Trusting God Day by Day

[Aeliana]

October 16

Testimony Begins with “Test”

Consider it wholly joyful, my brethren, whenever you are enveloped in or encounter trials of any sort or fall into various temptations.
JAMES 1:2

I’m sure you know people with amazing stories of the way God has worked in their lives. I always love to hear a great testimony, but I also know that behind every extraordinary account of someone’s life lies some kind of challenge or difficulty. No one ever has a testimony without a test.

We must pass all kinds of tests as we go through our lives, and passing them is part of never giving up. It’s vital for us to understand the important role that tests and trials play in our lives, because understanding them helps us endure them and actually be strengthened by them.

Everything God permits us to go through will ultimately be good for us—no matter how much it hurts, how unfair it is, or how difficult it is. When we encounter tests and trials, if we will embrace them and refuse to run from them, we will learn some lessons that will help us in the future and make us stronger.
One reason we must go through trials is to test our quality (1 Pet. 4:12). Often, we find ourselves wishing we had the faith of Sister so-and-so or Brother so-and-so. I can assure you, if they have a strong and vibrant faith, they did not develop it easily. Just as muscles are strengthened through exercise, firm faith comes from the furnace of affliction.

Sometimes people say to me, “Oh, I wish I had the kind of ministry you have, Joyce.” Well, I did not get it by wishing. These people didn’t see when I was feeling I couldn’t hold on one more second, begging God to help me to not quit or give up. They don’t know the tests and trials I’ve faced along the way.
No one who does anything worthwhile for God has traveled an easy road. Doing great things for God requires character, and character is developed by passing life’s tests and staying faithful to Him through the trials.

Trust in Him God has a unique plan for your life. Trust Him when you go through tests, knowing that they are strengthening and preparing you for the great things He has planned specifically for you.


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

 

[Aeliana]

October 17

The Why Behind the What

The LORD’s light penetrates the human spirit, exposing every hidden motive.
PROVERBS 20:27

I like to define a motive as “the why behind the what.” A motive is the reason we do what we do. We often say we are doing things for God, but sometimes we do not understand why we do them. We only know what we are doing, but we have not taken the time to truly understand why.

Impure motives can cause many problems, one of which is being overcommitted, which results in unnecessary stress in our lives. Surely we won’t live with extreme stress if we are obeying God and doing only what He wants us to do. Never agree to do something in order to impress people or because you fear what they may think or say about you if you don’t. God wants us to help and bless people, but a “good work” done with a wrong motive is no longer a good work. Don’t say yes with your mouth if your heart is screaming no.

Take the motive test as often as you can. Begin to ask yourself questions that will help you assess your motives, such as:
• Why did I agree to serve on that committee?
• Why did I say I would lead the missions group at church? Do I really have a heart for evangelism and a longing to serve God, or do I want people to talk about what a good church member I am, or am I afraid of what they will say if I do not agree to help?
• Why do I really want that promotion at work so much? Is it motivated by God or worldly ambition?

As you evaluate your motives, you will begin to see what is in your heart. Pass the test by making sure your motives are pure and right before God—even if that means changing the “what.” The motive test is a lifelong test. I frequently reevaluate my motives and discontinue things I find I am doing for the wrong reason, and that helps me keep my priorities in order.

Trust in Him Take a look at why you are doing what you are doing. Trusting God will help you keep your priorities in order and give you the freedom to do only what He wants you to do, which is essential to living a stress-free life.


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

 

[Aeliana]

October 18

Use Your Talents to Show Love

And he who had received the five talents came and brought him five more, saying, Master, you entrusted to me five talents; see, here I have gained five talents more.
MATTHEW 25:20

God has given each of us abilities, and we should use them to benefit one another. Whatever your particular talent is, offer it as a free gift occasionally rather than always wanting or expecting to be paid for it.

For example, if you are a photographer, offer to take free wedding pictures for a friend or someone on a tight budget. If you are a hairdresser, offer to go to a homeless shelter or nursing home and cut hair once a month or more if you’re willing. A friend of mine is a decorative painter, and she recently donated three days of her time painting at a home for troubled young women.

