Trusting God Day by Day

[Aeliana]

November 26

Follow God’s Plan for Your Life

A man’s mind plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps and makes them sure.
PROVERBS 16:9

I was pondering just this morning the future of our ministry. We have been in ministry since 1976, and many things have changed during those years. I realize that things will not be the same ten years from now, but I don’t know exactly how they will be. Dave and I are getting a bit older, and we realize that we will not always be able to maintain the heavy travel schedule that we have now.

When I try to look into the future with my thoughts, I must admit I don’t really see anything definite. I intend to keep doing what I am doing and prayerfully helping more and more people. And I believe whatever God does with our ministry, it will be good.

I believe it is important for many of our readers to realize that even ministers and authors, like myself, don’t always have exact direction from the Lord; we walk by faith just like everyone else.

Having faith means that we don’t see or have any natural proof of what tomorrow may hold. We believe for good things, we expect good things, and we wait on God. We may be disappointed occasionally, but in Christ we can shake off the disappointment or discouragement and move on with what God is doing—not with what we wish He did.

I trust that God will always take care of us, that He will always do the right thing. God does not make mistakes—people do. Often we make ours from excessive personal planning that becomes so important to us we miss what God wants to do.

God’s plan is always better than ours, so we should be careful about making too many of our own. I always say, “Make a plan and follow your plan, but be ready to let it go quickly if God shows you something else.” God should always have the right-of-way and the right to interfere with our plans at any time.

Trust in Him How much mental time do you spend planning what you will do tomorrow, or even the rest of your life? Try spending more time trusting the Lord’s will, and asking Him to make His plans come to pass for you, then reap the benefits of your faith.


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

 

[Aeliana]

November 27

Trust Is Better Than Knowledge

In Him all the treasures of [divine] wisdom (comprehensive insight into the ways and purposes of God) and [all the riches of spiritual] knowledge and enlightenment are stored up and lie hidden.
COLOSSIANS 2:3

Sometimes we think we would like to know the future; yet in many cases if we did know all the future holds, we would be miserable and even afraid to go forward. Trusting God enables us to handle life one day at a time. God gives us what we need. We do not have everything we need right now for our future, because that time is not here yet, so if we did know the future—without having the tools we need to succeed—we would all feel overwhelmed.

I have discovered that I can lose a lot of peace by too much knowledge. Knowing is not all it is cracked up to be. Some things are better left alone. For example, I don’t want to know if someone doesn’t like me and has been talking unkindly about me; all that knowledge does is make me unhappy. Sometimes we are quite peaceful and then we receive some information, and suddenly we lose our peace over what we just learned.

I would love to know all the wonderful, exciting things that are going to happen in my future, but I don’t want to know the difficult or disappointing ones. However, I realize both will be in my future. Just like everyone else, I will have good and bad times. I really believe I can handle whatever comes if I take it one day at a time, but knowing it all now would be too much. This is why God withholds information from us and tells us simply to trust Him.

Trust really is better than knowledge. Trust ministers peace, and that is very important. I suppose we can ask ourselves this question: “Do I want peace or knowledge?” I choose peace. How about you?

Trust in Him Do you want peace or knowledge? God has a reason for not giving you knowledge about your future. Trust God, and you can handle all of life’s blessings and disappointments, one day at a time, in His peace.


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

 

[Aeliana]

November 28

Take Responsibility for Your Happiness

Don’t point your finger at someone else and try to pass the blame!
HOSEA 4:4

We all have personal standards that we expect other people to meet, and we are disappointed when people fail to act the way we hoped. But is it really what they do that hurts us, or is it our own unrealistic expectations that set us up for the pain we feel when they don’t perform to our standards?

For example, my joy is not my husband’s responsibility—although I thought it was for many years. If he was not doing what made me happy, I became angry. I thought he should be more concerned about my happiness and do things differently. But it was what I thought that caused the problem, not what he did.

