06/03/24
JOEL OSTEEN MINISTRIES
TODAY’S WORD
Today’s Scripture
I had not told anyone what my God had put in my heart to do for Jerusalem.
Nehemiah 2:12, NIV
THE FAITH TO BELIEVE
When Nehemiah heard that the walls and gates of Jerusalem had been torn down, there was nothing he could do about it. He was a cupbearer to the king of Persia, living in exile a thousand miles away. But suddenly God dropped a desire in Nehemiah to rebuild those walls. It didn’t make sense to his mind. He didn’t have the staff, the resources, or the experience. But with the desire came a new boldness, a confidence, the faith to believe for what seemed impossible. He went to the king, and amazingly the king not only sent Nehemiah but supplied him the materials and funds to do it.
Notice that God not only puts desires in you, but He puts the favor on you so you can see that desire come to pass. When it’s a destiny desire, there’s a force breathing in your direction, pushing you forward, opening doors, causing people to be good to you. You’re not stressed over how it’s going to happen; you know it’s going to happen. Get ready for where God is about to take you.
A Prayer for Today
“Father, thank You that You never give me the desire to do something without the power and favor to do it. Thank You that I don’t have to make it all happen on my own or manipulate people to help me. I’m going to keep You first place and watch You work out Your plans for my life. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”
SECOND SECTION
I heard a story of a minister from Oregon who was assigned to provide counseling in a state mental institution. His first assignment was to a padded cell that housed deranged, barely clothed patients. He couldn’t even talk to the inmates, let alone counsel them—the only responses he got were groans, moans, and demonic laughter.
Then the Holy Spirit prompted him to sit in the middle of the room and for a full hour just sing the famous children’s hymn that goes, “Jesus loves me! This I know, for the Bible tells me so. Little ones to Him belong; they are weak, but He is strong.”
Nothing happened at the end of that first day, but for weeks he persisted to sing the same melody with greater conviction each time: “Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me! The Bible tells me so.”
As the days passed, the patients began singing with him one by one. Amazingly, by the end of the first month, thirty-six of the severely ill patients were transferred from the high-dependency ward to a self-care ward. Within a year, all but two were discharged from the mental institution.
As one of the best-known and loved hymns of all time, this hymn’s ongoing popularity lies in its succinct elegance in unveiling Jesus’ heart. It beckons one to recognize that no matter what challenges, failures, and misdeeds one might be dealing with, the love of Jesus remains a constant.
“Jesus loves me! This I know.”
How so?
“For the Bible tells me so.”
So simple, yet so powerful.
Whether you feel it or not, Jesus’ constant love for you rests in the truth and on the foundation of His unchanging Word. It proclaims that His love for you and me is based utterly and completely on Him—on His promises, His work, and His grace.
Today, let healing and rest for your soul come as you allow your heart to be anchored on this truth.
Dara Network TV 