I met a woman once who had little money but wanted to support missions financially. She did so by selling her baked goods to raise money for missions. Her story emphasizes the point that if we refuse to do nothing, we will be able to find the something that we can do, and when everyone gets involved it won’t be long until the good in our world will overcome the evil.

To say we can’t do anything is just not true. We may make excuses, but excuses are nothing more than a way to deceive ourselves and justify doing nothing. You will come alive like never before if you will aggressively reach out to others.
Let us not forget the words of Jesus: “I give you a new commandment: that you should love one another. Just as I have loved you, so you too should love one another” (John 13:34). Without a doubt, this is our purpose and the will of God for our lives.
Trust in Him What is your talent? God gifted you with talents so that you would use them for His purposes—to show love to the world. If you trust Him and refuse to do nothing, you can make a difference.


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

 

[Aeliana]

Help People Feel Good About Themselves

Let this same attitude and purpose and [humble] mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus: [Let Him be your example in humility]…
PHILIPPIANS 2:5

I am fairly disciplined in my eating habits, and recently I spent a week with someone who really struggles in that area. The person mentioned several times how disciplined I am and how undisciplined she is. Each time she did so, I downplayed my ability to discipline myself by saying, “I have areas of weakness also, and you will overcome this as you continue to pray and make an effort.”

There was a time in my life when I would not have been so sensitive to my friend’s feelings. I would have probably given her a sermon about the benefits of discipline and the dangers of overeating and poor nutrition. However, I would not have succeeded in doing anything but making my friend feel guilty and condemned. When she asked me to share ideas that might help her I did so, but with an attitude that did not make her feel that I had it all together and she was a mess. I have discovered that one way to love people is to help them not to feel worse about the things they already feel bad about.

Meekness and humility are two of the most beautiful aspects of love. Paul said love is not boastful and does not display itself haughtily (see 1 Cor. 13:4). Humility serves and always does things to lift others up. The Bible teaches us to have the same attitude and humble mind that Jesus had (see Phil. 2:5). He was one with God, but stripped Himself of all privileges and humbled Himself to become like a human being so He could die in our places and take the punishment we deserved as sinners (see Phil. 2:6–9). He never made people feel badly because they were not on His level, but instead He stooped to their level. Paul did the same, and we need to follow these biblical examples.

Trust in Him If you believe God’s Word that says Jesus was exalted because He humbled Himself, you can trust that God will bless you when you lift others up, even if you have to get below them to do so.


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

 

[Aeliana]

October 20

We All Need Different Things

To the weak (wanting in discernment) I have become weak (wanting in discernment) that I might win the weak and overscrupulous. I have [in short] become all things to all men, that I might by all means (at all costs and in any and every way) save some [by winning them to faith in Jesus Christ].
1 CORINTHIANS 9:22

We are all different, and we each have different needs. I urge you to go the extra mile and find out what people really need instead of merely giving them what you want to give them, or what you think they need.

I like to give gifts, so I usually do that to show love. I once had an assistant who did not seem to appreciate my gifts very much. This really bothered me because she seemed ungrateful, but when I got to know her better, she told me that the most important thing to her was hearing words that conveyed love.

I wanted to give her gifts because that was easier for me than saying the words she wanted to hear. I often show appreciation for someone’s hard work by giving them things, but she needed me to tell her what a good job she was doing and how much I appreciated her.

Through gift-giving, I was trying really hard to show her love, but amazingly she did not feel loved. Because I enjoyed giving and receiving gifts, I assumed she did as well. I think that happens more often than we realize simply because we don’t learn enough about people to be able to give them what they truly need; we simply want to give them what we want to give them because that is easier for us. We cannot expect everyone to like what we like. We need to take the time to get to know them and then minister to them according to their need.

When we expect everyone to be like us, we end up pressuring them to be something they don’t know how to be. God graciously places many different types of people in our lives because we need them all. Each of us has a gift that we can learn to use for the benefit of the others around us. Appreciate people for who they are, and help them to become all they can be.

Trust in Him Ask God to put people in your life you need, as well as those who need you. Take the time to truly get to know what they want and need, and humbly provide it.


