Category Archives: Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Stand with God

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Joyce meyer

And God is able to make all grace (every favor and earthly blessing) come to you in abundance, so that you may always and under all circumstances and whatever the need be self-sufficient [possessing enough to require no aid or support and furnished in abundance for every good work and charitable donation]. —2 Corinthians 9:8

When Mother Teresa (1910–1997) left for India to begin her mission work there, she was told she could not do it because she had no money and no one to help her. I was told she said she had three pennies and God, and that was all she needed.

All of us are familiar with the amazing work she did to help the poor in India. Her willingness to stand with God alone, having all her confidence in Him, allowed God to work through her in a remarkable way. She was a rare individual who knew how to work with people, but who believed that with or without people, she could do all God was asking her to do.

That is the kind of attitude I want to maintain. We need people, but we know it is God working through people to help us. We look to God to meet our needs, not people. If He decides to change who He works through, that should be no concern of ours. My confidence must be in Him more than it is in anything or anyone else.

Lord, I am not Mother Teresa, but I want to learn to stand with You. I look to You to meet my every need. Amen.

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Please, Don’t Be Religious

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Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, pretenders (hypocrites)! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the plate, but within they are full of extortion (prey, spoil, plunder) and grasping self-indulgence. —Matthew 23:25

Jesus frequently chastised the religious leaders of His day because although they did lots of good works, they did them with wrong motives. An abundance of religious works does not always mean the person doing them is close to God. I believe that religious activity can keep us from having an intimate relationship with God and hearing Him speak to us.

Jesus died to open the way for us to have intimacy with God, and that should always come before any good works. It is actually possible to do religious things while our hearts are far from God. We should frequently do “motive checks.” God is more concerned with why we do things than He is with what we do when it comes to religious works. He said true religion is to visit, help, and care for widows and orphans in their affliction (see James 1:27). God wants us to genuinely love and care for hurting people much more than He wants us to try to impress one another with long, eloquent prayers.

Religious people do many things to enhance their reputation rather than to serve God. They may engage in all sorts of good works, but they rarely, if ever, engage in really sharing their hearts with God or allowing Him to share His with them. These people seldom truly hear God’s voice or enjoy deep communion with Him.

God’s word for you today: Focus on your relationship with God, not on being religious.

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Focus Forward

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Not that I have now attained [this ideal], or have already been made perfect, but I press on to lay hold of (grasp) and make my own, that for which Christ Jesus (the Messiah) has laid hold of me and made me His own. I do not consider, brethren, that I have captured and made it my own [yet]; but one thing I do [it is my one aspiration]: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the [supreme and heavenly] prize to which God in Christ Jesus is calling us upward. —Philippians 3:12-14

If you have been miserable because of the things that have happened in your past, I encourage you to do as I did and set your focus in a new direction. Determine to be what God wants you to be, to have what God wants you to have, and to receive what Jesus died to give you.

When you feel discouraged, say, “I am not going to live in bondage anymore. I cannot do anything about what I have done in the past, but I can do something about my future. I am going to enjoy my life and have what Jesus died for me to have. I am going to let go of the past and go on pursuing God from this day forth!”

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – The Critical Mind

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[Jesus said] A good (healthy) tree cannot bear bad (worthless) fruit, nor can a bad (diseased) tree bear excellent fruit [worthy of admiration]. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and cast into the fire. Therefore, you will fully know them by their fruits.—Matthew 7:18–20

Have you ever met someone who had “the gift of suspicion”? They are everywhere—even in church. Recently I heard a man commenting about such a woman in his church. He said she always seemed to think the worst of everyone. If someone did something generous, she would say, “What does he expect to get out of that? I suppose he wants us all to bow and thank him.”

On one occasion, someone commented about what a friendly, happy person an usher was. “That’s his public face,” the woman said. “He’s always smiling, but I’ll bet when he gets home and away from everyone else, he doesn’t smile like that.”

He went on to say if someone chided her for her critical attitude, the woman only responded by saying, “I just call things as I see them. You’re always trying to make things look better than they are.”

The man finally realized that it wasn’t good for him to be around her, and he began to distance himself from her as much as possible.

I believe this man made a good decision. I have discovered during my years in ministry that when someone with a critical spirit comes into a group or a meeting, it doesn’t take much for others to become infected with it. It reminds me of the saying about one bad apple spoiling the whole bushel.

Over the years, I’ve met people who were very much like this lady. They’re often tormented by their judgmental attitudes, critical spirits, and suspicious minds. They also destroy many relationships by their words.

