 

After Jesus was crucified, He was wrapped in burial cloth and laid in a borrowed tomb. Nothing is said about what happened between Friday night and Sunday morning because it was a day of rest so nothing happened. Jesus could have arose from the dead on Saturday but He didn’t. His body laid in rest. 

Christians honor Sunday as a day to rest and worship. But do you allow it to be a day of rest and worship? Is God satisfied with how we rest and worship?

God worked six days and then rested on the seventh. He commanded His people to rest. But in today’s modern world we don’t honor this commandment like we should. Let’s honor God and do as He commands. Let’s rest and worship the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. 

Pray

‭Lord, I honor You and keep Your Commandments in my heart. You have blessed me and I in return honor You.