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

 

[Aeliana]

October 21

Love—Even When They Don’t Deserve It!

But God shows and clearly proves His [own] love for us by the fact that while we were still sinners, Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One) died for us.
ROMANS 5:8

One of the most beautiful things the Bible says is that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. He did not wait for us to deserve His love; He loves us unconditionally. To be honest, that’s hard for many of us to comprehend because we are so accustomed to having to earn and deserve everything in life.

God is rich in mercy, and in order to satisfy the great, wonderful, and intense love with which He loves us, He poured His life out for us freely (see Eph. 2:4). That is revolutionary love! Real, revolutionary love must give itself, for it can never be satisfied to do anything less.

It is God’s unconditional love that draws us to Him, and it is our unconditional love toward others in His name that will draw others to Him. He wants us to love people in His place, and do it the same way He would if He were here in bodily form.

Human love finds it impossible to love unconditionally, but we have the love of God in us as believers in Jesus Christ, and we can let that love flow freely, without conditions. Man’s love fails, but God’s does not. Man’s love comes to an end, but God’s does not. Sometimes I find that although I cannot love a person in my own human strength, I am able to love them with God’s love.

The true love of God doesn’t depend on feelings; it is based on decision. I will help anyone who needs help, unless helping them would ultimately hurt them. They don’t have to deserve it. As a matter of fact, sometimes I think the less they deserve it, the more beautiful and impacting it is. It is absolutely freeing to be able to love people without stopping to ask if they deserve it.

Trust in Him Do you love others unconditionally? God wants you to love everyone, but you don’t have to do so in your own strength. Trust in His strength and love others with His love.


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

 

[Aeliana]

Believe the Best

Love (God’s love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong].
1 CORINTHIANS 13:5

If we want to love people, we must let God transform the way we think about people and the things they do. We can believe the worst and be suspicious of everything others do and say, or we can believe the best. Real love always believes the best.

What we think and believe is a choice. The root of much of our trouble in life is that we don’t control or discipline our thoughts. If we don’t discipline our thoughts, we will probably end up being suspicious and believing bad things that don’t glorify God.

The prophet Jeremiah asked the people this: “How long will you allow your… grossly offensive thoughts to lodge within you?” (Jer. 4:14). The thoughts the people chose to think were offensive to God. When we choose to believe the best, we are able to let go of everything that could be harmful to good relationships.

When people do something that hurts you, you can believe they didn’t realize what they were doing. If you do, you will save a lot of energy that you might otherwise waste on anger. When your feelings get hurt you will feel angry, but you can say to yourself, “Even though what they said or did hurt me, I choose to believe their heart was right.” Keep talking to yourself until your feelings of anger start to dissipate. Say things like, “I don’t believe they really understood how their actions affected me. I don’t believe they would try to hurt me on purpose. Maybe they are just having a bad day today.”

I know from experience that keeping mental records of offenses poisons our own lives and does not really change the other person. Many times we waste a day being angry at someone who doesn’t even realize they did anything that bothered us. If we are going to keep records, then why not keep records of the good things people do rather than the mistakes they make?

Trust in Him Choose to believe the best in all people and trust God to deal with any offense. Doing so will help you enjoy everyday life.


Joyce Meyer, Trusting God Day by Day: 365

 

[Aeliana]

October 23

God Even Cares About Remotes and Car Keys

But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.
JOHN 14:26

Countless times over the years the Holy Spirit has reminded me where things are that I have misplaced and to do things I have forgotten to do. He has also kept me on the right track by reminding me of what God’s Word says about certain issues at key times of decision in my life.

I learned I could trust God to help with big decisions by taking small needs to Him, too. One time we had some family members over and wanted to watch a movie, but we couldn’t find the remote control. We searched everywhere for it, but nothing was producing the remote control. I decided to pray. So silently in my heart I said, “Holy Spirit, show me where the remote control is, please.” Immediately in my spirit I thought of the bathroom and, sure enough, that’s where it was.