Matthew 7:18 says these “bad fruits” tell us a lot about the “tree,” but that doesn’t give us the right to judge. We must remember that no one is perfect—each of us is a work in progress. While it may be wise not to be too closely associated with such people, we must be careful that we don’t judge them according to our standards and beliefs. We must pray for them and keep a godly attitude. Part of being a loving, caring Christian is to realize that people may not see things in this life exactly as we do. We are not all at the same level of Christian maturity, but we can be sure that God knows everything about each one of us. We must leave any judging to the only righteous judge—Jesus Christ.

James writes: “[My] brethren, do not speak evil about or accuse one another. He that maligns a brother or judges his brother is maligning and criticizing the Law and judging the Law. But if you judge the Law, you are not a practicer of the Law but a censor and judge [of it]. One only is the Lawgiver and Judge Who is able to save and to destroy [the one Who has the absolute power of life and death]. [But you] who are you that [you presume to] pass judgment on your neighbor?” (James 4:11–12).

Paul asks, “Who are you to pass judgment on and censure another’s household servant? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he shall stand and be upheld, for the Master (the Lord) is mighty to support him and make him stand” (Romans 14:4).

Dear heavenly Father, forgive me for criticizing others. I know that You are the only one who is qualified to judge Your children. Help me remember that all of us, including me, must give account of ourselves to You—and only to You. Help me, Lord Jesus, to bear good fruit in my own life that will bring glory to You. Amen.

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Give Yourself a Break

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And I am convinced and sure of this very thing, that He Who began a good work in you will continue until the day of Jesus Christ [right up to the time of His return], developing [that good work] and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in you. —Philippians 1:6

If you find it difficult to like yourself, you are not alone. I struggled with self- rejection during much of my life and I have discovered many others also struggle with the same thing. But that is not God’s plan. He doesn’t want you to feel afraid and insecure . . . or to be consumed with achieving perfection in hopes of being considered valuable.

God is the only one who can perfect the good work He has started in your life, but it takes some time. And during the process He wants you to recognize you are making progress. So give yourself a break and say, “I’m okay and I’m on my way!”

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Follow God’s Priorities

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The sheep that are My own hear and are listening to My voice; and I know them, and they follow Me. —John 10:27

Many people try to feel spiritual by obeying religious laws. But they never get around to feeling good, because there is always one more law to follow. That is why God does not define our righteousness by our works, but by our faith in Jesus. We feel inner peace when we obey the voice of the Holy Spirit.

God may tell you that it is more important to give away your favorite personal possession, than to try to please Him by reading the Bible through in a year. He may say that it is more important to just remain silent, if He tells you to, than to volunteer for every activity at church. His ways are not our ways (See Isaiah 55:8–9), so learn to listen for His direction each day.

 

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Be Open and God Will Teach You

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Joyce meyer

Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him and said concerning him, See! Here is an Israelite indeed [a true descendant of Jacob], in whom there is no guile nor deceit nor falsehood nor duplicity! —John 1:47

In some instances I think we need to open our minds. I think we should be single-minded (focused on the will of God), but not narrow-minded (unwilling to be open to new teachings).

There is a man in the Bible, in John 1:45–51, who Jesus had some very complimentary things to say about. His name is Nathanael. When we first meet Nathanael, Philip tells him that they’d found the Messiah and he was Jesus of Nazareth. Nathanael replied, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” (v. 46). He was saying that he knew what the people were like in Nazareth and no Messiah would be born of that stock. To which Philip tells him simply, “Come and see!” (v. 46). In other words, don’t make a judgment before you’ve seen for yourself. So Nathanael went to see (v. 47).

God showed me that one of the reasons Jesus liked Nathanael so much was because even though he had a preconceived opinion that nothing good could come out of Nazareth, especially not the Savior, he was open-minded enough and humble enough to at least go see. I think a lot of people would get a lot further in their walk with God if they wouldn’t have so many preconceived ideas. What we all really need is to believe the Word of God.

You should read your Bible and see what it says. Be open to letting God teach you and to learning. It’s amazing what we could learn from God and other people He places in our paths if we didn’t already think we knew it all.

Trust in Him Don’t spend too much time listening to what other people say and miss out on the great blessings God has for your life. Let go of your preconceived notions and be humble enough to see for yourself. Trust God to teach you—and keep teaching you—through His Word.

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Be Open and God Will Teach You

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Joyce meyer

Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him and said concerning him, See! Here is an Israelite indeed [a true descendant of Jacob], in whom there is no guile nor deceit nor falsehood nor duplicity! —John 1:47

In some instances I think we need to open our minds. I think we should be single-minded (focused on the will of God), but not narrow-minded (unwilling to be open to new teachings).

