Joel Osteen Sunday Live Service 29 August 2021 at Lakewood Church

You may be facing difficulties that don’t look as though they’re ever going to change. If you’re only praying, “God get me out,” you’ll be frustrated until it changes. “I can’t enjoy my life. My child is off course. I’m dealing with this sickness. My finances are down. When it turns around, I’ll have a good attitude.” You’re waiting for God to get you out, but could it be that God is waiting for you to invite Him in?

In the Scripture, David went through valleys of difficulties and faced giants of obstacles and adversities, yet he says, “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, because You are with me” (Psalm 23:4). The reason that David didn’t live afraid is that he understood the principle of inviting God into the valley of trouble. When you’ve invited Him into your situation, when you know that He is with you, you’ll have a song of praise and a smile in the middle of the difficulty. You won’t be complaining about the trouble or worried about how it’s going to work out. You’ll have peace in the storm. David wasn’t waiting to get out; he knew God was right there with him.

God says, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you. When you walk through fire you shall not be burned” (Isaiah 43:2). He doesn’t say He’ll keep you out of deep waters or away from fires. He says that although challenges and adversities are going to come, He will be with you in them. Are you trying to get out of waters that God is going to take you through? Are you fighting the fire, wondering why it happened? Everything will change if you start inviting God in. He promised He’ll be with you; maybe He’s just waiting for your invitation.

You have to do as David and have an attitude that says, “Lord, thank You that You’re with me in this valley. I’m not going to live afraid or worried. I know You’re in control. I may not see a way, but I know You’re going to find a way to bring me out. In the meantime, I’m asking You to come into this struggle.” When you invite Him in, you’ll feel Him breathing in your direction, enabling you, empowering you, favoring you. You’ll gain a greater testimony that God came with you into the valley and brought you through it than if He kept you out of it. You’ll have a peace that passes understanding, a hope when you should be distraught, and a joy when you could be discouraged.

Charles Stanley In Touch Daily Devotional 29 August 2021 – Whole and Free