WE SEE THE DIFFICULTIES AND STRUGGLES EVERY DAY, BUT ARE WE SEEING THE JOY IN THE JOURNEY?

GOSPEL CORNER

31/07/24

JOEL OSTEEN MINISTRIES
TODAY’S WORD

Today’s Scripture
As they sat down to eat, he took the bread and blessed it. Then he broke it and gave it to them. Suddenly, their eyes were opened, and they recognized him.
Luke 24:30–31, NLT

OPEN OUR EYES
Two days after Jesus was crucified and buried, two of His discouraged, heartbroken disciples were walking the seven-mile journey from Jerusalem to Emmaus when they were joined by a man they didn’t recognize. They were so focused on their great loss that they didn’t recognize the miracle of the moment, that they were walking with the risen Jesus. They were missing the joy in the journey. They didn’t see it until God suddenly opened their eyes and they recognized they had been in His presence the whole time.

We see the difficulties and struggles every day, but are we seeing the joy in the journey? Could it be that God is doing great things, that we’re actually in a great moment right now, but we don’t see the good things? My prayer is, “God, open our eyes as You did for those two disciples.” There are great things happening right now—great memories to be made, great people to enjoy, great opportunities coming. Don’t be so busy and stressed trying to get where you want to go that you miss it.

SECTION TWO

When something goes wrong, is your first thought, “Well, this must be happening to me because of the sins that I have committed”? When you have a flat tire or fall sick, do you wonder, “What sin is God punishing me for now?”

If your answer to both questions is “yes,” you are not alone. This kind of thinking is so prevalent in the church because many believers don’t really believe that they are under the new covenant. They believe the opposite of today’s Scripture and think God is not merciful to their mistakes and always mindful of their sins.

The problem with the church today is wrong believing. Jesus Himself defined the new covenant for us at the last supper when He said, “This is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (Matt. 26:28).

The main clause of the new covenant is the forgiveness of all your sins because of the shed blood of Jesus Christ. Your forgiveness does not hinge on how many good deeds you have done, how much money you have given to the church or charities, or what leadership position you hold. No, it all hinges on the shed blood of Jesus.

God put the main clause of the new covenant—Hebrews 8:12—as the last clause to show us that it is this final clause that makes the new covenant work in our lives. If you don’t believe the main and final clause, then you won’t experience the full benefits of the new covenant. You are also negating God’s Word and the finished work of Jesus.

The new covenant says that God is merciful to your unrighteousness and has forgotten your sins and lawless deeds. If God says that He has forgotten them, then He has truly forgotten them. God cannot lie!

But how can God forget my sins?

He can because He is God! If He said it, then He has done it. You know that sin you committed many years ago? God has forgotten it. He does not keep an itemized account of all your failures.

There is no big projector screen in heaven to show all your sins—from the day you were born to the day you die. All records of your sins have been incinerated by the blood of Jesus when He cried out, “It is finished!” (John 19:30). When God looks at you today, He sees you covered with Jesus’ blood and completely righteous.

Only the devil, you yourself, and the people around you will bring your sins to your remembrance. So when you are weighed down by the mistakes of your past, run to God and lean on His grace!

Why? For He will be merciful to your unrighteousness, and your sins and lawless deeds He will remember no more. This is the main clause of the new covenant of grace! This is His Word!