No More Fear, the powerful new book from Joel Osteen, invites you into greater strength, courage, and peace! You can rise higher, overcome obstacles, and reach the fullness of your destiny!
Today's Word: Apr 21, 2021
In Genesis 17, God called Abraham the father of many nations. At that time, Abraham didn't have any children. He and his wife, Sarah, were too old to have kids. Abraham could have thought, God, my wife is barren. I'm childless. What are You talking about? Here's the principle: God calls you what you are before you become it; people call you what you are after it happens. There are promises, goals, and dreams that God has placed in your heart. You didn't come up with them on your own. Those aren't just your desires; God put them there. The secret petitions of your heart are the things you dream about, that you haven't told anyone. They seem too big, too far out. That's your destiny calling. That's God telling you what you can become. Don't talk yourself out of it. God has spoken it. All He's looking for is you to agree with Him. Human nature says, When I see it, I'll believe it. Faith says, I believe it, then I'll see it.
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Victoria Osteen provides refreshing insights to help you live your life to the fullest.
Friend, no matter how big the obstacle, no matter what limitations have slowed you down in the past—know that your tomorrow is good and in God’s hands! No matter what your story has been, God is writing for your future.
It's interesting that soon after Jesus had been baptized in the Jordan River and God the Father had spoken, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased," that the enemy would say to Him in the wilderness temptation, "If You are the Son of God..." The enemy tried to move in on Jesus' needs and get Him to question His identity and His purpose. He tried unsuccessfully to bring in confusion and get Him to question His value and worth.
It's no surprise, then, that the enemy works so hard to bring our sense of value down, to discount us, and cause us to forget that our true identity and worth is in Christ, that God in His great love for us "chose us in Jesus Christ" (Ephesians 1:4). That makes you invaluable. The enemy will use other people to judge us, to leave us out, and to make us feel unqualified, because he knows that if he can tear down our value, it will take away our sense of purpose. Just think about how when something you own and value gets battered and worn, it loses its value and eventually it loses its purpose, so you get rid of it. That's why the enemy constantly tempts us to find our identity in other people or in things of this world rather than Christ.
The point where the enemy primarily attacks is to make us feel unworthy to receive the gift of God's love, the grace of God, the fullness of our salvation. He'll whisper to you, "Look what you did yesterday. How can God accept you? You're so unworthy of His love and grace." What is your answer? Say, "That's right. I am not worthy. But Jesus Christ is worthy, and my identity is fully in Him and what He did for me." It's almost too simple, isn't it? That's because God's favor and grace are undeserved.
Don't diminish your value by diminishing what Christ did for you. He did it because He loves you. None of what you did in the past determines who you are--God has already chosen you and qualified you. You may have made some mistakes. We all have, but that doesn't change your value in the eyes of God. He loves you, not because of your performance, not because you do everything perfectly, but because you are His child.
When you hear those voices of confusion, those accusations that question your identity and your worth--that is not from God. That is from the enemy. And you have the answer: "God chose me in Jesus Christ. I am the righteousness of God in Him. Nothing can change my value and worth."
I wonder how many times we’re trying to prove something and the person is not even paying attention: trying to impress people that don’t care, competing with someone that doesn’t even know we’re competing...Let God fight your battles. Let Him promote you. Let Him vindicate you.
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