Can you imagine changing the course of your day in only three minutes? Scripture promises that His mercies are new every morning. When you wake up, or before you leave the house, take three minutes to declare God's favor and freedom over your life. We encourage you to get a second copy of 3-Minute Mornings to bless a friend or family member.
Today's Word: MAY 04, 2024
It’s easy to get discouraged when you’re waiting to meet the right person, to see your business grow, or for a coworker to start treating you better. Why don’t you relax, come back to a place of peace? God sees what you’re going through. He knows what you need. He knows your dreams and your goals. He’s the One who put them in you. What He has purposed for your life will come to pass, and it won’t be overdue by a single day. Thoughts will tell you, “You’re falling behind. You’re missing out. Everyone is getting ahead of you.” No, you’re right on schedule. God is supernatural, and He is ordering your steps. He’s not limited by what limits us. You keep honoring Him and doing the right thing, and you’re going to come into these right time moments when He’s going to thrust you ahead. It was a long time waiting, but when you see what God does, you’ll say it was worth the wait. He’s going to make things happen that you could never make happen.
When you dare to believe and speak God's blessings and promises, your words will put you on a path to better health, abundance, success and new levels of your destiny. Discover how the words you speak can unlock the life you were designed to live.
The Garden of Gethsemane is an olive garden in East Jerusalem. The word Gethsemane means “a place of pressing.” Here workers put olives into a press and squeezed out the valuable olive oil under great pressure. It’s not a coincidence that before Jesus went to the cross and rose from the dead, He had to go through the Garden of Gethsemane. That’s where He was so overwhelmed, so distressed knowing what He was about to face on the cross, that His sweat became like drops of blood. He said, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death” (Matthew 26:38). He had this season of suffering that He had to endure and pass the test.
We celebrate the resurrection, but the real victory was won in Gethsemane. That’s where He refused to give up despite the coming betrayal, the unjust trial and beatings, the suffering on the cross, and the bearing of our sins. He was squeezed under great pressure, but He made this decision: “Father, not My will but Your will be done” (Matthew 26:39). He showed that real victory is not won in public; it’s won in private. It’s what you do in your Gethsemane, when you’re taking the treatment, when your child is off course, when your dream is delayed.
The apostle Paul says, “I want to know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings” (Philippians 3:10). You can’t have a resurrection without some suffering. You have to have a strong will, a made-up mind, a warrior mentality. “I will not give up and start complaining, blaming, doubting, or worrying. I know that on the other side of this suffering is the power of the resurrection.” On the other side, there’s healing, abundance, divine connections, new levels. The pressing and suffering is not permanent. It’s not how your story ends. Gethsemane is for a season. It’s designed for you to pass through so you can come into the power, the fullness, the abundance that God has in store.
But the enemy would love for us to get stuck in Gethsemane. “God, why? Why did this door close? Why is this taking so long?” You can’t reach your destiny without being pressured, squeezed, and having thoughts tell you that it’s never going to work out and God has forgotten about you. The fact that you feel the pressure is a sign that a resurrection is coming. You wouldn’t be in Gethsemane if you weren’t close to something amazing—doors opening that you never dreamed would open, business tracking you down, the right people showing up, healing from what looks impossible. You keep doing the right thing when it’s hard, and you’re about to see the power of the resurrection.
READ BLOG ENTRYDelays, detours, and disappointments come to us all. We worked hard, but our nets are empty. We did the right thing, but other people were unfair. Now we’ve caught nothing. That’s not the end of your story. Those are tests. Through faith and patience, you inherit the promises. You have the faith.
Follow Joel Osteen Ministries on Instagram. Inspiring people to reach their dreams and live their best life.