Dave and I have very few arguments now that I know my personal joy is my own responsibility, and not his. Dave should do some things for me that make me happy, just as I should try to please him, but there were many years in my life when it would have been practically impossible for anyone to keep me happy. My problems were in me; they were the result of abusive treatment in my childhood. Yet I was placing responsibility on Dave to make up for pain he had not caused.
Over time, I noticed that no matter had badly I acted, Dave remained happy. It irritated me, but also served as an example. I eventually became very hungry for the peace and joy I saw in his life, which were not dependent on any of his circumstances. In other words, he never made me responsible for his joy. If he had been dependent on me to make him happy, he would have never enjoyed life, because much of the time I gave him no reason to rejoice.

Are you possibly trying to make someone else responsible for things that only you can do something about? Let us take responsibility and stop expecting people to do for us what we should, in reality, be doing for ourselves or trusting God to do.

Trust in Him Put your trust in God and take responsibility for your attitudes and actions, and stop blaming others. If you are not happy, I suggest you look inward before you look around you to find something or someone to blame.


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

 

[Aeliana]

November 29

Be Self-Aware and Do Right

Therefore you have no excuse or defense or justification, O man, whoever you are who judges and condemns another. For in posing as judge and passing sentence on another, you condemn yourself, because you who judge are habitually practicing the very same things [that you censure and denounce].
ROMANS 2:1

Self-deception is one of the biggest problems we have as human beings. We easily and quickly see what is wrong with others but rarely, if ever, see what is wrong with us. We judge others, and the Lord tells us there is no justification for this.

Why would we judge someone else for the same thing we are doing? Because we look at others through a magnifying glass but see ourselves through rose-colored glasses, a tinted glass that makes everything look lovely whether it is or not. In our thinking, there is absolutely no justification for the wrong behavior of others, but for us there always is. We always seem to have some valid reason why we have behaved badly that excuses us from being responsible.

For example, someone might be short-tempered with us, and we feel it was inexcusable for him or her to treat us that way. We might have treated someone the same way on another day, but we justified it because we felt ill or had a bad day at work. In reality, we should honestly judge our own behavior rather than others because the Word tells us we will not be asked to give an account of their lives, but of our own (see Rom. 14:10).

When God admonishes me for my behavior in a relationship, it is particularly difficult for me if I feel the other person does the same thing that God is asking me to change. I have told God more than once, “This is not fair. What about the other person?” He always reminds me that how and when He corrects another is His business. Our responsibility is to follow God and obey Him, not to find fault with other people or how they are living their lives.

Trust in Him
Let’s be as forgiving of others as we are of ourselves. Don’t worry about the faults of others, but trust God to correct their behavior in His own way and timing and listen when He chooses to correct yours.


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

 

[Aeliana]

November 30

God Meets You Where You Are

So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God.
ROMANS 14:22

I try to eat reasonably healthy meals, and I have studied nutrition and its effects on the body. Consequently, I have strong opinions about how we should take care of ourselves. I do eat sweets, but only small amounts, and I am usually concerned when I see anyone regularly consuming large amounts of sweets and other foods that I know to be unhealthy.

I have tried to inform people when I see them eating poorly, and they have not received my advice well, to say the least. I even had one person say, “If we are going to spend time together, I don’t want you telling me what to eat all the time and making me feel guilty when I eat something you don’t approve of.”

The person went on to say, “I know I don’t eat right, but I am just not at the place yet in my life where I am ready to do anything about it. I have lots of things wrong with me that I feel are more urgent than my appetite. So I am concentrating on what I feel God is dealing with me about, and I have no time to also pay attention to what you are dealing with me about.”

We all tend to put our convictions on others; we think if they are priorities for us, they must be priorities for everyone.

Romans 14 shares examples of how people were in a quandary about whether or not they should eat meat that had been offered to idols. Some thought it would be a sin, and others said the idols were nothing anyway and therefore could not harm the meat. Some could not eat because of their weak faith, and others ate because of their strong faith. Paul told them to each be convinced in their own hearts, and not try to force their personal convictions on others.

God seems to meet each of us right where we are in our faith. He begins with us at that point and helps us grow gradually and continually. Be led by the Holy Spirit yourself, and let others do the same thing.

