Blog Archives
When to Turn Away
Today’s Scripture:
Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word. – Psalm 119:37, NIV.
Today’s Word:
In order to live the life of victory God has promised, you have to be very selective about what you give your time and attention to. You have to recognize which thoughts to ignore, which comments to ignore, and sometimes, which people to ignore. Every “battle” that comes across your path is not a battle that you’re supposed to fight. Many battles are simply distractions to try to lure you off course. If that battle is not between you and your God-given destiny, it’s a battle you should ignore.
Many people get thrown off course because they are always trying to straighten everyone else out or win their approval. But if that’s your focus, you are wasting valuable time and energy that you should be using to pursue your dreams. Turn away from that distraction! You don’t need the approval of everyone around you; you only need God’s approval!
Friend, it’s very freeing when you realize you don’t have to fight every battle. You don’t have to straighten people out. You don’t have to pay somebody back. Instead, focus on what matters, focus on God and His Word so you can live in peace and happiness every day of your life!
Prayer for Today:
Father, thank You for ordering my steps. Thank You for planning good things for me. Help me to discern the things I should ignore. Help me to avoid distractions as I focus my heart and mind on You today in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Copyright © 2012 Joel Osteen Ministries
A Little Change Will Do You Good!
Posted by Victoria Osteen on 8/14/2012
One time I was being interviewed by a journalist for a news article, and after asking several questions, the man said, “What would you like to change if you could change anything about yourself?” I thought for a second and said, “Well, I’d like to change myself.” He looked at me sort of funny and said, “Well, what’s wrong with you?” I said, “Well, I know that if I constantly change myself, if I work on myself, if I’m constantly growing and improving, then I have the ability to change and impact the things around me.”
See, we weren’t meant to be stagnant. We were meant to grow, change and improve. I want to be a better mother. I want to be a better wife. I want to be a better leader. I want to have more discipline, more focus and more wisdom. I want to be able to hear from God better. I want hear His truth spoken everywhere that I am! I want to be a better person and a better example for Him. Don’t you?
Today, I just encourage you; don’t ever settle for “good enough.” Don’t ever settle for “just getting by.” Keep pressing forward. Keep pressing into God. Let His Word renew your thinking and transform you into His image. Be the best version of you that you can possibly be! Don’t be afraid to grow; don’t be afraid to get out of your comfort zone. Don’t be afraid to change because a little change will do you good!
“And be constantly renewed in the spirit of your mind [having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude]” (Ephesians 4:23, AMP).
Copyright © 2012 Joel Osteen Ministries
Our Daily Bread – Unrewarded
Read: Matthew 6:1-4,19-21
Most of us look to friends and colleagues for rewards: a slap on the back, a hero’s medal, applause, a sincere compliment. But according to Jesus, the more important rewards await us after death. It’s possible that the most significant human acts of all are carried out in secret, seen by no one but God. In a nutshell, the message of the kingdom is this: Live for God and not other people.
As Jesus explained it, we are accumulating a kind of savings account, storing up “treasures in heaven” (Matt. 6:20) rather than on earth—treasures so great that they will compensate for any amount of suffering. The Old Testament has dropped a few scant hints about an afterlife, but Jesus spoke plainly about a place where “the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father” (Matt. 13:43).
In their quest for a kingdom, the Jews of Jesus’ day had been looking for signs of God’s approval in this life, primarily through prosperity and political power. Beginning with this speech, Jesus changed the focus to the life to come (ch.6). He discounted success in this visible world. Invest in the future life, He cautioned. After all, rust, a thief, or a lowly insect can destroy all else that we accumulate (v.20).
and colleagues, but rather to look to You for approval.
Teach us to put into practice the principles of the
Sermon on the Mount. Amen.
Our Daily Bread – Heman’s Honesty
Read: Psalm 88
I marvel at Heman, the poet who wrote Psalm 88. His lot in life was unrelieved distress. “My soul is full of troubles,” he lamented (v.3). He was fed up with suffering!
