Look back at the great things God has done in your life and build altars that recognize His goodness.

Gospel Corner

05/03/25

JOEL OSTEEN MINISTRIES
Today’s Word

Today’s Scripture
“Build my altar wherever I cause my name to be remembered, and I will come to you and bless you.”
Exodus 20:24, NLT

Remember
God says He will bless you when you build altars, when you’re always thanking God for what He’s done, remembering His goodness, talking about how He’s made ways where you didn’t see a way. You’re there to express your gratitude, but when you’re at the altar, God says, “I’ll be good to you.” This begs the question: Are we not being blessed because we’re not building altars? Are we not seeing favor because we’re not acknowledging God’s goodness?

My challenge to you is to look back at the great things God has done in your life and build altars that recognize His goodness. You’ve had times when you saw the Almighty God at work, doing what only He can do. Remember the moments when He made it clear: “Am I not the God who healed you, freed you, promoted you, sustains you?” If you build your altars of thankfulness, I believe and declare that you’re going to see God do things you’ve never dreamed. Doors are about to open supernaturally. Healing, provision, and restoration are on the way.

A Prayer for Today
“Father, thank You for the history I have with You and for the goodness You have shown me over and over. Thank You that I can remember every victory and great thing You’ve done for me and build altars of thankfulness. I declare that I am receiving Your blessing even now. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”

When faced with what appeared to be certain destruction, King Jehoshaphat set himself to seek the Lord. Today’s scripture is part of his prayer.

Note that instead of rehashing his fears to the Lord and lamenting about how overpowered by their enemies their small tribe was, Jehoshaphat centered his prayer and thoughts on just how big and powerful his God truly is

He proclaimed boldly that “no one is able to withstand” the Lord—no one! In a hopeless situation, he hoped in the Lord.

I call that Bible hope! Hope is a beautiful word in the Bible. Hope in the New Testament is the Greek word elpis, which is defined as a “favorable and confident expectation” or “the happy anticipation of good.”

This means that when you hope in the Lord, there is a joy in your countenance (simply put, a smile on your face). There is a confident assurance in your heart that, bleak as the circumstances appear to be, it’s not over yet.

Unfortunately, the word “hope” as used in our modern vernacular is completely different and sometimes even antithetical to the way the Bible defines it. When we say things such as, “I hope that I will get the job,” our use of the word connotes uncertainty, doubt, and ambivalence.

The Word of God declares that “this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us” (Rom. 5:5 NLT). We can have true hope—a certain, joyful, confident expectation of good—when we rightly believe how dearly God loves us!

There is a direct and proportionate correlation between hope and rightly believing in God’s love for you. Hope springs in your heart when you believe that God loves you.

No matter how adverse your circumstances may seem today, put your trust in the Lord. Believe that God is working behind the scenes on your behalf, and that He is turning the situation around for your good (Rom. 8:28). All His abundant heavenly resources, His power, His healing, His restoration, His deliverance, His provision, His favor, His help, His comfort, and His love are with you and on your side, waiting to be unleashed upon you.

The Lord your God will open up the windows of heaven over your life and pour out for you such a blessing that there won’t be room enough to receive it! When our entire hope and trust is in Him, we can count on His promises toward us. This hope never disappoints, which means that your greatest victories are ahead of you.