My friend, don’t pursue the blessings. Pursue Jesus, the blesser. As you pursue Him, you don’t have to be concerned about the blessings because they will follow after you!

Gospel Corner

24/09/25

Joel Osteen Ministries

Today’s Word
Today’s Scripture
Then the LORD said to me, “Go and love your wife again, even though she commits adultery with another lover. This will illustrate that the LORD still loves Israel, even though the people have turned to other gods and love to worship them.” So I bought her back for fifteen pieces of silver.
Hosea 3:1–2, NLT

Something More Powerful
After Hosea’s wife had abandoned him and their children, she ended up as a slave to one of her lovers. Despite all the heartbreak and humiliation that her unfaithfulness had caused, God told Hosea to go after her and love her again. Others only saw a prostitute who had made a terrible mess of her life, but inside there was a daughter of the Most High God, a person of destiny who was made in the image of God. She just needed a Hosea to run after her, buy her back, and love her.

Be a Hosea and run after the hurting, go after the broken, the addicted, those who have messed up. Where they are is their own fault, but it doesn’t help to point your finger and tell them what they’re doing wrong. Go after them with something more powerful—with love, with mercy, with the goodness of God—and help them back. They don’t deserve it, but none of us did. While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. You’ve been shown incredible mercy, so show that mercy to others.

A Prayer for Today
“Father, thank You for being rich in mercy and never giving up on me when I’ve gone my own way and failed. I want to love the people You have placed in my life as You do. Help me to be like Hosea, full of grace and mercy to help lift the fallen and restore them to wholeness. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

SECTION TWO

One day, when I was studying the Word, the Lord said to me, “Notice how goodness and mercy follow you in Psalm 23:6.” Then, He brought me to John 10:4, where it describes how the shepherd goes before the sheep and the sheep follow him.

In a flash, the Lord opened my eyes to see a divine sequence: When you follow or pursue Him, the good shepherd, His goodness and mercy and all the blessings you need in life will follow after you!

My friend, don’t pursue the blessings. Pursue Jesus, the blesser. As you pursue Him, you don’t have to be concerned about the blessings because they will follow after you!

In fact, the Hebrew translation of Psalm 23:6 is much stronger and more aggressive. It literally says, “Surely goodness and mercy shall HUNT ME DOWN all the days of my life!”