The same thing happened to me concerning my car keys one day when I needed to leave. I was in a time crunch and couldn’t find my keys. I searched frantically to no avail and then decided to pray. In my spirit I saw the keys on the front seat of my car, and that is exactly where they were.

One of the gifts of the Holy Spirit discussed in 1 Corinthians 12 is the word of knowledge. God gave me a word of knowledge about the remote control as well as the misplaced keys. We can count on the Holy Spirit to remind us of things we need to be reminded of. If we needed no help, we would always perfectly remember everything and never need to be reminded; but if we are honest, we all know that is not the case.

If the Lord cares enough to speak to us about remote controls and lost keys, think how eager He must be to talk to us about more intimate things.

Trust in Him If you need help learning to trust God with the big decisions in your life, as I did, start by taking your small needs to Him. He cares about all your needs, no matter how insignificant they may seem!


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

 

[Aeliana]

October 24

Receive Jesus into Your Daily Life

If we live by the [Holy] Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. [If by the Holy Spirit we have our life in God, let us go forward walking in line, our conduct controlled by the Spirit.]
GALATIANS 5:25

We ask people all the time if they have received Jesus, without ever really thinking about what that means. If we receive Him, then what do we do with Him? We certainly don’t put Him in a little box marked “Sunday morning,” go get Him out on that day, sing a few songs to Him, talk to Him a little, then put Him back in the box until the next Sunday. If we receive Him, then we have Him with us always
.
It is not pleasing to God for people to leave Him out of their daily lives, while going through religious formulas to try to get what they need. Don’t just go through the motions. Either have a real relationship with God that is alive and meaningful, or face the fact that you don’t have one at all and do whatever is needed to get one.

Ask yourself these questions, and you will discover where you are spiritually:
• Are you growing daily in your knowledge of God and His ways?
• Do you look forward to going to church, or is it something you do out of obligation? Are you waiting for it to end so you can finally go to lunch?
• Do you feel close to God?
• In your life are you manifesting the fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness (meekness, humility), and self-control (see Gal. 5:22–23)?
• Do you have areas of your life that you have not let God into?

If you are not satisfied with your answers to these questions, throw your life entirely open to God and ask the Holy Spirit to get involved in every aspect of it. If you will do that in honesty and sincerity, He will begin to work in you in a powerful and exciting way.

Trust in Him Are you just going through the motions, or have you fully committed your life to Christ, trusting Him with everything so that He can do a powerful work in you?


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

 

[Aeliana]

October 25

“If You Miss Me, I’ll Find You”
The Lord says this to you: Be not afraid or dismayed at this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s.
2 CHRONICLES 20:15

God wants us to lean entirely on Him; that is what faith really is. It is too complicated to try to stay in His will under our own power. Which one of us can even say that we know 100 percent, for sure, what we’re supposed to do every single day?
You can do everything that you know to do to make a right decision. You may be right, but there is a possibility you could be wrong. How can you know if you’re right or not? You can’t. You have to trust God to keep you in His will, straighten out any crooked paths in front of you, keep you on the narrow path that leads to life, and off the broad path that leads to destruction (see Matt. 7:13 KJV).

I know some things about God’s will for my life, but I don’t know everything, so I have learned to stay in rest and peace by leaning on God, praying for His will to be done, and trusting Him to keep me. I learned this when God was dealing with me to make a certain decision. I agonized, “But, oh, God, what if I’m wrong? What if I make a mistake? What if I miss You, God!”
He said, “Joyce, if you miss Me, I’ll find you.”

Leaning is a good thing, as long as we are leaning on something or someone that won’t cave in when we least expect it! God is a good choice to lean on. He has a proven record of faithfulness to those who commit their lives to Him.
Trust in Him Faith in Jesus is “the leaning of your entire personality on Him in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness” (Col. 1:4). Are you leaning on Him?


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

 

[Aeliana]

October 26

Step Out to Find Out

The plans of the mind and orderly thinking belong to man, but from the Lord comes the [wise] answer of the tongue.
PROVERBS 16:1

We often find it difficult to trust what we believe may be direction from the Lord. It is not that we distrust Him, but we distrust our ability to hear from Him.

