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Our Daily Bread – Off-Limits
Read: Romans 5:1-8
As a 12-year-old, I was curious about the Bible my dad was given when he retired from the paper mill. It came in a special cedar box marked The Holy Bible, and I assumed that “holy” meant it was off-limits to me. But still I peered inside. In the center of the Bible was a picture of Jesus hanging on the cross, along with the words of John 3:16. There was also a see-through red film covering the page, which I assumed meant He bled and died.
Occasionally, when no one else was looking, I would gently pull the holy Book off the shelf, open the box, look at the picture of Jesus on the cross, read the verse, and wonder about this Man and why He died. I wondered if His love was meant for me or if it too was off-limits.
Several years later I heard a message about how God had provided access to His love through Jesus. Romans 5:1-2 tells us: “We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand.” I believed and received Jesus’ salvation from my sin.
Aren’t you thankful that the Bible and God’s love aren’t off-limits? Receive His forgiveness—it’s meant for unholy people like you and me.
Its pages every one!
They lead us to the Living Word—
To Jesus, God’s dear Son. —D. De Haan
Never Disappointed
Today’s Scripture:
…those who hope in me will not be disappointed. – Isaiah 49:23, NIV.
Today’s Word:
What a powerful promise we have from Almighty God! When we put our hope in Him, we will never be disappointed. Of course, that doesn’t mean that things will always go our way. There may be temporary disappointments, but we will never be permanently disappointed. Somewhere down the road, God will cause it to all work out for our good. With God on your side, you will always end in victory!
Are you carrying frustration, worry or aggravation about something? That’s usually a clear sign that your hope is in the wrong place. If you hope in circumstances, it will deplete you of joy and peace. But when you turn those circumstances over to God, when you refuse to worry, when you refuse to allow the temporary things of this world to dictate your happiness, that’s when God can do a work in your life. When you trust in Him, He will make your crooked places straight; He will cause you to mount up with wings like the eagle.
Today, choose to put your hope in the Father; you won’t be disappointed. Trust Him because He is faithful. Find rest for your soul in knowing that He is good, and He has good things in store for your future!
Prayer for Today:
Father, today I give You every frustration, every aggravation, every difficulty. I release total control into Your loving and able hands. Speak to my heart and give me Your peace. Show me Your love as I place my hope in You in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Copyright © 2012 Joel Osteen Ministries
He Opens Supernatural Doors
Posted by Joel Osteen on 8/24/2012
A friend of mine was sitting next to a young man on a plane who grew up in a very poor village in east Africa. Their country was in great famine, and they were struggling just to survive. At seven years old, his father was killed. At twelve years old, his mother died. He was separated from his brothers and sisters and then sent to live with his grandmother. His grandmother was very old and very sick, so at twelve years old, he became her caretaker. He would get up at five in the morning and study for an hour. He loved to study and read and learn. At six o’clock, he would walk to get water—an hour and a half each way. He would come back, make his grandmother breakfast, and then go to the school in the little village. He got out of school at three o’clock, went home, made his grandmother something else to eat, and then took the three-hour walk once again to get more water.
In the natural, it didn’t look like this boy had much of a future. All the odds were against him. He was an orphan living in the slums with no parents and nobody to watch after him. But there was something special about this young man. Deep down, he believed that he was a person of destiny, that he had seeds of greatness on the inside. Every night before going to bed in that little mud hut, he would get down on his knees and say, “Lord, I want to go to college. God, I want to have an education. I want to make a difference with my life.”
There were tens of thousands of young children living in the slums all around him. Nobody ever got out. But when you pray bold prayers of faith, it gets God’s attention. When you believe, it causes the Creator of the universe to respond.
In that country, the children only went to school through junior high. To attend high school, you had to pay tuition. Ninety-nine percent of the children couldn’t afford it. One night at twelve years old, this boy had a dream. In this dream, he saw himself walking through the village to a house about thirty minutes away. At that house, he met a man by the name of Mr. Stanley who was from Belgium. In the dream, Mr. Stanley helped him. When the boy woke up, he remembered the dream so vividly, right down to the smallest detail.
The next morning, he took that thirty-minute walk through the village and saw the exact house that was in his dream. The house was surrounded by guards. He walked up to them and said, “I’m here to see Mr. Stanley.” The guards were amazed, even shocked. They said, “How do you know anything about Mr. Stanley?” He said, “I saw him in a dream.” Intrigued, Mr. Stanley invited him in and said, “Son, what can I do for you?” The young boy said, “I want to go to school, but I have no money. I’m an orphan. I live in the slums.”
Mr. Stanley said, “You go find the best high school you can find, and I’ll pay your tuition. I’ll give you the books. I’ll pay for all your supplies. Anything you need, I’ll take care of it.”
