18/08/23
JOEL OSTEEN MINISTRIES
Today’s Word
TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
Psalm 139:8, NIV
Great Lengths
If you have read the book of Jonah, you know that when God told Jonah to go and preach repentance to the city of Nineveh, Jonah went the other way. Yet God didn’t say, “I’m done with you, Jonah. You’re on your own.” Instead, God had a big fish already in place to rescue Jonah when he was thrown overboard. It swallowed him up, carried him to his destination like a cruise liner, then spit him up on shore. God gave him another chance. This time Jonah went, got back on course, and fulfilled his purpose.
You may be thinking you’ve made so many mistakes that you’ve missed your destiny. If you only knew what great lengths God is going to go to get you back on course. If you only knew there are great fish waiting to rescue you, to protect you, to bring you back into your purpose. You can’t outrun the mercy of God. No matter how far you go or how deep you fall, God is always there. ” Start dreaming again, start hoping again, start believing again.
A PRAYER FOR TODAY
“Father, thank You that when I’ve made mistakes and gone my own way, You didn’t say, ‘Too bad that you messed up. Now you’re on your own.’ Thank You for Your mercy that covers me and gives me second chances. I believe You will get me to where I’m supposed to be. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”
SECTION TWO
I am sure that you have heard a lot of teaching on fearing the Lord. I do believe in a reverential honor of the Lord. But I am not for any kind of teaching that promotes this idea that God wants you to be afraid of Him. God delights in having us close to Him. He welcomes us to dwell in His secret place, to be so close to Him that we come under His shadow.
These are all pictures of intimacy. In any relationship, fear and intimacy cannot coexist. If you fear God today, you won’t be able to believe Him for His protection. That is why it is so important for you to be strong and established in His grace.
The author of the book of Hebrews says, “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb. 4:16). This is a picture of the ark of the covenant, God’s throne of grace. Because our Lord’s blood has been shed on the mercy seat, today, we can come boldly into His presence without any sense of inferiority or shame, and receive His favor, His supply, His protection, and His help in our time of need.
Jesus defined the fear of the Lord as the worship of the Lord. In the wilderness temptation, Jesus responded to the devil by saying, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve” (Matt. 4:8–10). Our Lord was quoting from Deuteronomy 6:13, which says, “You shall fear the Lord your God and serve Him.” Our Lord substituted the word “fear” with the word “worship.”
Jesus was showing us how to accurately understand the fear of the Lord. In the new covenant, it has nothing to do with being afraid of the Lord; it has everything to do with coming into His presence with boldness and worshiping Him. Stop living in fear, my friend. Instead, follow our Lord wholly like Caleb did and worship His wonderful name. The prayer of protection in Psalm 91 is a psalm of worship. When you worship Jesus, all your fears will fade away. When you worship Him, the angel of the Lord encamps around you like a shield of protection. When you worship your Savior, His Spirit of wisdom and counsel will lead and guide you with rivers of peace!
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