Hidden in Him

By Joel Osteen – Posted March 22, 2017

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE:

For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent and set me high upon a rock.
Psalm 27:5, NIV

TODAY'S WORD:

What an amazing promise we have that when we seek God and serve Him with our whole hearts, He will hide us in His shelter. That means you can be so connected to God that you are invisible to the enemy! You are hidden in Him! No matter what is happening around you, you can have strength, confidence and rest. Challenges may come your way, but you won’t be worried about them. You know that, ultimately, things are going to work out for your good. You know that no weapon formed against you shall prosper. 

People may be talking, trying to make you look bad, but you don’t even give it a second thought. You know that your future is too bright to be distracted. You know they don’t control your destiny. You just keep on being your best, walking in integrity, meditating on the Word and worshiping throughout the day so you can stay hidden in Him!

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Father, I come to You today with an open and humble heart. I surrender every area of my life to You. Mold me into Your image and keep me hidden in You. I bless You and praise You today and always in Jesus’ name. Amen.

GOD CAN TURN YOUR EVIL DAY INTO GOOD DAYS

 By Joseph Prince – Posted March 22, 2017

Esther 9:22

…rest from their enemies…sorrow to joy…mourning to a holiday…

Today, many Jews still celebrate the feast of Purim. The name Purim is derived from “the lot” which a Gentile, Haman, cast concerning the fate of the Jews when they were in Persia under King Ahasuerus.

Haman, the villain in this story in the book of Esther, hated the Jews and sought to exterminate them. He got King Ahasuerus to allow him to issue a decree to annihilate all the Jews in one day—the thirteenth day of the twelfth month of Adar. But God used Queen Esther and her uncle Mordecai, both Jews, to turn the tables on Haman and save the Jews.

Haman was hanged on the very gallows that he had constructed for Mordecai! Then, the king allowed Queen Esther and Mordecai to issue a counter-decree to allow all the Jews to defend themselves and destroy their enemies in one day—the thirteenth day of the twelfth month of Adar!

So instead of the Jews being exterminated on that fateful day, their enemies were destroyed! God turned an evil day for the Jews into good days. He turned their mourning into rejoicing and gave them victory over their enemies.

My friend, God can do the same for you today. He only wants you to remain in your position of rest in Christ. You see, because of Jesus’ finished work at the cross, you are seated in heavenly places in Christ, far above every principality, and evil assault the devil can throw at you. (Ephesians 2:6) Just as Mordecai sat within the king’s gate, and refused to stand up and bow to Haman, let’s not “bow” to the devil by being persuaded to move from our position of rest in Christ. Don’t allow him to get you worried, frantic and doing things to save yourself.

Queen Esther was also in a position of rest before Haman was executed. (Esther 7) She was seated on a couch as Haman pleaded with her for his life. While doing so, he accidentally fell over the couch where the queen was. The king, thinking that Haman was assaulting his queen, sent him to the gallows!

Beloved, remain at rest in Christ’s finished work, and He will turn your evil day into days of rejoicing and feasting!

Thought For The Day

Remain at rest in Christ’s finished work, and He will turn your evil day into days of rejoicing and feasting!

Building Bridges, Not Walls

By Joyce Meyer - Posted March 22, 2017

For He is [Himself] our peace (our bond of unity and harmony). He has made us both [Jew and Gentile] one [body], and has broken down (destroyed, abolished) the hostile dividing wall between us.
- Ephesians 2:14

One day while I was praying, the Holy Spirit showed me that my life had become a bridge for others to pass over and find their place in God. For many years, I erected only walls in my life; but now where there were walls, there are bridges instead. All the difficult and unfair things that have happened to me have been turned into highways over which others can pass to find the same liberty that I have found. I have learned to build bridges instead of walls.

In Hebrews 5:9 Jesus is referred to as "the Author and Source of eternal salvation." He pioneered a pathway to God for us. He became a highway for us to pass over. It is as though He faced a giant forest and went in ahead of us so that when we came along we could drive right through it without having to fight all the elements and the density of the forest. He sacrificed Himself for us; and now that we are benefiting from His sacrifice, He is giving us a chance to sacrifice for others so they can reap the same benefits we enjoy.

Hebrews 12:2 says that Jesus endured the cross for the joy of obtaining the prize that was set before Him. I like to remind myself of that fact when the way seems hard. I tell myself, Keep pressing on, Joyce. There is joy ahead.

Make a decision to tear down your walls and build bridges. There are many, many people who are lost in their messes and need someone to go before them and show them the way. Why not be that person for them? Walls or bridges? The choice is yours.

The Strength of Love

By DR. David Jeremiah – Posted March 22, 2017

[Love] bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
1 Corinthians 13:7

Recommended Reading: 2 Corinthians 4:7-12

Hawkeye, the adopted Mohican hero of James Fenimore Cooper’s The Last of the Mohicans, must escape approaching soldiers. In the film version, before jumping into a river, he tells Cora, his love, “You’re strong! You survive! You stay alive, no matter what occurs. I will find you! No matter how long it takes, no matter how far. I will find you!”

And he does! That is a story line throughout great literature—the power of true love to endure. But not just romantic love. It could be the love of family, the love of country, or the love of God and His truth. Courage based on love is a powerful human force. But when courage is fueled by the agape (selfless) love of God, we know that nothing can separate us from Him (Romans 8:35-39). Thus Paul wrote: “[Love] bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” Love is strong not based on human strength but on the conviction that God’s perfect will covers all. His strength is manifest in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:7-10).

Your love for God will allow you to do what Christ did: to say, “Not My will, but Yours, be done” (Luke 22:42).

We are called upon to reflect the love of God as much in trial as in tranquility. 
John Blanchard

 Read-Thru-the-Bible: 1Samuel 1 – 3