Pastor Stephen Dedman

Tag: salvation

The Help Of The Holy Spirit

Encouragement

The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him,
the Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and might,
the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.
Isaiah 11:2

Throughout Jesus’ earthly ministry, the Holy Spirit guided and directed Him as He made important decisions. (Mark 1:11) As we see in today’s verse, Isaiah described what the Spirit’s presence would mean for the Lord.

The Spirit gave Jesus the knowledge of the will of God the Father. The Spirit enabled Jesus to take the word of God and apply it to the specific areas that He encountered.

Do you need guidance and wisdom for a decision that you are facing? Are you in a position of great responsibility and feel overwhelmed by the decisions that you must make? Are you seeking the help of the Lord?

As a Christian, you have the same Spirit who lives inside of you. The Holy Spirit comes in wisdom and brings the understanding of God’s ways. The Holy Spirit guides and directs us as we make the difficult decisions of life.

The same Spirit who enabled Jesus to see through the deceptions of Satan will also guide you through the temptations that you face. When the Holy Spirit controls your heart and mind, you can make it through the tough decisions you make and you can live your life effectively.

Pray

Lord, fill me with Your Spirit to give me wisdom to understand the things that I am facing today. Help me to know Your will and way so that I may please You in every decision I make.

Thankfulness Leads To Joy

Encouragement

I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify your name forever.
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭86:12‬

Are you a joyful person? Do you look at the brighter side of life? A thankful heart leads to joy.

What is your source of joy? It’s easy to confuse happiness with joy. Joy is eternal and happiness is temporal.

If God were to take everything away from you like he did Job, would you still praise Him? If you were to lose your joy because you had no more money in the bank or popularity or a job then your joy is not in Jesus. You see, joy that last forever is from the Lord. Everything in this world is temporary but everything in the Lord lasts forever.

If Jesus is your true source of joy then He is all you need. He satisfies your every longing.

Jesus wants to give you more than you can imagine. He wants to give you a life of complete joy. But the only way to experience joy is to trust in Him.

Don’t let worldly things consume your heart and mind. The devil is trying to steal from you. The devil wants to keep you from experiencing the benefits of the Lord. The devil wants you to live in fear and panic. But God wants you to be full of joy!

Is Jesus your Master and Savior? Praise Him today for who He is. Give thanks to the Lord for He alone is great. Does Jesus have your whole heart?

Pray

Lord, I pray that I never find joy from any other source than You. Fill my heart with gladness. Let Your light shine through me.

Love Everlasting

Encouragement

The LORD has appeared of old to me, saying: “Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.”
‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭31:3‬

This is a beautiful passage of Old Testament Scripture. It is directed towards the people of Israel and how God has loved them with an everlasting love. The Lord surely fulfilled His promise to regather His children back into their promised land.

This is a great reminder that God’s love is everlasting. The Lord loves us in a way that we cannot fathom.

He redeemed His children from Egyptian bondage and provided for them while wandering in the wilderness. Even in times of rebellion and unbelief, God never rejected His children. Although there were times of discipline, He always restored them to a position of honor because He loved them so much. 

This is the love story told throughout the whole Bible. It’s His story of how He loves His special people unconditionally. No one can ever understand how much love He has for us.

There may be times when you may feel that you are not loved so be certain that God loves you. His love for you is everlasting just like the Israelites.

You may go through times of rebellion and unbelief, but God will never turn His back on you. No one will ever love you like God loves you. He doesn’t just say it, He proves it everyday. 

Pray

Lord, I love you. I am thankful for your unending love for me. As I show love toward others, let them sense your love that is in me.