Trusting God Day by Day

[Aeliana]

September 26

Stop Over-Thinking Things


O you [men, how little trust you have in Me, how] little faith!
MATTHEW 16:8


If you want to have joy, you must stop trying to figure everything out. You must stop rolling your problems around in your mind. You have to quit anxiously searching for an answer to your situation, trying to find out what you should do about it.
When Jesus saw that His disciples were trying to “figure out” what to do about the fact they had forgotten to bring bread to feed the crowd, He said to them, “O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves?” (Matt. 16:8 KJV).

I spent many years attempting to solve my own problems and finally discovered that it is not God’s will for me to do that. All my efforts did was make me frustrated and more selfish and self-centered. I focused on myself and expected everyone else to focus on me, too. I looked to others (and myself) to do for me what only God could do.

We reason and try to figure things out, asking, “Why, God, why?” and “When, God, when?” We want to know the answers to our situations so we won’t have to trust God. We don’t want any surprises; we want to be in control because we are afraid things won’t turn out the way we want. This driving desire to be “in the know” will usually produce one thing—a mind riddled with excessive reasoning.

“Why, God, why?” and “When, God, when?” are two questions that can keep us frustrated and prevent us from enjoying the lives Jesus died to give us. Many times we do not understand what God is doing, but that is what trust is all about. Nobody says we have to know everything; no one has ever told us we have to understand everything. We need to be satisfied in knowing the One Who does know, and that is God. We need to learn to trust God, not ourselves.

Trust in Him Stop over-thinking things. Trust means not needing to know the whys and the whens in order to be at peace.


Joyce Meyer, Trusting God Day by Day: 365 Daily Devotions (New York, NY: FaithWords, 2012).

 

[Aeliana]

September 2

You Don’t Need All the Answers to Stop Worrying

For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace…
1 CORINTHIANS 14:33 KJV

I was holding a meeting in Kansas City, and it came to my heart to ask the audience how many of them were confused. There were about 300 people at that meeting and, from what I could tell, 298 of them raised their hands. And my husband was one of the two who didn’t.

I can tell you that Dave has never been confused in his life, because he doesn’t worry. He doesn’t try to figure anything out. He is not interested in having all the answers to everything, because he trusts God. When you trust God, you can relax and enjoy life. You don’t have to go through life worrying and trying to figure out how to solve all your problems. Think about all the things you have worried about in your life and how they have all worked out. That should help you realize that worrying and reasoning are a waste of time and energy.

I have four grown children. It amazes me when I look back at everything I went through with them as they were growing up—when they didn’t get good grades in school, when I was called to the principal’s office because of them, when the neighbor complained about them, when it looked as if they would never want to work or do anything worthwhile or would never be able to handle their finances. I would think, How are they ever going to handle life when they get away from me? They can’t even handle their allowances. I wasted a lot of time worrying over them, and in the end they all turned out fine.

I am sharing these stories with you to help you realize that where your kids, and your relationships, and your finances, and your job, and your health are right now is not where they are going to end up. And worrying about these things only helps the problem; it doesn’t help the answer. Stop worrying. Stop complicating your life by trying to figure everything out. Just admit that you don’t know, that you are not able, that you need God. Then go on living, and enjoy life while God is giving you the answers.

Trust in Him Pray and trust God, and He will show you what to do at the right time. He will show you because He is a God Who never fails His children (see Deut. 31:6, 8). He is a God of faithfulness, and He always comes through.


Joyce Meyer, Trusting God Day by Day: 365 Daily Devotions

 

[Aeliana]

September 28

Purpose and Blessings


And Simon (Peter) answered, Master, we toiled all night [exhaustingly] and caught nothing [in our nets]. But on the ground of Your word, I will lower the nets [again].
LUKE 5:5

I love the story in Luke 5—Peter and his companions returning from an unsuccessful fishing trip. After Jesus had finished speaking to the crowds that had gathered by the shore, “He said to Simon (Peter), Put out into the deep [water], and lower your nets for a haul”


When I first read this years ago, it got my attention because I was looking for a haul of blessings in my life. I had Christian tapes, T-shirts, books, bumper stickers, a Jesus pin, and could talk “Christian-ese” as well as anyone. But I was missing out on the abundant life that the Bible says God wants me to have because I didn’t understand God’s purposes.

