Trusting God Day by Day

[Aeliana]

December 16

Make Allowances for One Another

I therefore, the prisoner for the Lord, appeal to and beg you to walk (lead a life) worthy of the [divine] calling to which you have been called [with behavior that is a credit to the summons to God’s service, Living as becomes you] with complete lowliness of mind (humility) and meekness (unselfishness, gentleness, mildness), with patience, bearing with one another and making allowances because you love one another.
EPHESIANS 4:1–2

If we truly love one another, we will bear with one another and make allowances for one another. Making allowances doesn’t mean making excuses for people’s wrong behavior—if it is wrong, then it is wrong, and pretending or ignoring it does not help. But making allowances for one another means we allow each other to be less than perfect. We send messages with our words and attitude that say, “I won’t reject you because you did that; I won’t give up on you. I will work through this with you and believe in you.”

I have told my children that even though I might not always agree with everything they do, I will always try to understand and will never stop loving them. I want them to know they can count on me to be a constant in their lives. God knows all about our faults, and He still chooses us. He knows the mistakes we will make before we make them, and His posture toward us is, “I will love you in your imperfection.”

When people do something that you just don’t understand, instead of trying to figure them out, tell yourself, “They are human.” Perhaps you don’t understand them simply because they are different from you.

Jesus knew the nature of human beings, and therefore He was not shocked when they did things He wished they wouldn’t have done. He still loved Peter even though Peter denied knowing Him. He still loved His other disciples even though they were unable to stay awake and pray with Him in His hour of agony and suffering.

What people do will not stop us from loving them, if we realize ahead of time they are not going to be perfect and prepare to make allowance for that human tendency that we all have.

Trust in Him Do you trust God to love you no matter how many mistakes you make? He will and He does. Are you willing to do the same for the people in your life?


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

 

[Aeliana]

December 17

Love Keeps No Record of Wrongs

Blessed and happy and to be envied is the person of whose sin the Lord will take no account nor reckon it against him.
ROMANS 4:8

The Bible says, “Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him” (Rom. 4:8 NIV). That does not mean that God does not see the sin. It means that because of love, He does not hold it against the sinner.

Love can acknowledge that a wrong has been done and erase it before it becomes lodged in the heart. Love does not register or record the wrong; this way resentment does not have a chance to grow. Why not get out all the past-due accounts you have ever kept on people and mark them, “Paid in full”?

Some of us worry about our memory, but to be truthful we probably need to get better at forgetting some things. I think we often forget what we should remember and remember what we should forget. Perhaps one of the most godlike things we can ever do in life is to forgive and forget.

Some people say, “I will forgive them, but I will never forget it.” The reality of that statement is that if we cling to the memory, we are not truly forgiving. You might ask how we can forget things that have hurt us. The answer is that we must choose not to think about them. When those things come to mind, we must cast down the thoughts and choose to think about things that will benefit us.

Clearing all your records will produce good results. It will relieve pressure and improve the quality of your life. Intimacy between you and God will be restored, and your joy and peace will increase. Your health may even improve, because a calm and undisturbed mind and heart are the life and health of the body (see Prov. 14:30).

Trust in Him If you are keeping records of others’ offenses against you, make the choice to mark them “Paid in full.” You can trust God not to charge you for your sins. If He is willing to forgive yours, you should be willing to forgive others.


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

 

[Aeliana]

December 18

Love Is Patient

Love endures long and is patient and kind…
1 CORINTHIANS 13:4

The first quality of love listed in Paul’s discourse in 1 Corinthians 13 in the Bible is patience. Paul writes that love endures long and is patient. Love is long-suffering. It remains steady and consistent when things are not going the way you wish they would.

I have been practicing being patient with clerks who are slow, who can’t find prices for items, who run out of register tape, or who linger on the phone trying to calm down an irate customer when I am standing right there, waiting to be helped. I have had several store clerks actually thank me for being patient. I am sure they take a lot of abuse from frustrated, impatient, unloving customers, and I have decided I don’t want to add to the problem; I want to be part of the answer.

Sure, we are all in a hurry and want to get waited on right away, but since love is not self-seeking we must learn to put how the clerk feels ahead of how we feel. Recently a store clerk apologized for being so slow, and I told her that nothing I was doing was so important that I could not wait. I saw her visibly relax, and I realized that I had just shown her love.

We are encouraged in the Bible to be very patient with everybody, always keeping our tempers in check (see 1 Thess. 5:14). That is not only good for our witness to other people, but it’s also good for us. The more patient we are, the less stress we have! Peter said the Lord is extraordinarily patient with us because it is His desire that none of us perish (see 2 Pet. 3:9). That is the same reason we should be patient with one another—especially with those in the world who are looking for God.