In high school, the teachers noticed what an excellent student he was and how he loved to learn. They got him an internship at the Parliament working underneath the government officials, the lawmakers. They, too, could see there was something special about him. When he graduated from high school, the government said, “We’re going to send you to college in America to study law.”
My friend was sitting next to him on the plane. He had just gotten his law degree and was headed back to his country. My friend said to him, “They have groomed you to become the Prime Minister, haven’t they?” He smiled and said, “What you are saying, ma’am, is true.”
Friends, when you pray bold prayers, you never know where God is going to take you. When you follow the desires He has placed in your heart, He opens supernatural doors. He will connect you to the right people. He will go before you and make the crooked places straight. He will even speak to you in dreams. What you couldn’t make happen on your own, God can make happen for you! He is not limited by your background, by what country you come from, by your education or by your talent. Open your heart and mind to Him and believe that He will do exceedingly, abundantly in every area of your life!
“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9, NIV).
Copyright © 2012 Joel Osteen Ministries
Our Daily Bread – The New Normal
Read: Hebrews 4:9-16
A pastor, who was trained in trauma and grief counseling, commented that the greatest challenge for people who are hurting is often not the immediate heartache of the loss. Instead, the biggest problem is adjusting to the different kind of life that follows. What once was normal may never be normal again. So the challenge for those offering help is to assist the sufferers as they establish the “new normal.” It may be a new normal that no longer includes robust health, a treasured relationship, or a satisfying job. Or it may be living without a loved one who has been taken in death. The gravity of such losses forces us to live a different kind of life—no matter how unwelcome it may be.
When our “new normal” comes, it’s easy to think no one understands how we feel. But that isn’t true. Part of the reason Jesus came was to experience life among us, resulting in His present ministry: “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin” (Heb. 4:15).
Our Savior lived a perfect life, yet He also knew the pains of a broken world. He endured sorrow; He suffered agony. And He stands ready to encourage us when the dark moments of life force us to embrace a new normal.
will never abandon us. Guide us with Your never-failing
presence through both the welcome and unwelcome changes
of life. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Our Daily Bread – Risky Business
Read: Luke 9:18-27
As the worldwide financial crisis deepened in 2010, executives of a global banking firm were investigated for deceiving their customers about the risk involved in certain investments they were selling. While promising a high rate of return, the banking firm knew that the investments were destined to fail, leaving those who purchased them with nothing.
Deception is nothing new. Jesus described Satan as one who “does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him . . . for he is a liar and the father of it” (John 8:44). The enemy of our souls tells us, “Live only for the present,” when he knows it will result in our eternal loss.
Jesus, on the other hand, did not offer His disciples a life of prosperity and ease but called them to self-sacrifice and identification with Him. After telling them that He would be killed and raised from the dead, Jesus said, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it” (Luke 9:23-24).
There are two voices telling us where to invest our lives. It’s risky business to follow the wrong one.
As He calls you, “Come to Me,”
In your life make Him your choice
And His faithful follower be. —Hess
Stand and See
Today’s Scripture:
…stand and see the salvation of the Lord…- 2 Chronicles 20:17, NASB.
Today’s Word:
So many people today run from anything that’s hard. They run from their problems. They run from responsibility. They run from people they don’t like. They run from the past. They run from anything that makes them uncomfortable. Instead of facing the issues and dealing with them, they just take the easy way out and go down the path of least resistance. But if you’re going to live in victory the way God intends, you have to learn how to face your challenges head on.
Notice today’s verse doesn’t say, “Keep running until you see the salvation of the Lord.” It doesn’t say, “Bury your head in the sand until God delivers you.” No, God wants us to stand strong, set our faces like a flint, and fight the good fight of faith. And the good news is that you don’t have to do it in your own strength! He’s equipped you with His supernatural power to overcome every obstacle.
Make the decision today to stand strong and face the challenges in your life. Be bold and dare to conquer! As you stand in faith, you will see the salvation, the deliverance of Almighty God in every area of your life!
Prayer for Today:
Father in heaven, search my heart. Show me any area in my life where I may be hiding. I choose today to stand in faith and invite You to move mightily on my behalf in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Copyright © 2012 Joel Osteen Ministries
Success
Today’s Scripture:
Send your grain across the seas, and in time, profits will flow back to you.- Ecclesiastes 11:1, NLT.
Today’s Word:
God has a system that is based on the principle of sowing and reaping. In other words, what you pour out to others will come back to you in increased measure. When you give generously, a generous harvest will return to you. When you help others succeed, you will find abundant success on your path, too.
Are you helping others succeed? Are you helping others get ahead? There are some people in your life who hold the keys for you to reach your full potential. These are people that God has placed in your life for you to help along. The higher they rise up, the higher you will rise up, too. When you give generously of your time, talents and resources, you are setting yourself up for greater success. People will come across your path that will help you grow and reach your full potential.