Trust in Him Accept where you are right now, just as God does. Trust God to take you to a new level of living that is right for you and not for someone else.


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

 

[Aeliana]

December 1

What Causes Content?

May the God of your hope so fill you with all joy and peace in believing [through the experience of your faith] that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound and be overflowing (bubbling over) with hope.
ROMANS 15:13

In my search for content, I have discovered four things we must eliminate from our lives in order to be content.

The number one problem that leads to feelings of discontent is greed. Have you ever known someone who just could not be content no matter how much they had? I was once like this myself. Of course, I didn’t think of it at the time as being greedy; I just always wanted more than I had. We must learn to enjoy where we are in each area of life, while we are on the way to where we are going. This means we can find our satisfaction in Him while we are on our way to the fulfillment of our hopes and dreams. I also believe fear causes many of us to be unhappy and discontent. We are afraid we will not get what we desire, and this causes us to be impatient.

Over time, I have learned that I could do the things God wanted me to do, and I could trust in and wait on His perfect timing to bring to me those things that He knew were best for me. Once we learn to trust God and step out even though we’re afraid, God will provide the courage and boldness we need to overcome our fear.

Lack of trust in God is another cause of discontent, but simply trusting in God brings us into a place of rest, joy, and peace. Looking for contentment in all the wrong places is my fourth reason for discontent. Don’t make the mistake of looking for contentment in things. If you do, the result will be that you will never find it. You will never be truly satisfied.

The answer to our frustration comes when we receive revelation that our satisfaction must be in Jesus and in His will and timing for our lives. When we are in a hurry to find contentment, it doesn’t make God hurry. He has a plan, and only trusting Him will allow us to enjoy it.

Trust in Him Are you content? Trust God and find satisfaction in Him, and you will be content and have peace.


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

 

[Aeliana]

December 2

Please Don’t Make Me Wait!

I wait for the Lord, I expectantly wait, and in His word do I hope.
PSALM 130:5

Waiting! It’s a big part of our everyday lives, and most of us don’t particularly enjoy it… or have time for it. Especially busy people who usually have way more to do in a day than they can possibly accomplish! But I can tell you from experience that our attitude about waiting can make all the difference in the world.

Like the Israelites who spent forty years making an eleven-day trip, I was stuck in a modern-day wilderness of my own. I had many wrong attitudes that contributed to the prevention of my progress, but one of the major roadblocks for me was an impatient attitude that made me want to scream: “Please don’t make me wait for anything. I deserve everything immediately!” I had a long and interesting journey before I learned that waiting is part of our walk with God. We will wait—that is a given—but it is how we wait that determines how difficult the wait will be.

When you arrive for an appointment with your doctor or dentist, you have to wait your turn. The first thing the receptionist tells you is, “Please have a seat while you’re waiting.” Being seated indicates that a person is resting, and that’s exactly what we should do, both in the doctor’s office and in the wilderness experiences of our lives. While we’re waiting for God to do the things that we asked for Him to do, we should rest in Him.

Another attitude that prevented me from making progress was “I will do it my way or not at all.” This stubborn attitude is one that many people have to deal with. If it is not dealt with, the Promised-Land living becomes a blurry image and never a reality—something we see off in the future but never experience.

But it doesn’t have to be that way. When we are serious about making some changes in our attitudes and allow the Holy Spirit to help us, we can take a shortcut through the wilderness instead of going the long way around!

Trust in Him Having a good attitude in a trying situation is at least 90 percent of the battle. There will always be trials in life, but as we trust God and continue to do what He is showing us to do, we will always come out victorious.


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

 

[Aeliana]

December 3

Don’t Leave God Out of the Loop

I will say of the Lord, He is my Refuge and my Fortress, my God; on Him I lean and rely, and in Him I [confidently] trust!
PSALM 91:2

When we are frustrated, it is often because we are trying to do something in our own strength, instead of putting our faith in God and receiving His grace and help. Let us learn to pray for what we would like to be changed, and then cast our care on God. If He leads you to take some kind of action, then do it; but if He doesn’t, then wait with peace.