I urge you to pray regularly that you will be able to endure whatever comes with a good temper and patience. Trust me, things will come that have the ability to upset you, but if you are prepared ahead of time, you will be able to remain calm as you face those things.

Trust in Him God is extraordinarily patient with us. Trust Him to help you be extraordinarily patient with others.


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

 

[Aeliana]

December 19

Hold Your Peace

The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace and remain at rest.
EXODUS 14:14

A few weeks ago, I preached on patience and being thankful no matter what your circumstances. I had done three major conferences in six weeks in addition to fulfilling several other commitments, and that Saturday-morning session was the last of that string of commitments. I was really looking forward to getting home early that day, eating a good meal, having Dave take me shopping for a while, taking a hot bath at home, eating ice cream, and watching a good movie. You can see I was prepared to reward myself for my hard work. I had a good plan for myself!

We got on the plane to return home, and the flight was scheduled to be only thirty-five minutes. I was so thrilled… and then something went wrong. The airplane door wouldn’t shut properly, so we sat for almost an hour and a half while airline maintenance worked on the door. There was talk of not being able to fly out that day and perhaps renting cars and driving home.
I cannot tell you how hard it was for me to be patient. Just keeping my mouth shut was a huge accomplishment. I had preached on patience, and now I was being tested.

I realize we may not always feel patient, but we can still discipline ourselves to react patiently. I can’t do anything about how I feel sometimes, but I can control how I behave, and so can you. I can assure you that I did not feel patient sitting on that runway, but I kept praying silently, Oh, God, please help me stay calm so I am not a poor witness after what I just finished preaching.

God helped me; and while things don’t always turn out the way I want them to in those situations, in that case we ended up getting home in plenty of time for me to still do all the things I had planned.

Trust in Him When you find yourself in difficult or inconvenient situations, make an effort to hold your peace and trust God to help you act with godly character.


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

 

[Aeliana]

December 20

Love with Your Thoughts

Search me [thoroughly], O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts!
PSALM 139:23

I believe thoughts work in the spiritual realm. That means that although they cannot be seen with the naked eye, our thoughts can be felt by other people. We think countless thoughts about other people, but we should do so responsibly.

What we think about people not only affects them, it also affects the way we treat them when we are around them. For example, one day I was shopping with my daughter, who was a teenager at the time. She had lots of pimples on her face that day and her hair was a mess. I remember thinking each time I looked at her, “You sure don’t look very good today.” I noticed as the day wore on that she seemed to be depressed, so I asked her what was wrong. She replied, “I just feel really ugly today.”
God taught me a lesson that day about the power of thoughts. We can help people with good, loving, and positive thoughts, but we can hurt them with evil, unloving, negative thoughts.

I encourage you to take a person a day as a prayer project and practice thinking good things about them on purpose. Throughout the day, have some think-sessions where you meditate on the strengths of the person—every good quality you can think of that they have, every favor they have ever done you, and any complimentary thing you can think of about their appearance. The next day, practice on another person, and keep rotating the important people in your life until you have formed a habit of thinking good things.

Trust in Him Are you loving people with your thoughts? Trust God to show you anytime that you are not thinking with love, and be willing to change immediately.


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

 

[Aeliana]

December 21

Love with Your Possessions

Now the company of believers was of one heart and soul, and not one of them claimed that anything which he possessed was [exclusively] his own, but everything they had was in common and for the use of all.
ACTS 4:32

Everything we have came from God, and in reality it all belongs to Him. We are merely stewards of His property, not owners.
Too often we grasp onto things too tightly. We should hold them loosely, so if God needs them, they are not difficult for us to let go of.

Paul told the Corinthians that their gifts to the poor would go on and endure forever throughout eternity (see 2 Cor. 9:9). Let’s keep reminding ourselves that possessions have no eternal value. What lasts is what we do for others.

God wants us to enjoy our possessions, but He does not want our possessions to possess us. Perhaps a good question to ask ourselves regularly is: “Do I possess my possessions or do my possessions possess me?”

Sometimes I go on what I call a “giving rampage.” I have a desire to be a blessing and want to use my possessions as a tangible way to show love, so I go through my house, my drawers, my closet, and my jewelry chest to find things I can give away. I never fail to find things. But it amazes me how I am tempted to hang on to them even though I may not have used an item for two or three years. We just like to own stuff! But how much better is it to use our possessions to be a blessing for someone else and make them feel loved and valuable?

If you are having difficulty seeing what you have to give, ask God to help you, and you will quickly find that you have a wealth of things that can be used to show love to hurting people.