After Jesus told Peter to put out into the deep, Peter said, “Master, we toiled all night [exhaustingly] and caught nothing [in our nets]. But on the ground of Your word, I will lower the nets [again]” (Luke 5:5). Look at what happened in verses 6 and 7: “And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish; and as their nets were [at the point of] breaking, they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and take hold with them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink.”

Here’s what I’d missed. If Peter had been living by his feelings, he would not have gone back to fish, because he and his men were exhausted. Instead, he chose to live by the Word.

God showed me that the same thing holds true for us. If we want a “haul” of provision in our lives, then we need to live on a level deeper than what we want, think, and feel. We need to live according to the Word of God and do what it says—whether we feel like it, understand it, want to, or think it’s a good idea or not. We must make a decision to stop chasing after things that have no ability to make us happy. It doesn’t matter what we have if we don’t know and understand our purpose in life—which is to glorify God.

Trust in Him Do you desire the abundant life that the Bible promises? It is available to you. All you have to do is trust God and do what His Word says to do. Your obedience will glorify God and bring a haul of blessings into your life.


Joyce Meyer, Trusting God Day by Day: 365 Daily Devotions

 

[Aeliana]

September 29

Simplicity Brings Joy

… Truly I say to you, unless you repent (change, turn about) and become like little children [trusting, lowly, loving, forgiving], you can never enter the kingdom of heaven [at all].
MATTHEW 18:3

Christians have available to them the abundant quality of life that comes from God, Who is not full of fear, stress, worry, anxiety, or depression. He is not impatient or in a hurry; He takes time to enjoy His creation. And He wants us to do the same.
Unfortunately, I don’t really think that the majority of people are enjoying their lives. When you ask them how they are, their response is nearly always “Busy! I am just so busy with work, the kids, church, and school activities.”

We live in a stressful world that seems to be getting more stressful with each passing year. People are hurrying everywhere. They are rude, short-tempered, and it is easy to see that many people are frustrated and under pressure. They are experiencing financial stress, marital stress, and the stress of raising children in today’s world.

I have a thought for you to consider: Simplicity brings joy but complication blocks it. Matthew 18:3 says God wants us to approach life with simple, childlike faith. He wants us to grow up in our behavior, but remain childlike in our attitude toward Him concerning trust and dependence. He wants us to know that we are His precious little ones—His children. We show faith in Him when we come to Him this way, which allows Him to care for us.

We cannot have peace and enjoy life without childlike faith. When you begin to live your life with all the simplicity of a child, it will change your whole outlook in a most amazing way.

Start looking for ways that you complicate things and ask the Holy Spirit to teach you simplicity in those areas. He lives in you, and although He is extraordinarily powerful, He is also extraordinarily simple. He will teach you simplicity if you truly wish to learn.
Trust in Him Take the time to observe a child and notice how they approach things with such simplicity. Approach God with that same kind of innocence and complete dependence. Trust Him to take care of all of your needs so that you can enjoy your life.


Joyce Meyer, Trusting God Day by Day: 365 Daily Devotions

 

[Aeliana]

September 30

Nudged Out of the Nest

As an eagle that stirs up her nest, that flutters over her young, He spread abroad His wings and He took them, He bore them on His pinions.
DEUTERONOMY 32:11

Baby eagles spend the first three months of their lives in the comfortable nest their parents have prepared. But the eaglets get a big surprise when they are about twelve weeks old. Their mother suddenly begins to throw all of their toys out of the nest.

Next, she begins to pull out all of the comfortable material in the nest—the feathers and the animal fur—and leaves the babies sitting on thorns and sticks. This is what the Bible means when it mentions that the mother eagle “stirs up her nest.” The reason she stirs the nest is that she wants her babies to get out and fly.

Before long, the mother eagle begins to nudge them out of the nest. The little eaglets, who have no idea how to fly, fall through the sky, probably very frightened. Soon, though, they hear a “whoooooooosh” as the mother eagle swoops up under them to catch them. At that point, the mother eagle takes the babies right back up to the nest and then nudges them out again. She keeps repeating the process, over and over again, until they finally understand that they have no choice but to fly.

The mother eagle does this because she loves them and wants them to have the best lives they can possibly have. Most eaglets won’t get out of the nest without this push. Similarly, most of us will also choose comfort over challenge unless we have no choice at all.