I had to practice trusting God for a lot of things, but particularly finances. At one point in the beginning of my ministry, God asked me to trust Him to provide for my family financially without my working outside the home. I knew that I needed time to prepare for the ministry He had called me to. And working full-time in addition to being a wife and mother to three small children didn’t leave much time to prepare to be an international Bible teacher.

As an act of faith, and with my husband’s consent, I quit my job and began learning to trust God to provide for us. Dave had a good job, but his salary was forty dollars a month less than our bills. This meant we had to have a miracle from God every month.

I remember what a struggle it was to not go back to work—after all, I was a responsible woman and wanted to do my part. But I knew that God was asking me to keep preparing for the ministry He was calling me to and to trust Him for provision. Each month, He provided for our financial needs, and seeing His faithfulness was exciting, but I was accustomed to taking care of myself—all this “walking by faith” was crucifying my flesh big time.

Trusting God for the forty dollars a month we needed to pay our bills and for anything extra we needed was often difficult, but it helped us gain a strong foundation of faith that has helped us throughout our lives. I strongly encourage you to obey God and trust Him in every area of life. Each victory you have will increase your faith for the next challenge you face.

Trust in Him Little faith can become great faith when we see the faithfulness of God as He meets our needs. You can become a person who enjoys great peace by trusting God.


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

 

[Aeliana]

December 4

The Beauty of Submission

Be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ…
EPHESIANS 5:21

My husband, Dave, is anointed to be the head of our family, but if I have a negative and rebellious attitude toward Him, I will miss God’s best for my life. However, if I stay under Dave’s covering, pray for him, and respect his authority, God will be able to bless our entire family. God’s Word says that where there is unity, there is blessing (see Ps. 133).

Let’s learn to pray for those who have authority over us, rather than being angry and rebellious. James 5:16 says, “The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working]…” Just think of it—tremendous power is made available when we pray! Imagine the peace and content we would enjoy in our lives if we were to consistently pray for those in positions of leadership.

In the workplace, picture what could happen if we prayed for the boss instead of murmuring, faultfinding, and complaining about him or her, the way the company is run, or how underpaid we think we are! What if our prayers resulted in the boss being so blessed that he or she became a happier, more content person… and all that happiness and content filtered down to us. What glorious, joy-filled lives we could have if we were to live as Jesus instructed.

I believe there is beauty in godly submission. Even when we disagree with someone, we can learn to disagree, agreeably. We can show respect for them and their position of authority even when they do something that we think we would do differently. I believe a rebellious attitude is a very dangerous one, and I urge everyone to submit first to God and then to the authority He has placed you under.

Trust in Him: Pray for the authority figures in your life—whether it be your parents, spouse, boss, or pastor—and trust God to bless you through them.

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

 

[Aeliana]

December 5

The Spirit of Grace

As God’s fellow workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain.
2 CORINTHIANS 6:1

One of the spiritual laws of the kingdom of God is, “Use it or lose it.” God expects us to use what He gives us. When we use the grace offered to us, then more and more grace is available.

In Galatians 2:21 Paul stated, “I do not frustrate the grace of God…” (KJV). What did he mean by that? To find out, let’s look at what he said in the preceding verse in The Amplified Bible: “… It is no longer I who live, but Christ (the Messiah) lives in me; and the life I now live in the body I live by faith in (by adherence to and reliance on and complete trust in) the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” Then he followed with his statement about not frustrating the grace of God. You see, it would have frustrated the grace of God if Paul had tried to live his life on his own, but he had learned to live by the power of Christ residing in him, which we know is the Holy Spirit.

I am sure most of us know how frustrating it is to try to help someone who keeps pushing us away. Imagine a drowning person who frantically fights and resists the lifeguard who is trying to save him. The best thing that person can possibly do is totally relax and allow the lifeguard to bring him to safety; otherwise, he may drown. You and I are often like the drowning swimmer. The Holy Spirit is in us. As the Spirit of Grace, He tries to aid us in living our lives with much greater ease, but we frantically fight to save ourselves and keep our independence.

