17/01/25
Gospel Corner
JOEL OSTEEN MINISTRIES
Today’s Word
Today’s Scripture
Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!…For there the LORD has commanded the blessing, life forevermore.
Psalm 133:1, 3, ESV
A Community of Faith
Today’s Scripture says that when we come together in unity as a community of faith, there is a commanded blessing. We come from different walks of life, races, social and political standings. Young or old, rich or poor, when we gather together, we put all that down. We are as one family to worship the God who spoke worlds into existence. It doesn’t matter where you’ve been, the mistakes you’ve made, what nationality you are, who you voted for, what your occupation is. We realize that even though we have differences, we are worshipping the same God. And because there is a spirit of unity, God says every time we come together, He’s going to command a blessing. He commands favor, commands healing, commands joy, commands breakthroughs. Every time you show up, what stopped you in the past will get a little bit weaker. You keep coming together, faithfully week after week, and one day that commanded blessing is going to break every force that’s holding you back. You’re going to step into a new level of your destiny.
A Prayer for Today
“Father, thank You for the promise that when I am plugged into a community of faith, there is a commanded blessing. Thank You that when we gather in Jesus’ Name, You are in our midst. I declare that I am making it my priority to plant myself in Your house. In Jesus’ Name, Amen
I’m sure you want the Lord to manifest Himself as the God of peace when you are fearful. So let’s go deeper into what the “God of peace” means.
Don’t forget that Paul was Jewish, so when he said “the God of peace be with you,” he was saying “Jehovah Shalom be with you.” “Jehovah Shalom” is Hebrew for “the God of peace.” Now, the first appearance of the name Jehovah Shalom is in the Old Testament story of Gideon in Judges 6.
As we read Gideon’s story, we discover that the Midianites terrorized Israel day and night, descending upon them like a swarm of marauding locusts and destroying their crops and pillaging their livestock. Fearful of their cruel enemies, the Israelites hid in dens and caves in the mountains.
It is no wonder Gideon was petrified and hid himself at the bottom of an abandoned winepress to thresh the measly stalks of dry grain he had somehow managed to scavenge. He was bound by fear and overcome by all the news of terror that surrounded him.
In the midst of Gideon’s fear, “the Angel of the Lord appeared to him, and said to him, ‘The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor!'” (Judg. 6:12).
When you find the expression “the Angel of the Lord” in the Old Testament, it usually refers to our Lord Jesus in His preincarnate state. Jesus Himself appeared to Gideon when he was in the pit of fear and called him a mighty man of valor. Isn’t that amazing?
Are there moments when you feel besieged by fear? When you hear reports of terror or exposure to some virus, do you feel fearful and anxious? Has fear driven you into hiding? The truth is, regardless of how you feel, when our Lord Jesus looks at you right now, He sees you as a mighty man or mighty woman of courage.
Isn’t it amazing how our Lord looks at us? It’s not how we see ourselves that defines us; it is how our Lord Jesus sees us that defines us. That’s why we read His Word. We read it to discover what His Word says about us. My friend, no matter what state you are in right now and how messed up your life might be, the Lord Jesus sees the best in you.
He sees your potential, your gifting, your call, and your destiny to do great things in this life! And as the ending of Gideon’s story shows, He will guide you and cause you to be a testimony of His protection as you trust in Him and see yourself and your situations through His eyes.
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