Choose the Voice of Faith

Today's Scripture
"If only you carefully listen to the voice of the Lord your God…"

Today's Word with Joel and Victoria
All through the day there are two voices that compete for our attention–the voice of faith and the voice of defeat. You'll hear a voice saying, "You'll never rise any higher. You don't have what it takes. You've reached your limit.' But if you listen carefully, you'll hear another voice saying, "You are well able. You can do all things through Christ. Your best days are still up ahead." You are the one who gets to choose which voice comes to life by speaking it out of your own mouth. The moment you verbalize that thought, you give it the right to come to pass. When you speak faith, you're in agreement with God. When you speak defeat, you're in agreement with the enemy. God–talk brings God on the scene. Enemy–talk brings the enemy on the scene.

Why don't you get in agreement with God today? That negative voice may be louder, but you can override it. You can take away all of its power by simply choosing the voice of faith. Choose to declare favor, blessing, and increase over your life so that you can walk in the victory the Lord has in store for you.

A Prayer for Today
Heavenly Father, today and everyday, I choose the voice of faith and victory. I declare that today I am rising up higher in You, that I can do all things because You give me strength. I bless and honor You in everything I do. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Joel Osteen

Angels

Two traveling angels stopped to spend the night in the home of a wealthy family. The family was rude and refused to let the angels stay in the mansion's guest room. Instead the angels were given a space in the cold basement.

As they made their bed on the hard floor, the older angel saw a hole in the wall and repaired it. When the younger angel asked why, the older angel replied..."Things aren't always what they seem". The next night the pair came to rest at the house of a very poor, but very hospitable farmer and his wife. After sharing what little food they had the couple let the angels sleep in their bed where they could have a good night's rest. When the sun came up the next morning the angels found the farmer and his wife in tears. Their only cow, whose milk had been their sole income, lay dead in the field.

The younger angel was infuriated and asked the older angel "how could you have let this happen!? The first man had everything, yet you helped him," she accused. "The second family had little but was
willing to share everything, and you let their cow die."

"Things aren't always what they seem," the older angel replied. "When we stayed in the basement of the mansion, I noticed there was gold stored in that hole in the wall. Since the owner was so obsessed with greed and unwilling to share his good fortune, I sealed the wall so he wouldn't find it. Then last night as we slept in the farmers bed, the angel of death came for his wife. I gave her the cow instead. Things aren't always what they seem."

Sometimes this is exactly what happens when things don't turn out the way they should. If you have faith, you just need to trust that every outcome is always to your advantage. You might not know it until some time later.