I eventually found that I had to take a step of faith, and then I would find out by experience how to recognize the leadership of the Holy Spirit. “Step out and find out” is what I always say. As we are learning to be led by the Holy Spirit, we are bound to make a few mistakes, but God always helps us get back on the right track, and we learn from our mistakes.

The process of learning to be led by God is no different from the process that babies go through when learning to walk. They all fall down in the process, but as long as they get up and try again, eventually they will end up not only walking, but also running at full speed.

James, chapter 1, begins by telling us how to handle the trials of life. There is a natural way of handling problems, but there is also a spiritual way to handle them:

If any of you is deficient in wisdom, let him ask of the giving God [Who gives] to everyone liberally and ungrudgingly, without reproaching or faultfinding, and it will be given him. Only it must be in faith that he asks with no wavering (no hesitating, no doubting). For the one who wavers (hesitates, doubts) is like the billowing surge out at sea that is blown hither and thither and tossed by the wind. (James 1:5–6)

Jesus is saying here, “If you are having trouble, ask God what you should do.” You may not receive an answer immediately upon making your request, but you will find as you go about your business that God’s wisdom is operating through you and His wisdom is divine and beyond your natural knowing.

Trust in Him If you are having trouble trusting your ability to hear from God, “step out and find out!” Learning to discern God’s voice is a process. Even if you fall down, you can trust Him to help you find your way again.


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

 

[Aeliana]

October 27

The Holy Spirit Gives You Strength

So for the sake of Christ, I am well pleased and take pleasure in infirmities, insults, hardships, persecutions, perplexities and distresses; for when I am weak [in human strength], then am I [truly] strong (able, powerful in divine strength).
2 CORINTHIANS 12:10

When I had to have an operation, I went through all the moments of doubt and fear that often occur before a serious surgery. Naturally, all my family members and everybody around me were telling me to trust God. I wanted to trust, but sometimes I found it more difficult than others. At times I would be feeling secure, and then suddenly a spirit of fear would attack me, and I would once again feel frightened about the surgery.

This continued until one morning at about 5:00, during a time when I could not sleep. The voice of the Lord spoke in my heart saying, “Joyce, trust Me; I’m going to take care of you.” From that moment forward I did not have fear, because when God speaks to us in a personal way, faith comes with what He says (see Rom. 10:17).

If we knew we could go to the doctor and get a prescription for pills that would give us instant strength anytime we feel weak, we probably would not hesitate to do so. I am telling you from Scripture that this strength is available to you through the power of the Holy Spirit.

The apostle Paul found the strength of God so wonderful that in 2 Corinthians 12:9–10 he actually said he would glory in his weaknesses. To put it in our language today, Paul was saying that he was glad when he was weak because then he got to experience the strength of God. This particular Scripture has truly ministered to me over the years.

I thank God I don’t have to give up just because I feel weak or tired mentally, emotionally, physically, or even spiritually. I can ask God to strengthen me by the power of the Holy Spirit Who dwells in me (Eph. 3:16)—and you can do the same thing!

Trust in Him You can trust God to be your strength, and you can even delight in your weaknesses because they allow you to see Him at work in you!


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

 

[Aeliana]

October 28

Stay Sensitive to the Spirit

And I will pour out upon the house of David and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace or unmerited favor and supplication.
ZECHARIAH 12:10

According to this verse, the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Supplication. That means He is the Spirit of Prayer. Each time we sense a desire to pray, it is the Holy Spirit giving us that desire.

Recognize that when we are being led by the Holy Spirit to pray, it is often a lesson that takes a long time to learn. We often attribute far too many things to coincidence or chance rather than realizing that God is attempting to lead us by His Spirit.

One Monday, I began thinking about a friend whom I respect and appreciate so much that thinking about him is not that unusual. But during a three-day period, he kept coming to my mind. I consistently put off calling him because I was busy. (Does that sound familiar?)

On Wednesday, I was on my way to an appointment when I ran into my friend’s assistant. I immediately asked her how he was doing. I learned he had been sick, and that while returning from his own doctor’s appointment, he had received a phone call telling him his father had just been diagnosed with cancer that was spreading throughout his entire body.