Heman looked back and remembered poor health and misfortune. He looked around and saw adversity and abandonment. He looked up and found no solace. “I am distraught,” he complained (v.15). He was “adrift” (v.5), “in darkness” (v.6), “afflicted” (vv.7,15), and “cast off” (v.14). He could see no light at the end of the tunnel; no resolution of his sorrow.
Heman’s honesty warms my soul. Christians who never struggle confuse me. There’s balance, of course: No one wants to be around those who babble on all day about their troubles, but it does my heart good to know that someone else has struggled.
Yet, there’s more to Heman than mere candor. He also had a stubborn, intractable faith. Despite his many problems, he clung to God and cried out to Him “day and night” (vv.1,9,13). He didn’t stop praying. He didn’t give up. And even though he didn’t sense it at the time, Heman acknowledged God’s lovingkindness, faithfulness, and righteousness (vv.11-12).
I like folks like Heman. They strengthen my grip on God and remind me never to stop praying.
My soul ascends before the throne;
My only hope of strength is where
My heart and His meet all alone. —Anon.
© 2012 RBC Ministries
Our Daily Bread – Living In Community
Read: Philippians 2:1-11
Texas Ranger baseball player Josh Hamilton has battled the demons of drug and alcohol addiction. So when his team won their playoff series in 2010, Hamilton was concerned about the postgame celebration. He admitted that it’s not good for a recovering alcoholic to be in the midst of a “rainstorm” of champagne. But something beautiful happened. Instead of champagne, his teammates stocked the locker room with ginger ale so that Hamilton could be included in the celebration. What a great picture of community and putting others’ needs above your own.
This is what Paul meant when he commanded the Philippians to count others as more significant than themselves (2:3-4). Being united to Christ made the Philippian believers members of the same family and gave them a special bond. Thus their attitude toward one another was to be expressed in practical ways: unity in love, sacrificial service, and discovering how to help others even when they didn’t realize they needed help. The motivation for this type of normal Christian behavior is the example of Jesus Christ.
Like Hamilton’s teammates, let’s carry each other’s burdens. When we selflessly love our neighbors, we are expressing our love for God.
For other lives their burden of care;
Beautiful souls are those that show
The Spirit of Christ wherever they go. —Abbott
Rising Up
Today’s Scripture:
But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. – Isaiah 40:31, KJV.
Today’s Word:
We serve a God of increase. He wants you to continually rise up higher in Him. He wants you to know Him more so He can reveal His glory through you. He wants you to be blessed so that you can be a blessing to others. He wants to take you to the next level in every area of your life!
The “next level” looks different for each of us. For you, it may be seeing your family restored. It may be healing in your body. It may be a promotion at work or new friendships that you’ve desired. No matter what it is, know that God has your best in His heart. He desires to do exceedingly, abundantly above and beyond what you could ask, think or imagine. He loves to do above and beyond and show Himself strong on your behalf.
Today, meditate on the fact that God loves you so much. As you submit every area of your life to Him, He will cause you to rise up higher. He will give you strength and take you to the next level in every area of your life.
Prayer for Today:
Father, I humbly come to You giving You every area of my mind, will and emotions. I submit my desires to You knowing that Your ways are higher. Thank You for leading me and causing me to rise up to the next level in every area of life in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Copyright © 2012 Joel Osteen Ministries
Our Daily Bread – They Are Watching
Read: Matthew 5:13-16
A professional football player’s team was having a terrible season, losing week after week. A reporter asked him how he stayed motivated to play hard and give his best even though his team lost almost every game. He responded, “My dad is watching that game. My mom is watching that game. You better believe I’m going to do my best!” He recognized that there was more at stake than just winning or losing. People were watching, and that reality always drove him to do his best.
Jesus reminded us of this reality in the early portions of His Sermon on the Mount. We should live our lives with a recognition that what we do is observed by those around us—and this visible life makes a statement about our God. He said, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matt. 5:16). How does the light of our lives shine? By bringing the heart and character of Christ into the situations that engage us every day. By showing compassion as He did for the marginalized or forgotten. By displaying concern for the Father’s name and reputation.
People are watching us. The question is, What do they see?
As an example of good to mankind.
