What you’re unwilling to walk away from is where you’ll get stuck. So on a regular basis evaluate your friendships. Make sure you’re hanging around people who inspire you and make you better. If you will let go of the wrong people, God will bring you the right people.

Gospel Corner

06/12/25

Joel Osteen Ministries

Today’s Word
Today’s Scripture
Friends of troublemakers disgrace their parents.
Proverbs 28:7, NCV

Troublemakers
Whether you think it’s true or not, the quality and character of your friends is having a great impact on your life. Are you hanging out with any troublemakers? By that I mean people who are dragging you down, not adding value to your life, not inspiring you to reach your dreams. For instance, you shouldn’t go to lunch regularly with coworkers who gossip, complain, and talk badly about others. Don’t keep meeting with the same people who cause you to compromise year after year. Don’t associate with someone who disrespects their spouse and puts down their family members. If your friend has an anger problem, it will rub off on you and you’ll become hot-tempered. No disrespect, but they are troublemakers. You are better than that, and you don’t need the poison they share.

What you’re unwilling to walk away from is where you’ll get stuck. So on a regular basis evaluate your friendships. Make sure you’re hanging around people who inspire you and make you better. If you will let go of the wrong people, God will bring you the right people.

A Prayer for Today
“Father, thank You for the friends in my life who inspire me, challenge me, and make me better. Help me to be wise about whom I spend my time with and to know the friendships I need to distance myself from. I want to walk with the right people. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”

My dear reader, today you can experience God’s presence in your life. Say to yourself, “The Lord is with me and I have His favor, blessings, and protection.”

Sense His shadow covering you. His shadow is a picture of nearness. You are not trying to get into the secret place; you are already there in Christ. In Christ, you can’t get any closer to God.

In the Old Testament, God showed Moses, the great patriarch, only His back parts (Exod. 33:22–23). That’s the old covenant—because of man’s failure, God was always departing and the children of Israel only saw His back.

The picture of the new covenant is God sending His only Son, Jesus Christ. It is the picture of the father running toward the prodigal son in spite of his failures. Under the new covenant, we are seated with our heavenly Father in Christ and we see the smile on His face! That is how close you are to God today.

So even if your feelings tell you that God is a million miles away, learn to trust His Word over your feelings. All you need to do is to utter the words “Father” or “Abba,” and immediately you will sense that He is closer than your own breath.

In the same way, even when you don’t seem to feel His presence, you can trust in Him. Trust doesn’t mean that there will be no butterflies in your stomach. Trust means that even though you have the butterflies, you still act on God’s Word.

Whatever it is you are afraid of doing, do it afraid while keeping your trust in the Lord. There are people who are afraid to leave their house, fly on a plane, pursue a new career, start a new friendship, volunteer in a ministry, visit a care group in church, or even show up for work.

Beloved, don’t let fear rule your life. If you’re thinking of embarking on something, most certainly, be led by the Spirit, seek wise counsel, count the cost, and make responsible decisions in your situation. Just don’t allow the butterflies in your stomach to dictate your life.

When you say to the Lord, “In You I trust,” it doesn’t mean you instantly stop feeling any fear. Trust means choosing to act on God’s Word in spite of the fear.