Don’t fight the things God brings to an end. It’s a necessary ending so you will step into the new thing 

Gospel Corner

07/05/25

JOEL OSTEEN MINISTRIES
Today’s Word

Today’s Scripture
The ravens brought him bread and meat each morning and evening, and he drank from the brook. But after a while the brook dried up, for there was no rainfall anywhere in the land.
1 Kings 17:6–7, NLT

Don’t Settle in What’s Comfortable
In order to hide the prophet Elijah from King Ahab, God sent Elijah to a brook where the ravens would feed him and there was water to drink. It was just as God promised, with abundant provision delivered week after week. I’m sure he thought, “It doesn’t get any better than this. God’s favor is on me.” Elijah was comfortable there. But when the brook dried up, God told him to go to the city of Zarephath where a widow would take care of him. He could have been stubborn and said, “No, I’ve been blessed here. I’m staying in what has been working.” The problem was, the provision ceased. He hadn’t run out of favor. It was a necessary ending. God was moving him into a new level of his destiny. It was at Zarephath that Elijah saw some of the greatest miracles recorded in the Scripture.

Don’t fight the things God brings to an end. It’s a necessary ending so you will step into the new thing He has in store—something that’s bigger, better, more rewarding than you can imagine.

A Prayer for Today
“Father, thank You for the times when You hide me from trouble and provide for all my needs. Thank You for the other times when You call me out of my comfort zone and take me where I’ve never gone. I look forward to wherever You want to lead me and whatever You want to do in my life. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”

SECTION TWO

Beloved, I want to show you how you can pray for and experience God’s divine positioning for good success today.

There is a principle in interpreting God’s Word known as “the principle of first mention.” Every time a word is mentioned for the first time in the Bible, there is usually a special significance and lesson that we can learn.

Let’s take a look at the first occurrence of the word qarah. It is found in Genesis 24, when Abraham sent his unnamed servant to look for a bride for Isaac, his son.

The unnamed servant arrived at a well outside the city of Nahor in the evening and decided to stop there. There were so many young women gathered to draw water there that he did not know who would be the right woman for Isaac. So the unnamed servant prayed this prayer: “O LORD God of my master Abraham, please give me success this day, and show kindness to my master Abraham.”

The word “success” here is the Hebrew word qarah, and this is the first time it appears in the Bible. The servant essentially prayed, “Give me qarah this day.” It goes without saying that with the Lord’s qarah or positioning for right happenings, the servant found a beautiful virtuous woman named Rebekah, who became Isaac’s bride.

We need the Lord to give us qarah every day. I encourage you to pray the prayer of that unnamed servant. Tell the Lord, “Give me success—qarah—this day,” and depend on His unmerited favor to cause you to be at the right place at the right time!