Let us be wise enough to take full advantage of all that is offered to us. Let us welcome the Holy Spirit into our lives daily. By doing so, we will be letting Him know that we need Him and that we are very, very glad He has chosen us as His home.

Trust in Him Don’t act like a drowning person, fighting the One trying to save you. Instead, trust God with your life and let Him bring you to safety.


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

 

[Aeliana]

December 6

The Spirit of Love

No man has at any time [yet] seen God. But if we love one another, God abides (lives and remains) in us and His love (that love which is essentially His) is brought to completion (to its full maturity, runs its full course, is perfected) in us!
1 JOHN 4:12

First John 4:12 is one of my favorite Scriptures. I love to read it and just take time to think about it: God’s love is brought to completion in us! This Scripture helps me understand why I felt as if I had been filled with liquid love at the time of my baptism in the Holy Spirit. At that time, an extra measure of God’s love was poured into my heart (see Rom. 5:5). I had to receive that love for myself, then I could begin returning it to God, and then, finally, I could start letting it flow out of me toward others.

We cannot give away what we don’t have. It is useless to try to love someone else if we have never received God’s love for ourselves. We should love ourselves in a balanced way, not a selfish, self-centered way. I teach that we should love ourselves but not be “in love” with ourselves. In other words, believe in the love that God has for you; know that it is everlasting and unconditional. Let His love affirm you and make you feel secure, but don’t begin to think more highly of yourself than you ought to (see Rom. 12:3 KJV). I believe loving ourselves in a balanced way is what prepares us to let love flow to others around us.
Walking in love is the ultimate goal of Christianity. That should be the primary thing we all strive for. Jesus gave the command for us to love one another as He loves us. When I think of what I can do for myself or how I can get others to bless me, I am filled with me. When I think of other people and how I can bless them, I find myself filled with the Holy Spirit, Who is the Spirit of Love.

Trust in Him: When the Holy Spirit comes to live in you, love comes to live in you. Trusting God’s love for you will enable you to love yourself in a healthy way and let love flow through you to others.


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

 

[Aeliana]

December 7

Be a Person of Excellence

If you belonged to the world, the world would treat you with affection and would love you as its own. But because you are not of the world [no longer one with it], but I have chosen (selected) you out of the world, the world hates (detests) you.
JOHN 15:19

Many places in the Bible say that though we are in the world, we do not have to be of the world. As believers, we don’t belong to this world, but we are to be a light in it. Our standards as Christians should be much higher than the world’s.
Ask yourself some of these questions:
• Would you rob a bank?
• Would you speak ugly gossip about a brother or sister in the Lord?
• Would you lie to your children or to your friends?
• Do you ever sign up to work in the church nursery and not show up?
• Do you exaggerate to make a story sound better?

Did you answer “yes” to any of these inquiries? Granted, most of us wouldn’t even think of robbing a bank. But how many of us do compromise on things that we consider to be of lesser or minimal importance—things that Jesus, our standard of integrity, wouldn’t do? We must not drift toward the ways of the world.

Integrity is being committed to a life of excellence. Our God is excellent. We must be committed to excellence if we are to represent Him to the world. Matthew 5:41 says to go the extra mile—don’t just do what you have to do. I believe the Lord has caused me to know that real excellence is to do the more excellent thing even when nobody is looking—even when nobody is around to reward us, notice us, or recognize us as exceptional people.

Be a person of excellence. Make integrity a habit. Proverb 20:7 says, “The righteous man (or woman) walks in his integrity; blessed (happy, fortunate, enviable) are his children after him.”

Trust in Him God created you for excellence. Trust Him enough to always go the extra mile and do everything the best way that you possibly can.


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

 

[Aeliana]

December 8

There Is Potential for Greatness in You

Therefore let us go on and get past the elementary stage in the teachings and doctrine of Christ (the Messiah), advancing steadily toward the completeness and perfection that belong to spiritual maturity.
HEBREWS 6:1

I am convinced that most people have potential for greatness, but just having potential is not enough unless you are willing to take a risk, step out, and let God go to work in your life. The word potential is defined as “existing in possibility but not in actuality; powerful but not in use.”

