Today, in the midst of the bitter waters of your pain or condition, I want to encourage you to bring in Jesus and see what He did for you at the cross. Relief and healing don’t come from dwelling on your pain. Bring in the tree—the cross of Jesus—and see your bitter waters become sweet!

Gospel Corner

02/12/25

Joel Osteen Ministries

Today’s Word
Today’s Scripture
“You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman. “God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.”
Genesis 3:4–5, NLT

The Wrong Voices
The enemy knows that if he can deceive you into listening to wrong voices, he can keep you from your destiny. This started in the garden of Eden. Satan came to Eve and said that she should just go ahead and eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Eve responded, “No. God said if we do, we will die.” Satan said, in effect, “Are you kidding? Do you really believe you’ll die? Of course not. God knows you’ll become just like Him. That’s why He doesn’t want you to eat that fruit.” Instead of recognizing the wrong voice, Eve started thinking about it more and more, and finally gave in.

The enemy has no new tricks. He’s going to bring voices that try to stop your purpose. Sometimes it’s an outside voice, saying, “It’s okay to compromise a little. No one cares.” Other times it’s an inner voice, saying, “You can’t forgive them. Look what they did to you.” If you’re not disciplined to tune out the wrong voices, then as with Eve, you’ll start making wrong choices.

A Prayer for Today
“Father, thank You for making me aware of the enemy’s deceptive ways to get me to doubt and question what You have said. Thank You that I can tune out the wrong voices that lead to compromise. I declare that I will not allow Your Word to be challenged in my life. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”

I love the story of how God turned bitter, poisonous waters into sweet, refreshing waters for His people when they came to a place called Marah (meaning “bitterness” in Hebrew). When the Israelites could not drink the water, Moses cried out to the Lord. The Lord showed him a tree, which Moses cast into the waters. When he did that, the Bible says that “the waters were made sweet.”

I love how God’s solution then is still God’s solution now: Throw in the tree—a picture of Jesus at the cross—to turn the bitter waters sweet.

Today, in the midst of the bitter waters of your pain or condition, I want to encourage you to bring in Jesus and see what He did for you at the cross. Relief and healing don’t come from dwelling on your pain. Bring in the tree—the cross of Jesus—and see your bitter waters become sweet!