Do you feel God is working in your life the same way the mother eagle does with her young? Has He been pulling some of the padding out of your nest so you find yourself sitting on prickly branches? Is He saying to you, “Come on, it is time to fly”? If so, remember the mother eagle’s intentions and know that you can trust God’s good intentions for you.

Trust in Him Do you feel as if God has pushed you out of your comfortable nest? Trust Him. He isn’t trying to harm you—He’s teaching you to fly!


Joyce Meyer, Trusting God Day by Day: 365 Daily Devotions

 

[Aeliana]

October 1

Make Your Neighbor Happy

Let each one of us make it a practice to please (make happy) his neighbor for his good and for his true welfare, to edify him [to strengthen him and build him up spiritually].
ROMANS 15:2

The Bible teaches that if we are strong in faith, we ought to bear with the faults of the weak and live to please others. Each one of us should make it a practice to please and make our neighbors happy for their good, to edify, strengthen, and build them up (see Rom. 15:1–2).

This is wonderful advice, but we do the opposite far too often. We want others to live to make us happy and do what pleases us. The result is that no matter what people do, we are never happy and satisfied.

Will you be honest and ask yourself some questions that may be difficult to answer but will bring you face-to-face with where you are in regards to loving other people?
• How much do you do for others?
• Are you trying to find out what people want and need so you can help?
• Are you sincerely trying to know the people in your life in a genuine way?
• How much do you really even know the people in your own family?

As I answered these questions a few years ago, I was appalled at the level of selfishness in my life even though I had been a Christian minister for many years. The truth began to open my eyes about why I was still unhappy and unfulfilled even though I had every reason to be really happy. The bottom line was that I was selfish and self-centered, and I needed to change. These changes did not come easily or quickly, neither are they completed even now, but as I press on daily I am making progress and I am happier all the time.

Trust in Him Trust God enough to deposit yourself with Him, and trust Him to meet all of your needs while you are busy meeting the needs of others.


Joyce Meyer, Trusting God Day by Day: 365 Daily Devotions

 

[Aeliana]

October 2

Give Yourself a Head Start

He wakens Me morning by morning, He wakens My ear to hear as a disciple [as one who is taught].
ISAIAH 50:4

Nothing will prepare you to face what you have to face at work, at home, in relationships, or in daily life like taking some time to commune with God before your busy day begins.

When I first understood that I needed to prepare myself for every day by spending time with God, some of my children complained. They were teenagers at that time, so I told them: “Listen, you’re old enough to put cereal in a bowl and pour milk on it. And you should be glad I go to my study every morning. You will have a much nicer day if I take this time with God!”
Yesterday morning, I told my daughter, Sandra, I was going to spend my early morning time with the Lord, and she replied, “Are you going to get nice?” We both laughed because we’ve learned that even something as simple as being nice to others can be impossible without that daily preparation in God’s presence and Word.

I know many people feel extremely pressed for time, and the very thought of adding something else to your schedule makes you shudder. All I have to say is, the more you have to do and the busier you are, the more you really need to spend time with God. I do not know how you need to adjust your schedule, but I know the time you give to God is no different from the money you give to God—if you give Him time, He will give it back to you.

God is in charge of time; He knows how much time you need to accomplish the things you really need to do, and He can protect and help you manage it if you will spend time with Him first. Stop trying to fit God into your schedule and make a decision to put Him first, then work the rest of your schedule around Him.

Trust in Him Have you spent time with God in preparation to face whatever comes your way today? Life does not have to overwhelm you or catch you off guard. Prepare yourself for the challenges you will face each day by trusting Him with your time.


Joyce Meyer, Trusting God Day by Day: 365 Daily Devotions

 

[Aeliana]

October 3

God Forgets!

For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will [seriously] remember their sin no more.
JEREMIAH 31:34

God not only forgives but also forgets all your sins. He does not forgive you and then say, “Oh, boy, I remember when I had to forgive Johnny for pulling his sister’s hair and making her cry. Now he wants me to forgive him for cheating on his algebra test. His list of forgiven sins is getting awfully long.”

No, if Johnny were to say to God, “I know You’ve already forgiven me for pulling my sister’s hair, but now I need Your forgiveness for cheating on a test,” God would say, “Your sister’s hair? You asked me to forgive you for that? I have absolutely no recollection of that; there’s no record of it anywhere.”