Having potential doesn’t necessarily mean that it is absolutely going to happen. It just means that it can happen if we add the other right “ingredients” along with it. For instance, if I have a cake mix on the shelf in my kitchen, then I have the potential of having a cake. But just because that cake mix is on my shelf doesn’t guarantee that I am going to have cake. There are some things I must do to get it from a mix on the shelf to a cake on the table.

It’s the same with us. Many people today are wasting their potential because they are not developing what God has placed in them. Instead of developing what they have, they worry about what they don’t have, and their potential is wasted. They could have done something great, but they let the opportunity pass them by. You can make a difference in the world if you will develop what you have. But it takes time, determination, and hard work to develop potential into action or a result.

We are never fulfilled until we become all we can be. Each of us has a destiny, and unless we are pressing toward fulfilling it, we will be frustrated in life. Moving up to the next level requires a decision to press on, to let go of what lies behind, and refuse to be mediocre. I believe God wants to do more with your life than you ever imagined. I also believe God is looking for people to promote. You can be one of them. There is potential for greatness in you!

Trust in Him Are you living up to your potential? God made you with potential—potential for greatness! If you do what you can do, and trust Him to do what you can’t, you will grow into the person He gave you the potential to be!


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

 

[Aeliana]

December 9

Stand Up on the Inside

The Wicked flee when no man pursues them, but the [uncompromisingly] righteous are bold as a lion.
PROVERBS 28:1

I once heard the story of a little boy attending church with his mother, and he kept standing up at the wrong times. His mother repeatedly told him to sit down, and finally she got pretty harsh with him about it, telling him emphatically, “Sit down now, or you will be in trouble when we get home!” The little boy looked at her and said, “I’ll sit down, but I’m still going to be standing up on the inside.”

Have you ever noticed that there is always someone in life trying to get us to sit down? Through the years, many people tried to hold me back from the call on my life. There were those who did not understand what I was doing or why I was doing it, so they judged me falsely. At times their criticism and judgment made me want to “sit down” and forget about my vision from God. There were others who were embarrassed by having a “lady preacher” for a friend or relative; they wanted me to “sit down” so their reputations would not be adversely affected.

Many rejected me, and the pain of their rejection tempted me to “sit down.” But God was standing tall inside of me, and “sitting down” wasn’t an option for me. He caused me to stand up on the inside and be determined to go forward no matter what others thought, said, or did. It was not always easy, but I learned from my experience that being frustrated and unfulfilled due to being out of the will of God is much more difficult than pressing through all the opposition of other people.

Standing up on the inside doesn’t mean being rebellious or having an angry attitude toward those who don’t understand us. It means having a quiet, inner confidence that takes us through to the finish line. Confidence means knowing that despite what is happening outside, everything is going to be all right because God is with you, and when He is present nothing is impossible.
Trust in Him You can succeed at accomplishing all that God has for you to do. By trusting Him, you can keep standing up on the inside.


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

 

[Aeliana]

December 10

The Key to Your Future Is Hope

The Lord is good to those who wait hopefully and expectantly for Him, to those who seek Him [inquire of and for Him and require Him by right of necessity and on the authority of God’s word].
LAMENTATIONS 3:25

Do you realize how important hope is to your mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical health? People without hope in their lives are destined to be miserable and depressed, feeling as if they are locked in the prison of their past. To get out of that prison and be free to move ahead into a more promising future, they need a key—and that key is hope.

Many years ago, I had an extremely negative attitude about my life because of the devastating abuse that had taken place in my past. The result was that I expected people to hurt me… and so they did. I expected people to be dishonest… and so they were. I was afraid to believe anything good might happen in my life. I had given up hope. I actually thought I was protecting myself from being hurt by not expecting anything good to happen.

When I really began to study the Bible and trust God to restore me, I realized my negative attitudes had to go. I needed to let go of my past and move into the future with hope, faith, and trust in God. I had to get rid of the heaviness of despair and discouragement.

And I did. Once I dug into the truth of what the Bible says about me and about my attitudes toward life, I began to turn my negative thoughts and words into positive ones!