Help them to see the patterns of Thee,
Shining in beauty, lived out in me. —Neuer
On Your Side!
Today’s Scripture:
What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? – Romans 8:31, NIV.
Today’s Word:
Joshua chapter six tells the story about how the odds were stacked against Joshua and the people of Israel. They were standing at the massive walls of Jericho that many thought were impenetrable.
I’m sure as he was standing before the well-fortified walls and gates of the city, many around him didn’t think his future was too bright. But you see Joshua had something others overlooked; he had the promise of Almighty God. Joshua had faith because He knew God was on His side, and God had already determined the victory. Sure enough, just as God promised, the people marched around the city for six days, and on the seventh day, they shouted the victory and the walls came tumbling down!
Today, don’t look at the walls in your life; look at the promise of God. He is for you, and if God is for you, nothing can stand against you. Get a vision of victory and don’t let it go. Keep moving forward in faith and obedience knowing that when you do, the Most High God is on your side!
Prayer for Today:
Father God, thank You for Your favor, grace and victory in my life. I choose to trust You. I choose to follow Your leading. I choose to be faithful to You because You are faithful to me. I love You and bless You in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Copyright © 2012 Joel Osteen Ministries
What To Wear Today
Posted by Victoria Osteen on 8/7/2012
If you’re like me, when you wake up in the morning, you start thinking about your day—where you’ll be going, who you’ll be seeing, and what the weather will be like. Then you go to your closet and choose something to wear that will work for all those different scenarios. But there’s one thing that the Bible tells us we need to “put on” if we are going to be fully equipped for everything we will face each day—and that is love.
Love is a one-size-fits-all solution to every situation you will ever encounter with your family, friends, coworkers, and even the grocery clerk. When you’re wearing love, you are setting yourself up for success because the Bible tells us that love never fails. And—love never goes out of style, either! It never gives up, wears out, or becomes old. It’s the perfect thing for every occasion.
So, how do you put on love? It’s interesting that with the principles of God, we always have to do something. Wouldn’t it be nice if God would just come and put love on us? You know, like when you’re in the middle of a heated discussion or someone cuts you off in traffic; it would be nice if He would just come and drop love right on us so that we would always do and say the right thing! But that’s not how it works. We have to choose love. We have to choose to be patient, kind, humble and giving. We have to choose His Word. In every circumstance, we have to decide between what our mind is screaming and what our heart is whispering.
I encourage you today, read what First Corinthians 13 says about love. When you choose to read and meditate on God’s Word, you are “putting on love” and empowering yourself to make the right choices. And, even if you’ve made some mistakes in the past, today is a new day. Receive God’s love and forgiveness. Put on His royal robe of righteousness so you can move forward. Put on love and be fully equipped for everything you will ever face!
“Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which ties everything together in unity.” (Colossians 3:14, ISV)
Copyright © 2012 Joel Osteen Ministries
Our Daily Bread – Plugged In
Read: Isaiah 40:27-31
My wife was working at home on her computer recently when she suddenly noticed her laptop battery power was low and the computer was about to shut down. The computer was plugged in, though, so it shouldn’t have been using the battery. Following the laptop cord to the extension cord, she finally noticed that the extension cord was actually plugged back into itself instead of the wall outlet! She looked at me, amused, and said, “There’s a devotional in there somewhere.”
As she said it, I was reminded of a passage of Scripture on the power of God: Isaiah 40:27-31. Isaiah identifies the true and unending Source of strength from which we must draw ours—“the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth” (v.28). Then he speaks to those whose strength is ebbing, encouraging them to wait on the Lord to find their strength renewed (vv.29-31).
Jesus spoke of us as branches abiding in Him as the Vine (John 15:4-5). It’s a parallel to Isaiah’s powerful closing, which promises that if we’re plugged into God we will “run and not be weary, . . . walk and not faint” (Isa. 40:31).
When we find ourselves weary and distressed, we need to plug into the true Source of strength and life.
Through Him who loved us so;
The Christ who dwells within us
Is the greatest power we know. —Carmichael
I Am Lady Fab 