Pastor Stephen Dedman

Tag: salvation

Problems Are Opportunities

Encouragement

And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, “They have no wine.”
John 2:3

What do you do when you have problems? Our problems are actually good opportunities for God to show us what He can do. They give God the opportunity to work on our behalf and display His glory.

Jesus’ mother knew exactly what to do with the problem. She went straight to Jesus and said, “They have no wine.” It is interesting to note that Mary did not tell Jesus what to do or how to resolve it. In verse 5, Mary simply said to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it.” 

When we give our problems to the Lord, we trust Him to work on our behalf and we do whatever He commands us to do. We must remain faithful and obedient to the Lord regardless if it makes sense or not. Jesus turned the water into wine because the servants were obedient to Jesus. 

Most of the time we want to tell Jesus how to fix our problems. However the most important thing to do when we give our problems to the Lord is be obedient and patient. Do whatever He tells you to do.

The servants obeyed the words of Jesus and had faith that He had a plan. They could have easily came up with excuses and reasons of why not to go fill up the water pots, but they didn’t. In the end, the servants were not only witnesses of the miracle, they were participants in it.

What is the Lord telling you to do? Allow the Lord to turn problems into opportunities. Only the Lord can do such marvelous works.

Pray

Lord, when You speak I will listen and obey. Help me today to do Your will and let me witness a marvelous work. 

You Are Blessed

Encouragement

And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the Lord your God:
Deuteronomy 28:2

When you are in good fellowship with God you don’t have to ask for His blessings because you already have them. Obedience puts you in a position to receive God’s best.

Just as you may enjoy blessing someone, God delights in blessing you in ways that you wouldn’t imagine. God’s blessings are right in the midst of your everyday life. 

For example, you could receive an encouraging message in the middle of a stressful day or you might receive a friendly phone call from a loved-one at the end of a long, hard day. You could check your mail and receive a card from someone who has been thinking of you or receive an unexpected sum of money just at the perfect time. 

Often times, God has a way of blessing us when we least expect it. He has a way of blowing our minds. Blessings come just in the nick of time as an expression of His love for us. He reminds us that He knows what is happening in our life.

Blessings are a result of obedience to God. When you walk closely with the Lord, you obey His commands and blessings come. When you are living in obedience to God’s Word, blessings will also come to those around you. 

Solomon enjoyed peace and prosperity during his reign as king, but his blessings came largely as a result of his father, David, walking closely with God. God promised Abraham that his obedience would bring blessings to all the inhabitants of the earth (Gen. 12:2-3).

We don’t need to take God’s blessings for granted. When you receive an unexpected blessing, thank God for His everlasting love and recognize the next time His blessings surprise you and overtake you!

Pray

Lord, I want to be close to You. I desire to be obedient to Your commands and submit to Your will and way. Let my obedience to You also bless someone else so that they may see Your glory.

Keep The Word

Encouragement

Oh, that my ways were directed To keep Your statutes!
Psalms 119:5

Does this verse reflect your heart? Do your actions reflect God’s standards? As we mature in our walk with the Lord we should consistently reflect God’s will and ways in all our actions. 

However, we are human and we fall short of the target of perfection. The psalmist goes on to give us some helpful insights to overcome our daily temptations. In verse 9 he says,”How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word.” There is supernatural power in the Word of God.

If we are to reflect God’s ways, we must know and keep God’s Word close to our heart. In verse 11 he says, “Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You.” When we treasure God’s Word we hide it in our hearts and it provides for us a weapon against the temptation to sin. Thus the power of God’s Word!

If you desire to reflect God’s statues in your actions, you must know them and treasure them deep in your heart. The enemy wants to keep you in the dark but God brings all things to light. Verse 105 says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Again, it’s the power of God’s Word.

Can we live pure in an impure world? Absolutely. Can we overcome the temptation to sin? Of course. The power of God’s Word gives us victory!

Pray

Lord, I need to trust in Your Word and meditate on it day and night. Give me the desire to study it and the wisdom to understand it. Thank You for giving me Your Word.