We can practice being positive in every situation that arises. Even if what is taking place in our lives at the moment seems negative, expect God to bring good out of it, just as He has promised in His Word. You must understand that before your life can change, your attitude must change.

No matter how hopeless your situation seems to be or how long it has been that way, I know that you can change—because I did. It took time and a strong commitment to maintaining a healthy, positive attitude, but it was worth it. And it will be worth it to you, too.

Trust in Him Are you waiting hopefully and expectantly for all God has in store for your life? Whatever happens, trust in the Lord—He wants to be good to you!


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

 

[Aeliana]

December 11

Take Off the Mask and Behold His Glory

Rather, let our lives lovingly express truth [in all things, speaking truly, dealing truly, living truly]. Enfolded in love, let us grow up in every way and in all things into Him Who is the Head…
EPHESIANS 4:15

It seems that many people struggle to be real. We act one way on the outside, when really, on the inside, we are someone else. Because we have weaknesses, faults, or fears—things about ourselves that we think make us less likable or desirable—we’d rather hide from other people.

The danger of wearing these masks, of course, is that it misrepresents us. What other people see is a lie. It’s not who we are… who we were born to be. By the time we reach adulthood, we’ve spent so many years hiding we’ve forgotten those things about ourselves that make us different and special.

What a shame! What a waste! Each of us—you, me, and every person—is uniquely created by a loving Father who rejoices in our individuality. In fact, it is those distinctive things about us, not our “sameness,” that make us special to Him. The little girl with freckles, the young lady with the dimples, the beloved gray-headed grandmother with the sweet smile—they all stand out… they’re special! And you’re special, too!

Sure, we all have flaws. We’re all less than perfect and wish we were better. But you need to know that God loves you just the way you are right now, and His love for you will never diminish.

God desires that we walk in truth, because only the truth will set us free (see John 8:32). He will help us to let down the defenses we’ve had up for so long. God knows how badly we want to fit in and be accepted. Trust Him to give you favor with people, instead of feeling that you must hide the real you. Learn to live truly by being genuine and real.

Trust in Him God loves you, and He wants you to trust Him enough to be fully who you are!


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

 

[Aeliana]

December 12

You Can Depend on God

Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully.
1 PETER 5:7

God is always present in our lives—waiting to take over the heavy burdens we have if we will release them to Him. Like any loving father, He wants to help us handle our affairs just because He loves and cares for us. If we want to experience the peace that God desires for each of us, we must learn to cast ourselves and our cares completely into His hands… permanently.

Instead of giving our cares and burdens over to God completely and letting them remain with Him, many of us go to God in prayer just to get some temporary relief. After a while, we wander away and soon find ourselves struggling under the weight of the same old familiar burdens and cares—trying all the while to be more independent. The only way to really get rid of these burdens is to overcome the temptation to be independent people, placing ourselves totally in God’s hands.

We must not allow ourselves to reach back and re-grab those things that we’ve already given over to Him. It’s not our job to give guidance, counsel, or direction to God. Our job is to simply trust God with what is going on in our lives, having faith that He will let us know what is best for us.

God is God—and we aren’t. As easy as that is to understand, it’s hard for people who have been independent to walk it out in their daily lives. If we will yield ourselves and our burdens to Him and give up trying to be so independent, He will teach us His ways and care for us much better than we could ever care for ourselves.

Trust in Him You don’t have to go through life independently. Trust yourself to God’s care every day, and have faith that He will let you know what is best for you.


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

 

[Aeliana]

December 13

God Likes Playing Hide-and-Seek… So Keep Seeking!

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.”
MATTHEW 7:7–8

Many people have asked me, “Why can’t I sense God’s presence in my life?” At times I have asked myself that same question. Some people may wonder if they’ve done something that caused God to leave them, but that is not the case.
In Hebrews 13:5, God Himself said, “I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support… [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down…” This verse makes it pretty clear that God does not abandon us. He is committed to sticking with us and helping us work through our problems.

