Dodie Osteen - Choosing Life: One Day at a Time

I was privileged to grow up in a home full of love, support, and encouragement. I cant remember a day that went by when I didnt see my parents, John and Dodie Osteen, sitting in our family room, drinking coffee, and reading the Bibles and praying. They knew that the Word of God was their source of strength and wisdom.

My mother often spoke words of life and hope to everyone around her. Proverbs 18:21 declares, Life and death are in the power of the tongue. Everyday, as we left for school, she would remind us that with God all things are possible or you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you or you are more than a conqueror. As I reflect back on her words I realize that she was speaking truth, life, and hope into each of our lives. She did not see us as a nuisance, irritating, or troubleshe saw us exactly the way God sees us, full of purpose and with a divine destiny.

The example of my parents in both their actions and words played a significant role in my life and the lives of my brother and three sisters, who are now serving the Lord Jesus in fulltime ministry.

Now, Victoria and I are passing on the legacy of John and Dodie Osteen to our children. We are setting the example of godliness for their lives, and we are speaking the same words of life over our children each and every day.

The Scripture encourages us in Isaiah 55:11 when it says, My word that goes forth out of My mouth: it shall not return to Me void [ without producing any effect, useless ], but it shall accomplish that which I please and purpose, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. The words in this devotional will be a source of encouragement and strength in your life. When you apply the scriptures, insights, and prayers in these pages, you will begin to see relationships restored, finances recovered, addictions overcome, and sicknesses healed. Dont wait another day. Begin living the life of victory that the Lord has in store for you.

Rememberlife and death are in the power of your tongue. Today, Choose Life!

Joel Osteen

M any of you know that in 1981 I was miraculously healed of metastatic cancer of the liver. In my book, Healed of Cancer, I share the struggles and battles I had to fight, how Gods Word helped me to overcome, and how God completely healed me. I believe that as terrible as that experience was, it has given me a special understanding of how God wants to heal us in every part of our lives today.

I thank God that I had His Word to depend on in that dark hour, as well as the good teaching of my late husband John Osteen, and other great men and women of God. If it hadnt been for the Word of God, I would have died. As John used to say, If you will put the Word of God in your heart when you dont need it, God will bring it out when you do need it. I hold fast to Gods Word daily. My life depends on it, and yours does too. God exhorts us as His children: give attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart; for they are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh. Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life (Proverbs 4:20-23 NKJV).

I encourage you to read your Bible daily. If you dont have a Bible reading plan of your own, I have included the one I have used for years in the back of this book. Your spirit needs spiritual food just like your body needs physical food. It is the Word of God that has given me life and hope. I trust that as you read these daily devotions and your own Bible every day, that you will be a doer of the Word and not a hearer only. A doer is someone who sows the seed of the Word of God into his or her heart and obeys it. One way to sow the Word of God into your heart is to confess or say the same thing God says in His Word. As you daily say what God says, youll get the same results God does.

Whether you need healing in your body, family members to be saved, a marriage restored, to grow in your Christian walk, or to be made whole from a fragmented life, this book will help you. I encourage you to be assured that it is always Gods will to save, heal, deliver, and prosper you as you continue to choose lifeone day at a time.

May the Lord richly bless you,

Dodie Osteen

T his scripture says we have a choice to live or dieto be blessed or cursedto serve God or not to serve Him. God wants us to enjoy the good life He made possible for us, but we are the ones who must make the choice. Deciding not to serve Him can cause us a lot of trouble. But if we do choose to serve Him, we receive wonderful benefits. Verse 20 says, Choose to love the Lord your God and to obey him and to cling to him, for he is your life and the length of your days. So if you want to live a long life, make a quality decisionchoose to serve God, obey Him, and cling to Him. Youll be glad you did!

Oh, God, I thank You that You came to give me life, and I choose this day to serve You, love You, obey You, and cling to You. I know that You are my life and the length of my daysand I choose to enjoy the abundant life You provided for me.

I f you know and love the Lord Jesus, then you wont be concerned about this scripture. But if youre not serving God, perhaps you ought to stop and think about it. Someday youre going to die. Eventually all of us will die. Those of us who are Christians will go up to meet Jesus. But if youre not a Christian, it will be as if your life had been poured out on the ground with no way to gather it up again. Some people say youll come back as somebody or something else after death. But thats not true. The Bible says in Hebrews 9:27 (KJV), it is appointed unto men once to die. So if youre not right with God, ask Him to come into your heart today. Then when you die, youll go to heaven and spend eternity with Jesus.