The passage above from Jeremiah, and many others you will find in the Bible (Heb.10:14–17, for example), is not talking about a forgiveness that happens the day we receive Christ and only takes care of all of our previous sins. God’s forgiveness is ongoing for the duration of our lives; it is for every day.

When Jesus died on the cross 2,000 years ago, He not only forgave everything we had done in our pasts, but He also committed Himself to forgive every sin we would commit in the future. He knows every wrong decision we will ever make, and they’re all covered. All we have to do is admit our sins, be willing to turn away from them, and stay in relationship with Him. When God looks at our sins, He sees our faith in Jesus, Who is our perfect sacrifice—not the sin we just committed.

Because of this, what God really wants from us is not perfect performance, perfect behavior, or perfect attitudes, because He already sees those things in Jesus on our behalf. What God wants from us are hearts that truly love Him.

Trust in Him God is not surprised by anything you do. You can trust His love and forgiveness because He knew about your mistakes long before you did, and He wants you anyway. Today, determine to stop remembering what God has forgotten and focus instead on loving Him.


Joyce Meyer, Trusting God Day by Day: 365 Daily Devotions

 

[Aeliana]

October 4

You Can Pray or Worry, But Don’t Do Both!

[For Abraham, human reason for] hope being gone, hoped in faith that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been promised, So [numberless] shall your descendants be.
ROMANS 4:18

When God promised Abraham and his wife, Sarah, a child, they were both very old and long past their childbearing years. They had a rather impossible situation. Romans 4:19 says Abraham did not weaken in faith even when he looked at himself and saw it was impossible. Both his body and Sarah’s womb were as good as dead. Yet verse 20 says, “No unbelief or distrust made him waver (doubtingly question) concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong and was empowered by faith as he gave praise and glory to God.” Abraham waited twenty long years for God to fulfill His promise, and he never gave up!

I like to use this story about Abraham as an example because it amazes me that he had such a huge task—really an impossible situation—and yet he saw beyond the problem-filled task as he hung on to the promise of God. That’s what we have to do.

In whatever situation you are in right now in your life—whether it is something with your kids, or your marriage, or your finances, or you think you’re never going to recover from your past, or you’re fighting with an addiction, or sin that keeps trying to cling to you—know that God is greater than any problem you have. Don’t worry, because when you pray and then you worry, the worry nullifies your prayer. Prayer is something you do instead of worry. It’s not something you do with worry. Worry says we don’t really think God is going to come through so we are going to have a backup plan in case He doesn’t. Prayer says we trust God to work it out.

We don’t need to know what God is going to do or when He is going to do it; we just need to know that He is with us. God is working in your life right now in ways you don’t see, don’t feel, and don’t understand. Just because what is going on in your life right now doesn’t feel good doesn’t mean God is not working. He is!

Trust in Him No matter what you are going through, lift it up to God and say, “God, I trust that You are working in my life right now, and I’m expecting something good.”


Joyce Meyer, Trusting God Day by Day: 365 Daily Devotions

 

[Aeliana]

October 5

Double for Your Trouble

Instead of your [former] shame you shall have a twofold recompense; instead of dishonor and reproach [your people] shall rejoice in their portion. Therefore in their land they shall possess double [what they had forfeited]; everlasting joy shall be theirs.
ISAIAH 61:7

Look with me at the first part of the passage: “Instead of your [former] shame you shall have a twofold recompense.” The word recompense means “reward,” or “payment for past hurts.”
Recompense reminds me of the word compensation. When I think of workman’s compensation, I think of payment made to a person who has been injured on a job. Likewise, if we get hurt while working for God, He takes care of us. If someone comes against us, hurts us, rejects us, or wounds us, we need to keep serving God and doing right, and He will make sure we get due compensation in the end.

Realizing that I did not have to collect from people who hurt me was life-changing for me. The truth is, they couldn’t pay me. They could not give me back what they took from me, but God can always give you more than people take from you. We find another promise of reward in Joel: “And I will restore or replace for you the years that the locust has eaten… And you shall eat in plenty and be satisfied and praise the name of the Lord, your God, Who has dealt wondrously with you. And My people shall never be put to shame” (Joel 2:25–26, emphasis added).

Note the words you shall eat in plenty and be satisfied. This part of the promise means so much to me because I spent many years dissatisfied and discontent. No matter what I had, I wasn’t satisfied. No matter what anybody did for me, I wasn’t satisfied. No matter what I accomplished, I was not satisfied. Why? Because I was looking for people to satisfy me, but only God can satisfy.