Trust in Him Are you able to use what you have to bless people, or do you find it difficult to let go of things… even things you are not using? Show yourself to be a good steward of God’s possessions and trust Him to bring into your life gifts for your own use and things you can share with others.


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

 

[Aeliana]

December 22

The Key to Happiness

External religious worship [religion as it is expressed in outward acts] that is pure and unblemished in the sight of God the Father is this: to visit and help and care for the orphans and widows in their affliction and need, and to keep oneself unspotted and uncontaminated from the world.
JAMES 1:27

I went to church for thirty years without ever hearing one sermon on my biblical responsibility to care for orphans, widows, the poor, and the oppressed. I was shocked when I finally realized how much of the Bible is about helping other people. I spent most of my Christian life thinking the Bible was about how God could help me. It’s no wonder I was unhappy.

The key to happiness isn’t only in being loved; it is also in having someone to love. If you really want to be happy, find somebody to love. If you want to put a smile on God’s face, then find a person who is hurting and help them.

Be determined to help someone. Be creative! Lead a revolt against living in a religious rut where you go to church and go home and go back to church, but you’re not really helping anybody. Don’t just sit in church pews and sing hymns. Get involved in helping people who are hurting.

Remember the words of Jesus:
“ ‘I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’
“Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’

“Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ ” (Matt 25:42–45 NKJV)

Trust in Him Are you ministering to Jesus? Jesus said ministering to others ministers to Him. Trust His life on earth to be an example of how you should live your life—going about doing good for others in need.


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

 

[Aeliana]

December 23

You Can Always Have Peace

The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace and remain at rest.
EXODUS 14:14

Satan relentlessly attempts to steal everything God has provided for His children through Jesus Christ. Peace is one of the biggies; it is one of the things he works extra hard to prevent us from enjoying. Remember, we have peace—Jesus provided it—but we must appropriate it. That means to take it and use it for our own use. Satan does everything he can to keep us from doing so, beginning with deception; he wants us to think that peace is not possible, that it is not even an option.

When we have a challenging situation, Satan says, “What are you going to do? What are you going to do?” We frequently don’t know what to do; nevertheless, Satan pressures us for answers that we don’t have. He tries to make us believe it is our responsibility to solve our problems when the Word of God clearly states that our job as believers is to believe—not solve our problems. We believe, and God works on our behalves to bring answers that meet our needs.

A good example appears in Exodus 14. The Egyptians were pursuing the Israelites; all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, his horsemen, and army were in pursuit of God’s people. When the Israelites found themselves stuck between the Red Sea and the Egyptian army, it seemed hopeless. They could see no way out, so naturally, they became fearful and upset. They began to complain and make accusations against their leader, Moses.

“Moses told the people, Fear not; stand still (firm, confident, undismayed) and see the salvation of the Lord which He will work for you today. For the Egyptians you have seen today you shall never see again. The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace and remain at rest” (Exod. 14:13–14).

It may have sounded foolish to the Israelites to stand still, hold their peace, and remain at rest, but that was God’s instruction to them—it was their way to deliverance. When we remain peaceful in tumultuous circumstances, it clearly shows that we are trusting God.

Trust in Him Don’t say, “God, I trust You,” if your actions show otherwise. Trust God with your words and actions; rest in His peace, and He will deliver you.


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

 

[Aeliana]

December 24

Recognize What Steals Your Peace

… Be joyful. Grow to maturity. Encourage each other. Live in harmony and peace. Then the God of love and peace will be with you.
2 CORINTHIANS 13:11 NLT

To enjoy a life of peace, you will need to examine your own life to learn what is stealing your peace. Satan uses some of the same things on everyone, but we also have things that are specific to each one of us. We are all different, and we must learn to know ourselves.

I can endure things better when I am not tired, and the devil knows this, so he waits to attack until I am worn out. I learned by pursuing peace what Satan already knew about me, and now I try to not get overly tired, because I know I am opening a door for Satan when I do.

Keep a list of each time you get upset. Ask yourself what caused the problem, and write it down. Be honest with yourself, or you will never break free. You may have things on your list like this:
• I didn’t get my way.
• I had to hurry.
• I became impatient and got angry.
• Financial pressure upset me.
• I was too tired to deal with anything.
• I had to deal with a certain person who always frustrates me.
• A friend embarrassed me.
• I had to wait on a very slow clerk.
• A friend disappointed me.

You will have a lot of different things on your list, but it will help you to realize what bothers you. Remember, we cannot do anything about things we don’t recognize.

Trust in Him I strongly encourage you to ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the truth to you about you, and it will be the beginning of enjoying a life of peace. Take responsibility for your reactions, trust God, and pursue peace!


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