22/12/23
JOEL OSTEEN MINISTRIES
TODAY’S WORD
Today’s Scripture
The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.”
Luke 1:35, NIV
THE POWER OF THE MOST HIGH
When the angel appeared to Mary, telling her that she was going to have a baby apart from a relationship with a man and that her baby would be the Messiah, she was confused. She thought, “That’s impossible. That defies the laws of nature.” She asked the angel, “How can this be? I’m a virgin.” Mary’s how question was answered in today’s Scripture. The angel was saying, in effect, “Mary, God will take care of the how. Believe the promise that His power will overshadow you.”
Like Mary, you may have a how. God has given you a promise, but it seems impossible. How can you get well? How can you come out of debt? How can you accomplish your dream? Don’t worry about the how. It may seem too big, too late, too far, too much. That’s the way Mary felt. Do as she did and keep believing that the power of the Most High is going to make things happen that you can’t make happen. Nothing can stop Him from overshadowing you.
A Prayer for Today
“Father, thank You for Your promise to Mary that her giving birth to Your Son was possible because of Your power. Thank You that Your promises to me are equally as possible because of Your power. My eyes are on You to do what only You can do. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”
There is a lot of fearmongering everywhere you turn today—on the news, in the papers, via social media, and unfortunately, on Christian media as well. However, it is vital that we do not let fear take over our hearts.
As believers, we have no business feeding on fear. If your mind is entangled with knots of anxiety, perhaps it’s time for you to examine your mental diet. What have you, consciously or unconsciously, been meditating on? Are you ingesting and believing everything you see in the news reports, or are you living by what the Lord Jesus has purchased for you at Calvary?
To help you understand God’s heart for you regarding fear and your walking in His protection, I want to share with you a powerful key from today’s verse, the very first verse of Psalm 91, the prayer of protection.
The Hebrew word for “dwell” is yashab, which means to sit down, to remain, or to settle. Notice that the very first thing that God wants you to do to enjoy His protection is to rest. His protection, peace, love, and other blessings flow in your life when you are in a place of rest.
Let’s camp on the word dwell just a little more. Let’s meditate on what it means to rest or “sit down.” The Bible says that we are seated with Christ at God’s right hand (Eph. 2:6, Heb. 1:3). The word “seated” is beautiful—it means that you are no longer standing and working.
Under the old covenant, the priest had to offer the morning sacrifice at 9 a.m., and then remain standing for six hours until after the evening sacrifice at 3 p.m. Our Lord Jesus was crucified at 9 a.m. and He hung on the cross for six hours until He died at 3 p.m., thus fulfilling the type of both the morning and evening sacrifices (Heb. 10:11–12).
Because Jesus became the final sacrifice, the work of the priest is done and he no longer has to stand. Because our Lord cried, “It is finished!” at Calvary (John 19:30), we are today seated in Christ.
We can dwell in the secret place of the Most High—a place of peace, safety, and security—and we can live fear-free because the blood of our Lord Jesus has paid for every blessing of protection in Psalm 91!
Today, whether you are dealing with a difficult financial situation, a sleep disorder, or plagued by depressive or even suicidal thoughts, my desire is for you to discover a God who loves you, and whose strong hands of protection are over your entire life and over every area that concerns you.
Dara Network TV 