Whatever you have lost in your life, He will restore. That’s a promise. As you trust Him, He will make sure you “shall eat in plenty and be satisfied.”
Trust in Him You are not on the world’s payroll; you are on God’s payroll. Trust Him and He will pay you double for your trouble.


Joyce Meyer, Trusting God Day by Day: 365 Daily Devotions

 

[Aeliana]

October 6

Be a Blessing to Others

And let us consider and give attentive, continuous care to watching over one another, studying how we may stir up (stimulate and incite) to love and helpful deeds and noble activities…
HEBREWS 10:24

I have asked hundreds of people to share with me some practical ways they believe we can show love. I have read books, searched the Internet, and been very aggressive on my own journey to find creative ways to incorporate this concept of loving people into my everyday life. I would like to share with you some of the things I have learned.
Here are some ideas I have collected:

• When it is obvious that you and someone else want the same parking place, let the other person have it and do so with a smile on your face.
• Mow an elderly neighbor’s lawn or shovel their snow in the winter.
• Go grocery shopping for a family with a newborn baby.
• Give someone without transportation a ride to church or another event, even if it is out of your way to do so.
• Truly listen to someone without interrupting.
• Hold a door open for a stranger and let him or her go ahead of you.
• Let someone with just a few items go in front of you when you’re in a checkout line.
• Babysit for a single parent to give that person a bit of alone time or time to get a project done peacefully.
• Invite a person who has no family in town to your house for the holidays.
• Send cards and/or flowers to show appreciation.

Start with this simple list, but let the Holy Spirit show you more ideas. Doing random things for people just to be a blessing is an amazing way to show God’s love.

Trust in Him If you trust that God’s love for you is limitless, you will have no problem showing love to others and even going out of your way to be a blessing to them. We love because He first loved us (see 1 John 4:19)!


Joyce Meyer, Trusting God Day by Day: 365 Daily Devotions

 

[Aeliana]

October 7

Ask God Boldly!

Up to this time you have not asked a [single] thing in My Name [as presenting all that I AM]; but now ask and keep on asking and you will receive, so that your joy (gladness, delight) may be full and complete.
JOHN 16:24

I believe there are people who are not receiving from God what He wants them to have because they won’t ask Him boldly. They make weak, faithless requests. I’ve had people ask for prayer and say: “Is it okay if I ask for two things?” Their uncertainty is sad to me because Jesus clearly told us to ask so that our joy would be complete.

I want whatever God wants to give me spiritually, emotionally, financially, physically, socially, and mentally. I pray boldly, but I don’t do it because I think I’m worthy. I know that I have faults, but I also know that God loves me, and, my confidence is not in myself—it’s in Him. My joy isn’t from having things that God gives to me, but from loving God intimately and knowing that He wants me to be totally dependent on Him for everything I need. I get up every day and do the best I can, and by faith I want to receive all that God wants me to have.

A few years ago, I stepped out in faith and prayed a bold prayer that even sounded crazy to me. I said, “God, I’m asking You to let me help every single person on the face of the earth.” My mind said: “Now that is stupid.” But I kept praying that prayer anyway, and our television ministry has expanded greatly since that time. God has caused tremendous growth; one station that we added after that prayer increased our coverage to 600 million people in India alone.

I don’t know how God is going to let me help every person on the face of the earth, but I am going to continue trusting Him. I would rather ask for a lot and get part of it than ask for a little and get all of it.

Trust in Him What are you asking God for? God wants you to trust Him for everything you need and everything He wants to give you. Come boldly before the throne and ask so that He can meet your needs and your joy can be complete.


Joyce Meyer, Trusting God Day by Day: 365 Daily Devotions

 

[Aeliana]

October 8

Receive His Forgiveness

What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
ROMANS 6:1 KJV

We often have very strong feelings and emotions that we don’t seem to be able to control! The truth is, you don’t have to make decisions based on your feelings! You have a free will, and you can choose to believe God’s Word more than you believe how you feel at the time. When you begin to live by the Word of God and what you know through Him instead of how you feel, your feelings will eventually change and line up with the Word.