I quickly realized why my friend had been in my heart so much that week. I must admit that I had not taken the time to pray for him. I thought about him, but I had never taken any action to call him or to pray for him. I am sure God worked through someone else to prepare my friend for the week he was facing, since I was missing the call from the Spirit. But had I immediately prayed on Monday, and perhaps made a phone call that day, I would have had the pleasure of knowing God used me to minister encouragement to someone who was about to face a difficult ordeal.

God wants to use us as His ministers and representatives, but we must learn to be more sensitive to the Spirit of Supplication.

Trust in Him Are you tuned in to the Spirit Who leads you to pray? Welcome the Spirit of Supplication into your life and trust God to speak to and through you. It is quite wonderful to watch the miraculous things that take place in response to prayer.


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

 

[Aeliana]

October 29

You Look Just Like Your Father

Although my father and my mother have forsaken me, yet the Lord will take me up [adopt me as His child].
PSALM 27:10

When I met my husband, Dave, I was twenty-three years old and had a nine-month-old baby from a marriage I had entered into at the age of eighteen. When Dave asked me to marry him, I responded with these words, “Well, you know I have a son, and if you get me, you get him.”

Dave said a wonderful thing to me: “I don’t know your son that well, but I do know that I love you, and I will also love anything or anyone that is a part of you.”

This story closely corresponds to the reason God adopts us. As believers in Christ, we are part of Him—God the Father decided before the foundation of the world that anyone who loved Christ would be loved and accepted by Him. He decided He would adopt all those who accepted Jesus as their Savior (see Eph. 1:3–6 KJV).

Through the new birth, we have been brought into the family of God. He has become our Father. Just as our children inherit our traits, we are to have ways and traits like God. His character is to be duplicated in us—His sons and daughters. In John 14:9 Jesus said, “If you have seen Me, you have seen the Father” (paraphrase).

An adopted child may not look like the adoptive parent initially, just as we don’t resemble God in any way prior to our adoption by Him. But even an adopted child begins to take on the traits of the adoptive parents. People are absolutely amazed when they discover that our older son, David, is adopted by Dave. People continually tell him how much he looks like his dad, which, of course, is quite impossible because he has none of Dave’s genes or blood.

When I was adopted into the family of God, I acted nothing like my heavenly Father, but over the years I have changed, and hopefully, people can now see Him in me.

Trust in Him Do you look like God? If you need convincing that you are a child of God, a legal joint-heir with Christ, trust the Spirit of Adoption, the wonderful Holy Spirit, to work in your heart. Rejoice as you begin to look more and more like Him every day.


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

 

[Aeliana]

October 30

Invite Him into Every Room in Your House

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert…
LUKE 4:1

After I was filled with the Holy Spirit, I found God in areas of my life in which I had not previously invited Him. He dealt with me about every area; there was nothing He was not involved in. I liked it, but I didn’t like it, if you know what I mean. It was exciting, but frightening.

God got involved in how I talked to people and how I talked about them. He got involved in how I spent my money, how I dressed, who I had for friends, and what I did for entertainment. He got involved in my thought life and my attitudes. I realized He knew the deepest secrets of my heart and that nothing was hidden from Him. He had the keys to every room in my house (my heart), and He entered without notice—without even knocking or ringing the bell. In other words, I never knew when He might show up and voice an opinion about an issue, but it seemed to be happening more and more frequently. As I said, it was exciting, but I quickly realized that a lot of things were going to change.

We all want change, but when it comes, it is frightening. We want our lives to change, but not our lifestyle. We don’t like what we have, but we think, What if I like it more than what I get next? It frightens us when we seem to be out of control and in the hands of another.

To be filled with the Holy Spirit means to live our lives for God’s glory and pleasure, not for our own. It means laying down the life we had planned and discovering and following His plan for us. When we give God the driver’s seat in our lives, things can change fast. Even though the changes God makes may seem frightening at first, we will ultimately understand that they were for our good.

Trust in Him Inviting God to dwell in every area of your life can be frightening, but if you truly want to grow into the person He created you to be, you must trust that He knows best and will work everything out for your benefit.


