GOSPEL CORNER: JESUS IS SOMEONE WHOM YOU CAN BE COMPLETELY REAL WITH. YOU CAN HANG OUT WITH HIM AND BE YOURSELF, WITH NO PRETENSE AND NO PLAY-ACTING.

22/03/24

JOEL OSTEEN MINISTRIES
Today’s Word

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
Jabez prayed to the God of Israel: “Bless me, O bless me! Give me land, large tracts of land. And provide your personal protection—don’t let evil hurt me.” God gave him what he asked.
1 Chronicles 4:10, MSG

DEFY THE ODDS
Because his birth caused his mother so much pain, she named her son Jabez, which means “pain, sorrow, suffering.” Every time someone said his name, they were prophesying defeat and failure, inferiority and insecurity. Her estimate of what his life would be like was very low. But despite that negative label, he had the boldness to ask big, that God would bless him with abundance and protection, which God did.

We all face times when the dream seems too great, the problem too strong, the opposition too powerful. People rule us out and say, “It’s never going to happen. You don’t have the resources or come from the right family. The medical report is not good.” All the facts say, “It’s impossible,” but God will have you underestimated on purpose. When it seems the least likely, as with Jabez, that’s when He shows up the greatest. Don’t get discouraged when you’re underestimated; it’s a setup. God put you in that position to show Himself strong. When you defy the odds, everyone will know His favor is on your life.

A PRAYER FOR TODAY
“Father, thank You that when the odds are against me, You are for me. Thank You that when I’m being underestimated, nothing and no one is more powerful than You, and that I can dare to pray bold prayers. I believe that You are going to bless me with abundance as You did Jabez. In Jesus’ Name, Amen

SECTION TWO
Jesus is someone whom you can be completely real with. You can hang out with Him and be yourself, with no pretense and no play-acting.

Jesus is ever-loving toward you and you can talk to Him about anything. He enjoys conversing with you about your dreams, aspirations, and hopes.

He wants to heal you of things in your past that you may be struggling with. He is interested in your present challenges. He wants to weep with you when you are down and rejoice with you in all your victories.

Jesus is love and tenderness personified. Be careful not to confuse His tenderness with the effeminate and weak images that you have seen depicted in some traditional paintings of Him. He is tenderness and strength wrapped up in one. He is meekness and majesty, manhood and deity, velvet and steel.

You see, sometimes, when we attempt to be assertive and strong, we bulldoze over people’s feelings and end up hurting them with our words. When we attempt to be tender, we overdose on niceness and reduce ourselves to doormats to be taken advantage of by others.

Let’s turn away from ourselves and look at Jesus. He could sternly force a pack of scheming Pharisees to back off in one instance, challenging them by saying, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first” (John 8:7).

In the very next moment, this same Jesus could look straight into the eyes of a broken woman caught in adultery, and with compassion resonating deeply in His voice, ask her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you? Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more” (John 8:10–11).

This is our God!

In one moment, a tired Jesus could be fast asleep in a wind-swept fisherman’s boat, oblivious to the rough Galilean waters crashing against the hapless vessel. But in the very next moment, you see Him staring unflinchingly at the lashing waves, His well-toned carpenter’s arms raised to the sky. With His single declaration of absolute authority over heaven and earth, the waves submitted and calmed instantaneously into a placid mirror of stillness (Mark 4:37–39).

Jesus is 100 percent Man and at the same time 100 percent God. As Man, He understands and identifies with all that you have gone through, are going through, and will ever go through in this life.

But as a loving God, all His power, authority, and resources are on your side. Beloved, whatever you are facing today, let your heart rest easy in His perfect love for you.