Satan used guilt to steal from me for years, which was often false guilt because much of the time I had nothing to be guilty for. I had repented, asked God to forgive me, and even believed that He had forgiven me. And yet I would still live my life feeling guilty and badly. I carried the burden of guilt everywhere that I went. I often said, “I did not feel right if I did not feel wrong.” At times I even felt very spiritual because I always felt bad about my behavior; now I understand God doesn’t want me to feel that way.

Every morning when I went to have my prayer and time with God I would go over one of two things: all of my problems or all of my mistakes. The Bible says ask and receive that your joy may be full. I was asking for forgiveness, but I never took the time to receive. I’d like to encourage you from now on when you ask God to forgive your sins for anything you’ve done wrong, take a moment and say, “I receive your forgiveness right now.” Don’t just ask, ask and receive so that you can take the next step and be filled with joy.

One morning as I was attempting to spend time with God, He spoke to my heart and said, “Are you going to fellowship with Me this morning or with your problems and your sins?” Do you spend more time with your sins than you do with God? Do you spend more time thinking about what you’ve done wrong than about what He’s done right? Remember, where sin does abound, grace and forgiveness and mercy does much more abound.

Trust in Him When you go to God in prayer today, ask Him to forgive you for whatever it is you need forgiveness for, receive His forgiveness, and trust His grace as you press on with joy to what He has for you.


Joyce Meyer, Trusting God Day by Day: 365 Daily Devotions

 

[Aeliana]

October 9

Cast Your Care

All the days of the desponding and afflicted are made evil [by anxious thoughts and forebodings], but he who has a glad heart has a continual feast [regardless of circumstances].
PROVERBS 15:15

Do you have something in your life that you could be very worried about and very anxious about if you didn’t decide not to be? Most people do, and if you don’t have something today you might have something tomorrow or the next day. That’s not being negative, it’s just saying that life is real and you never know exactly what is going to come your way. But we do know God and we don’t have to live in fear. He is with us and He’s on our side.

I had a lot of bad things happen to me in the early years of my life, and I got to the point where I was afraid that bad things would happen. Proverb 15:15 calls that “evil forebodings,” which means you have this sense that you are waiting for the next disaster. I’ve learned instead of doing that to expect something good to happen in my life and to expect it on purpose.

You can choose your own thoughts. You don’t have to just think whatever falls in your head. You can cast out wrong things and choose right thoughts. Faith starts in our hearts, a gift from God, but it is released through our thinking and speaking right things. When we have a problem, we can either do what the devil wants us to do and worry about it and get anxious and try to figure things out on our own, or we can do what God wants us to do and think about the promises in His Word.

The Bible teaches us to cast all of our care on God because He cares for us (1 Pet. 5:7).

Throughout our married life, every time we’ve had a problem in our house Dave has had one answer: “Cast your care.” It’s not wrong to see our problems, but we need to tell them where they stand in relation to God. Worry sees the problem, but faith sees the God Who can handle the problem.

Trust in Him Will you worry and have anxiety today, or will you cast your care and choose to trust God instead?


Joyce Meyer, Trusting God Day by Day: 365 Daily Devotions

 

[Aeliana]

October 10

Leave the Choice to God

But instantly He spoke to them, saying, Take courage! I AM! Stop being afraid!
MATTHEW 14:27

God will do one of two things if you have a problem: He will either remove the problem (which is always our first choice!) or He will give you the strength, the grace, the ability to go through the problem. I know we don’t like the going through part, but if that is what God chooses, we need to trust Him.

If God lets us go through something, then He’s got a purpose in mind; there’s something we are going to get out of it that we need. If we don’t trust God, we’re going to be miserable. The only choices we have are—trust and be happy, or don’t trust and be miserable!

Trusting God is very peaceful. It is so wonderful to be able to say, “I don’t understand this, but I believe God’s going to work it out.” When you are in a difficult situation, believe God is with you and that He will give you direction at the right time. Believe you are growing spiritually even though you might be hurting right now.
I went through many years when I tried to have enough faith to prevent myself from having problems, or when I did have problems, I wanted enough faith to resist the devil and believe God would make my problem go away. To be honest, I was under so much pressure and stress that it began to adversely affect my health. Finally I decided, “Oh! I’m supposed to trust God. And if God doesn’t get rid of my problem, then I trust God to take me through it.” By believing in God, I entered His rest!