While it is true that God never leaves us, He does sometimes “hide” for a while. I like to say that sometimes He plays hide-and-seek with His children. Sometimes He hides from us until eventually, when we miss Him enough, we begin to seek Him.
As children are growing up, their parents are happy to take care of them. But as the children grow and mature, the parents want their children to love them because of who they are, not because of what they can do for them. If our grown children only came to see us when they wanted something, it would hurt us. We want our children to visit us because they enjoy being in our presence.

It’s the same with God; He wants to bless us with all good things, but when we only seek Him for the wrong reason—with the motive of just getting something from Him—it grieves Him. When this happens, He may hide from us for a time. If this happens to you, it’s a good time to analyze your motives. Do you only seek God when you need something from Him? Or do you have a longing and desire to truly know Him intimately… all the time?

Trust in Him If you’re tired of playing hide-and-seek with God, let Him know you trust Him and desire to have His presence in your life. As you seek Him regularly, with right motives, He will come out of hiding.


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

 

[Aeliana]

December 14

God Has Given You the Ability

As for you, be calm and cool and steady, accept and suffer unflinchingly every hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fully perform all the duties of your ministry.
2 TIMOTHY 4:5

I think a lot of people have ability because God has given them gifts, but they don’t have stability, and so God cannot use their gifts publicly in ministry or business. They would end up hurting the cause of Christ because of their unpredictable behavior. I believe stability releases ability.

We can’t be stable only when we’re getting our way. We have to also be stable when we’re having trouble and trials, when people are coming against us, or criticizing us. In the Scripture above, Paul knew a lack of stability would hurt Timothy’s witness and anointing. Instability would prevent Timothy from hearing from God, so Paul instructed him to be calm and steady. We don’t enjoy life unless we develop an ability to remain stable in the storm.

When we’re upset, we are usually not listening. People don’t hear because they don’t get quiet enough to hear what God is saying. God isn’t going to yell at you. He usually speaks in a still, small voice, and to hear Him, we must maintain an inner calmness. Actually, peace itself is a guideline for what God is approving and disapproving in your life. We must all learn to follow peace if we intend to follow God.

You have to choose purposely to stay calm, to put your confidence and trust in God, and to be a ready listener for His voice. Then you have to be willing to make whatever adjustments are necessary to have peace in your life.

Some people might say, “Well, it’s not fair for me to always be the one who’s changing and adjusting to keep harmony with everyone else.” It might not seem fair, but God will bring justice in your life if you do what He’s asking you to do, and your reward will be worth the effort you made.

Trust in Him Are you able to be stable through the storms of life? Choose to stay calm, keep your trust in God, and lead a peaceful and blessed life.


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

 

[Aeliana]

December 15

Trust God’s Perfect Timing

But these things I plan won’t happen right away. Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. If it seems slow, do not despair, for these things will surely come to pass. Just be patient! They will not be overdue a single day!
HABAKKUK 2:3

I’m sure that you are like most people—you want good things to happen in your life, but too often you want them now… not later. All of us tend to feel that way, but when the good things we desire don’t happen in what we consider to be a timely manner, we are tempted to ask, “When, God, when?”

Most of us need to grow in the area of trusting God and shrink our focus that is on the “when” question. If your mind feels worn out all the time from reasoning, you are not trusting Him.

I spent a large part of my life feeling impatient, frustrated, and disappointed because there were things I didn’t know. God had to teach me to leave things in His hands. I finally learned to trust the One Who knows all things, and I began to accept that some questions may never be answered. We prove our trust in God when we refuse to worry.

Trusting God often requires not knowing how God is going to accomplish what needs to be done and not knowing when He will do it. We often say, “God is never late,” but generally He isn’t early, either. He uses times of waiting to stretch our faith in Him, and to bring about change and growth in our lives. We learn to trust God by going through many experiences that require trust. By seeing God’s faithfulness over and over, we gradually let go of trusting ourselves and place our trust in Him.

Looking at it this way, it is easy to see how timing plays an important part in learning to trust God. If He did everything we asked for immediately, we would never grow and develop into the people He wants us to be. If you are waiting on something right now and you feel frustrated, learn to be happy “not knowing.”

Trust in Him If you want peace, you need to trust God with when and how He will move in your life.


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