Do your part to step out and sow the seed. Be on the lookout for ways you can help others. As you give of yourself to help others grow, you’ll see increase in return. You’ll see success and live the abundant life He has prepared for you.
Prayer for Today:
Father in heaven, I open my whole heart You. I invite You to use me to be a blessing in the lives of others. Show me where to invest my time, talents and resources for Your glory. Thank You for the harvest that is coming back to me in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Copyright © 2012 Joel Osteen Ministries
Stretch and Increase!
Posted by Victoria Osteen on 8/21/2012
Have you ever thought about the relationship between stretching and increase? Really, they go hand in hand. If you want to see increase in your life, you have to enlarge yourself. You have to stretch yourself so you can be prepared to receive more and give more. If you want to stretch, you have to take a step of faith and be obedient to what God has placed in your heart.
What are you doing to stretch yourself? You can’t just sit back and wait for something to happen. You have so much to offer this world. There’s more inside of you than you think!
There’s a story about a woman who was newly divorced, almost penniless, afraid of public places, and trying to raise two teenage sons. Through several tragedies in her life, she developed severe agoraphobia and was afraid to even leave her house. She had to make a living, so she searched her heart for ways to support herself and her two sons.
She loved to cook, and all she knew to do for income was to make sandwiches and other simple foods. She found a few customers, but because she was so uncomfortable leaving the house, her two sons had to deliver the sandwiches. Her little home business quickly grew beyond the size of her kitchen, and she now faced a decision. Would she stand still and stop growing, or would she confront her fears and step outside her comfort zone and stretch herself? Though fear constantly harassed her, she recognized that cooking was the seed she had in her hand. As she sat in her house, she could imagine her business growing, and she began to see success. She made the decision to step out and learn and grow. First, she decided to confront the agoraphobia that imprisoned her. Reaching deep inside herself, she was able to take a job as a chef at a local hotel.
Her seeds began to spring forth, and once again, she experienced tremendous success. She was learning step by step that the gifts inside of her were seeds of greatness. A few years later, she opened her own restaurant, The Lady and Sons, right in the heart of Savannah, Georgia. The restaurant’s reputation quickly spread and received national recognition.
Paula Deen’s restaurant was such a success that she eventually landed her own television show, published cookbooks, and even had a role on the silver screen. Today she is one of America’s most beloved television chefs, and it all started when she realized that the power that dwelt inside of her was greater than the fear that held her back.
Oftentimes, people stay where they are in life simply because of fear. Don’t let that be you! Be willing to step out of your comfort zone. Be willing to stretch. Prepare yourself for increase because God has so much more in store for you!
“Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes.” (Isaiah 54:2, NIV)
Copyright © 2012 Joel Osteen Ministries
Stronger By Faith
by Joyce Meyer – posted August 22, 2012
The Lord is my Strength and my Song, and He has become my Salvation; this is my God, and I will praise Him, my father’s God, and I will exalt Him. —Exodus 15:2
God does not want to just give you strength; He wants to be your strength. In 1 Samuel 15:29 God is referred to as the Strength of Israel. There was a time when Israel knew God was their strength. But when they forgot it, they always started to fail and their lives began to be filled with destruction.
How do you receive strength from God? By faith. Hebrews 11:11 says that by faith Sarah received strength to conceive a child when she was well past childbearing age. By faith you can receive strength to stay in a difficult marriage, raise a difficult child, or prosper in a difficult job. Start receiving God as your strength by faith. It will quicken your body as well as your spirit and soul.
From the book Ending Your Day Right by Joyce Meyer. Copyright © 2004 by Joyce Meyer. Published by FaithWords. All rights reserved.
Our Daily Bread – A Picture Of Him
Read: Hebrews 12:3-11
One day my son uncapped an orange marker and drew a picture of his father. His toddler’s rendering featured eyes, a nose, and a mouth, all inside of a circle on top of two long sticks (he informed me that those were the legs). Although my little boy scored high marks for effort, his picture didn’t quite capture the specifics that would have created a close likeness to my husband: blue eyes, a confident smile, and silver-flecked hair.
As God’s children, we sometimes create images of our heavenly Father that aren’t accurate. We may view God as unloving when He corrects sinful patterns in our lives. And because discipline is painful (Heb. 12:11), we may assume that God’s correction is a form of divine revenge or the result of His anger. In reality, it is proof of His love for us. The Bible says, “Whom the Lord loves He chastens” (v.6). He disciplines us for our benefit, so that we “may be partakers of His holiness” (v.10) and experience the peace that comes from right living (v.11).
Today, if you are facing God’s discipline, remember that He isn’t peering down at you with an angry scowl or shaking a vengeful fist. Picture Him as a concerned Father, lovingly correcting His child in whom He delights (Prov. 3:12).
help me to see it’s Your love in action. May Your loving
discipline mold and shape my character
so that I become more and more like You. Amen.
I Am Lady Fab 