We trust God’s timing, we trust His wisdom, we trust His ways, and by doing that, we can enjoy every single day of the journey. We don’t have to just be happy when we have no problems; we can also enjoy life while we are “going through.” Trust in Him If you can say, “God, I know You’ll do one of two things—You’ll either remove this or You’re going to give me the grace to deal with it,” and trust God enough to leave that choice up to Him, you’ll reap the reward.


Joyce Meyer, Trusting God Day by Day: 365 Daily Devotions

 

[Aeliana]

October 11

Do What You Can Do

And there was a man called Zacchaeus, a chief tax collector, and [he was] rich. And he was trying to see Jesus, which One He was, but he could not on account of the crowd, because he was small in stature.
LUKE 19:2–3

You can’t add anything to your life by worrying. I enjoy people who don’t worry but are confident and really know who they are in Christ. That is why Zacchaeus is one of my favorite people in the Bible (see Luke 19).

Jesus was coming to town, and Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus, but he was so short he couldn’t see over all the people in the huge crowd. I love what he did. He didn’t go sit down and have a pity party. Instead, he ran up ahead and climbed up in a sycamore tree. When Jesus came by He said, “Zacchaeus, come on down here. I’m going to your house for dinner!”

Instead of whining about what he thought was a problem in his life, Zacchaeus had a positive attitude about it. Instead of worrying about what he couldn’t do, he found something he could do. And God so loved that spirit of determination that He said, “Of all these people, I am going to go home with you!”
Stop worrying about what you can’t do. Stop comparing yourself to everybody else and wishing you were them and being jealous and envious of them. Whatever your inabilities are, say to them, “It is what it is.
And I’m going to deal with it.

Whatever I don’t have, God is going to make it up to me in another way.”
I like to talk; I am a good communicator and it is working out really well. I’ve got a lot of good common sense and some business sense and I’m good at managing people, but mainly I talk. I encourage you to start using the abilities that you do have, and don’t be concerned about the ones you don’t have.

Trust in Him If you’ve already wasted much of your life worrying or comparing or complaining, make a decision today that you are going to trust God instead. Do what you can do and trust Him to do the rest


Joyce Meyer, Trusting God Day by Day: 365 Daily Devotions

 

[Aeliana]

October 12

Waiting on God Means Being One with Him

But those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] shall change and renew their strength and power; they shall lift their wings and mount up [close to God] as eagles [mount up to the sun]; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint or become tired.
ISAIAH 40:31

I believe God chose to liken us to eagles in order to motivate us so we can rise to our potential in life and so He can encourage us to wait on Him. When success does not come easily, when we find ourselves frustrated and weary in our efforts, we can be refreshed by waiting on the Lord.

What does it really mean to wait for the Lord? It simply means spending time with Him, being in His presence, talking to Him, listening, meditating on His Word, worshipping Him, keeping Him at the center of our lives, all the while expecting Him to do something amazing. One meaning of the word wait is “to be twisted or braided together.” If we think about a braid in someone’s hair, we realize that the hair is woven together so that we cannot tell where one strand ends and another begins. That is the way God wants us to be in our union with Him—so intimately intertwined and tightly woven together with Him that we are truly one with Him. As we wait on Him, we become more and more like Him.

An intimate relationship with God will strengthen you in the innermost part of your being. It will strengthen your heart; it will carry you through the hard times in your life with a sense of peace and confidence that all is well, no matter what is happening. It will give you the strength to endure tough situations in such a way that many of the people around you may not be able to detect even the slightest stress in your life.

When you wait on the Lord by faith, you draw everything you need from Him. He is your refuge, your enabler, your joy, your peace, your righteousness, your hope. He gives you everything you need to live in victory over any circumstance.
Trust in Him Are you ready to rise to your potential? You will do so when you can wait on God. When you wait on Him, your strength is made new again; you can fly as eagles do, over the storms of life; you can walk and run and not faint, because your trust is in Him.