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

 

[Aeliana]

October 31

Change—The Most Visible Evidence

Then the Spirit of the Lord will come upon you mightily, and you will show yourself to be a prophet with them; and you will be turned into another man.
1 SAMUEL 10:6

The most important evidences that the Holy Spirit has filled your life are a change of character and the development of the fruit of the Holy Spirit described in Galatians 5:22–23 (patience, kindness, self-control, etc.).

God baptizes people in the Holy Spirit to enable them to live boldly for Him. And when you walk in the power of His Spirit, there will be the right evidence of Holy Spirit baptism. Speaking in tongues was one of the evidences of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, but the most important evidence was then, and always will be, changed men and women.

At the trial of Jesus, Peter denied Christ three times for fear of the Jews (see Luke 22:56–62), but after being filled with the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost, he stood and preached an extremely bold message. The result of Peter’s preaching that day was 3,000 souls added to the kingdom of God (see Acts 2:14–41). The baptism in the Holy Spirit changed Peter; it turned him into another man. His fear suddenly disappeared, and he became bold.

As a matter of fact, it was not just Peter who took a bold stand that day. All of the remaining apostles did the same. They had all been hiding behind closed doors for fear of the Jews when Jesus came to them after His resurrection (see John 20:19–22). Suddenly, after being filled with the Holy Spirit, they all became fearless and bold.

The world is full of people who live with the torment of fear daily. Sadly, most of them don’t even realize there is help available to them through the infilling of the Holy Spirit. The baptism in the Holy Spirit changed Saul; it changed Peter and the disciples; it changed me, and it continues to change earnest seekers the world over.

Trust in Him If you have a desire to live for God and want to glorify Him, let your life be the evidence. Trust the Holy Spirit within you to change you into a fearless and bold follower of Christ.


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

 

[Aeliana]

November 1

Open the Door to Christ

Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears and listens to and heeds My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will eat with him, and he [will eat] with Me.
REVELATION 3:20

Jesus is knocking at the door of many hearts right now, but we must remember that the doorknob is on our side. The Holy Spirit is a Gentleman; He will not force His way into our lives. We must welcome Him.

Open the door of your heart to Him by stretching your faith a little. Be like Peter—the one person in the group who got out of the boat and walked on the water. Peter probably had butterflies in his stomach when he got out of that boat, but as long as he kept his eyes on Jesus, he did all right (see Matt.14:23–30).

God has a great, big, wonderful life planned for you and me, but if we are stiff-necked, as God called the Israelites (see Exod. 33:3), or hardheaded (as we say today), then we will miss what God has for us. Stubbornness sets us in our ways, and we never stop to ask ourselves if our ways are really God’s ways or not.

In the Old Testament book of Haggai, the people were living in lack and experiencing many problems, so God told them to consider their ways (see Hag. 1:5). Many times when people are not fulfilled in life, they look for the reason in everything and everyone except themselves. If you are not satisfied with your life, do as God told the people of Judah: “Consider your ways.” Like me, you may find that you need to make some changes.

I was stubborn, opinionated, hardheaded, proud, and everything else that kept me from making progress. But, thank God, He has changed me! I pray that He continues to change me until I am just like Him—and that will be a lifelong journey.
Answer that knock at your heart’s door and allow the Holy Spirit to come into your life in all His fullness.
Trust in Him God will not force His way into your life—you must open the door for Him. Step out in faith and put your trust in Him, so that He can do great things through you and for you.


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

 

[Aeliana]

November 2

Let the Holy Spirit Guide You


For this God is our God forever and ever; He will be our guide [even] until death.
PSALM 48:14

Often when my husband, Dave, and I travel, we hire a guide to show us the best and most important sites to see. Once, however, we decided to explore by ourselves; that way we could do what we wanted to, when we wanted to.
We quickly found that our independent trips were nearly wasted. We often spent a large part of the day getting lost and then trying to find our way again. We have found it to be the best use of our time to follow a guide rather than wandering aimlessly to find places ourselves.

I believe this example relates to how we are in life. We want to go our own way so we can do what we want to do, when we want to do it, but we end up getting lost and wasting our lives. We need the Holy Spirit guiding us through every day of our time on this earth. God is committed to guide us even until we leave this life, so it seems important to learn how to hear what He is telling us.

The Holy Spirit knows both the mind of God and God’s individual plan for you. His road map for you is not necessarily like anybody else’s, so it doesn’t work to try to pattern your life after someone else or what he or she has heard from God. God has a unique plan for you, and the Holy Spirit knows what it is and will reveal it to you.

Perhaps you are like I was and have wasted many years walking your own way without seeking God’s guidance. The good news is that it’s not too late to turn and go in a new direction—toward God’s plan and purpose for your life. It is not too late to learn how to hear from God. If you are sincerely willing to obey God, He will guide you on an exciting journey of learning to hear from Him every day of your life.

Trust in Him Following a guide requires trusting someone or something other than yourself to lead the way. God will never fail you, so you can trust Him to be your Guide in life.


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

 

[Aeliana]

November 3

God’s Preparing You for the Future

When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future.
JOHN 16:13 NLT

We see many instances in the Bible where God gave people information about the future. Noah was told to prepare for a flood that would come to destroy the people of the earth (see Gen. 6:13–17). Moses was told to go to Pharaoh and ask for the release of the Israelites, but he was also told that Pharaoh would not let them go (see Exod. 7). Obviously, God does not tell us everything that will happen in the future, but the Bible says He will tell us of things to come.

There are times when I can sense inside my spirit that something good or something challenging is going to happen. Of course, when I sense something challenging is about to happen, I always hope it is just my imagination. But if I am right, then having the knowledge ahead of time acts as a shock-absorber in my life. If an automobile with good shock-absorbers hits a hole in the road, the absorbers cushion the impact for the passengers so no one gets hurt. God giving us information ahead of time works the same way.

I remember many times when God informed me of things coming in the future. One time in particular was when I felt strongly inside my heart that one of my children was really struggling with something major. When I asked my child about it, I was told that everything was just fine, but by the Spirit I knew something was wrong. Several days later I received some painful and discouraging news—but it would have been a lot more difficult if I hadn’t had a previous warning.

Trust in Him God cares about you so much that He prepares you for the things to come. The next time you have a sense in your spirit about things to come, thank God for preparing you and trust His promise that He will never give you more than you can bear.


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

 

[Aeliana]

November 4

No More “Selective Hearing”

But the house of Israel will not listen to you and obey you since they will not listen to Me and obey Me, for all the house of Israel are impudent and stubborn of heart.
EZEKIEL 3:7

God has taught me that when we are unwilling to hear in one area, it may render us unable to hear in other areas. Sometimes we choose to turn a deaf ear to what we know the Lord is clearly saying to us. We only hear what we want to hear; it’s called “selective hearing.”

A woman once shared with me that she asked God to give her direction concerning what He wanted her to do. He clearly put in her heart that He wanted her to forgive her sister for an offense that had happened between them months earlier.
Because this woman wasn’t willing to do so, she pulled away from her prayer time. When she did seek the Lord again for something, He responded, “Forgive your sister first.”
Over a period of two years, every time she asked the Lord for guidance about something new, He gently reminded her, “I want you to forgive your sister.” Finally, she realized that she would never grow spiritually if she didn’t do the thing God had told her to do.

She got on her knees and prayed, “Lord, give me the power to forgive my sister.” Instantly she understood many things from her sibling’s perspective she hadn’t considered before, and within a short time their relationship was healed and made stronger than it had ever been before.

If we really want to hear from God, we can’t approach Him with selective hearing, hoping to narrow the topics down to only what we want to hear. People want God’s direction when they have issues they want solved. But, don’t just go to God and talk to Him when you want or need something; spend time with Him just listening. He will open up many issues if you will be still before Him and simply listen.

Trust in Him Is there anything God has spoken to you that you have not yet obeyed? Why are you hesitating? Trust God to give you the strength to do whatever He has asked of you, knowing that He always has your best interest in mind. Your obedience will lead to your blessing.


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