Joyce Meyer, Trusting God Day by Day: 365 Daily Devotions

 

[Aeliana]

Resist the Devil at His Onset

Pray that you may not [at all] enter into temptation.
LUKE 22:40

The temptation to quit is part of being human, but we must resist that temptation and never give up. It is important that we recognize the lies of Satan, and that we resist him at the onset of his attack. Temptation is one of the realities of the Christian life and a hindrance to success we must work to overcome. Jesus said, “Temptation must come,” so be on your guard against it.
There are many types of temptation, so we don’t always recognize discouragement and thoughts of giving up as being a temptation from the devil. Some thoughts the enemy may plant in your mind to tempt you to give up might sound like this:
• This is too difficult.
• I really am not qualified to do this.
• I am facing too many problems and can’t possibly solve them all.
• I have no one to help me.
• My friends and family think I’m crazy for pursuing this.
• I don’t have the money to do this.
• This is taking too long.
I encourage you to begin to recognize temptations as works of the enemy; and I want you to start resisting each temptation with everything in you. Don’t consider any temptation insignificant. Don’t let the devil lure you into passivity or wait until you’ve been in a depressed, hopeless slump for three days, listening to the enemy list reasons to abandon your cause. Resist the devil at his onset! Declare war against all forms of temptation. Show the enemy no mercy.

Trust in Him The instant you feel tempted to give up, you need to say aloud, “I will not quit. I refuse to give up. I trust God and I will finish what He has called me to do.”


Joyce Meyer, Trusting God Day by Day: 365 Daily Devotions

 

[Aeliana]

October 14

“You Could Use a Blessing”

See that none of you repays another with evil for evil, but always aim to show kindness and seek to do good to one another and to everybody.
1 THESSALONIANS 5:15

This Scripture in 1 Thessalonians tells us to always show kindness. Living in this generous kind of way is pleasing to God. There are many other Scriptures that also tell us to be good to everybody, not just those we consider to be like-minded with or who are in our church, but to everybody.

Even if someone is your employee and they serve you, you should think of ways that you can serve them also. When you get your morning coffee, bring one for them. Pick up after yourself and don’t make extra work for them. The people who help us in our lives should always be shown appreciation.

My daughter once wrote a note of appreciation to her garbage collectors and gave them a gift card to get lunch. I think these things not only bless people, but can often be shocking because they almost never happen. The world is filled with people who work hard doing jobs that are not very pleasant, and yet nobody notices.

I once saw a woman cleaning the bathroom at a department store where I shop, and I gave her some money and said, “You look like you work hard and I thought you could use a blessing.” I smiled and quickly left. A few minutes later, she found me in the shoe department and expressed her gratitude and told me how this act of kindness lifted her up. She told me that she did indeed work hard and felt nobody paid much attention to that fact.

You’ll be amazed at how your joy will increase if you make a habit of noticing those who usually aren’t noticed. God watches out for them, and He will be delighted to have you make yourself available as His partner in this endeavor.

Trust in Him Partner with God to be a blessing to everyone you come in contact with, especially the people often overlooked. Trust the nudges He places in your heart to do good for others.


Joyce Meyer, Trusting God Day by Day: 365 Daily Devotions

 

[Aeliana]

October 15

Seek God First and He Will Add Things

But seek (aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right), and then all these things taken together will be given you besides.
MATTHEW 6:33

Matthew 6:33 tells us that when we seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, He will give us everything we need. It is a matter of putting God first in our lives. Simple? Yes. Easy? Not necessarily!
Even though we want God to help us, it is sometimes difficult to consistently put Him first. It may seem easy to trust Him with your life when you’re in church on Sunday morning, but on Monday you may be tempted to take control again. Seeking God and putting Him first requires building an intimate relationship with Him that will sustain you every day of the week. God knows what we need better than we do, and He longs to provide it, but He requires that we make Him top priority in our lives.

Many years ago, when I began my relationship with God, I wasn’t really serious about it. Like many other Christians, I put in my church time on Sunday. I was even on the church board, and my husband, Dave, was an elder. The problem was, when I was at home or at work, it was hard to tell the difference between an unbeliever and me. I had accepted Christ, I was on my way to heaven, and I loved God. But I didn’t love Him with my whole heart—there were many areas of my life that I had not yet surrendered to Him. As a result, I was frustrated, and my life lacked victory and joy.

Finally I cried out to God for help, and thankfully, He heard and answered my prayer. He began to show me that I needed to let Him out of my “Sunday Morning Box” and allow Him to be first in every area of my life. Since I did that, I am continually amazed at the ways that God provides for everything else I need.

Trust in Him Do you seek God first? Give Him first place in every area of your life through trust and fellowship, and experience the happiness and stability that come from a changed life—a life with proper priorities!


Joyce Meyer, Trusting God Day by Day: 365 Daily Devotions