There is a man in the Bible, in John 1:45–51, who Jesus had some very complimentary things to say about. His name is Nathanael. When we first meet Nathanael, Philip tells him that they’d found the Messiah and he was Jesus of Nazareth. Nathanael replied, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” (v. 46). He was saying that he knew what the people were like in Nazareth and no Messiah would be born of that stock. To which Philip tells him simply, “Come and see!” (v. 46). In other words, don’t make a judgment before you’ve seen for yourself. So Nathanael went to see (v. 47).

God showed me that one of the reasons Jesus liked Nathanael so much was because even though he had a preconceived opinion that nothing good could come out of Nazareth, especially not the Savior, he was open-minded enough and humble enough to at least go see. I think a lot of people would get a lot further in their walk with God if they wouldn’t have so many preconceived ideas. What we all really need is to believe the Word of God.

You should read your Bible and see what it says. Be open to letting God teach you and to learning. It’s amazing what we could learn from God and other people He places in our paths if we didn’t already think we knew it all.

Trust in Him Don’t spend too much time listening to what other people say and miss out on the great blessings God has for your life. Let go of your preconceived notions and be humble enough to see for yourself. Trust God to teach you—and keep teaching you—through His Word.

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Spice Things Up!

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You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste (its strength, its quality), how can its saltiness be restored? It is not good for anything any longer but to be thrown out and trodden underfoot by men. —Matthew 5:13

I don’t know about you, but I don’t like bland food. My husband once had a stomach problem and the doctor put him on a totally bland diet for a few days. As I recall, he didn’t even look forward to eating. Dave is not a complainer, but at every meal, I heard him say over and over, “This stuff has no taste at all.” His food needed a bit of salt, a little spice—and that is exactly what the world needs.

Each day as you leave your home to go into a dark, tasteless world, you can be the light and flavor it needs. You can bring joy to your workplace by being determined to consistently have a godly attitude. You can be “salt” through simple things like being thankful rather than complaining like most people do, being patient, merciful, quick to forgive offenses, kind, and encouraging. Even simply smiling and being friendly is a way to bring flavor into a tasteless society.

Without love and all of its magnificent qualities, life is tasteless and not worth living. I want you to try an experiment. Just think : I am going to go out into the world today and spice things up. Then get your mind set before you ever walk out your door that you are going out as God’s ambassador and that your goal is to be a giver, to love people and add good flavor to their lives.

You can begin by smiling at the people you encounter throughout the day. A smile is a symbol of acceptance and approval, which is something most of the people in the world desperately need. Deposit yourself with God and trust Him to take care of you while you sow good seed everywhere you go by making decisions and taking actions that will be a blessing to others.

Loving Others Today: How can you add some spice and flavor to the world around you today?

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Give Space and Freedom

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Two are better than one, because they have a good [more satisfying] reward for their labor; For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!—Ecclesiastes 4:9–10

Some people are always trying to get us to conform to preset patterns, but there are those rare individuals who actually encourage individuality and nonconformity. We must spend time with people who accept and affirm us. One of the many things I have appreciated about my husband over the years is that he gives me space and even encourages me to be me. For example, I am a person who likes to spend time alone. When I need a few hours or even a few days to have my space, I can simply tell Dave that and he does not feel as though I am rejecting him. He understands that is just the way I am.

I recently counseled a woman who said her husband was driving her crazy because he would never give her even one hour alone. He wanted to be with her constantly. When she tried to explain that she needed space, he got offended and took her need as a personal rejection. To nurture healthy relationships, we must give people space and freedom.

Lord, help me to be able to communicate my personal needs to those I love without making them feel rejected. Give them understanding hearts that accept me for who I am and encourage me. Amen.

 

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Be Bold!

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

One of the main reasons people do not pray and that they are reluctant to ask God for what they need and want is that they do not feel worthy. They do not feel good about themselves; they do not feel that they are spiritual enough, so they don’t believe God would listen to them anyway. We all make mistakes and when we do we should receive God’s forgiveness and mercy, which allows His blessings to flow even when we have made mistakes.

When we talk to God and make requests of Him, we must understand our position as sons and daughters of God who are made righteous through the blood of Jesus. Otherwise, we may not hear His voice clearly or perceive His answers accurately. You see, we so often think our righteousness is based on doing things “right”—saying the “right” words, behaving the “right” ways, or having the “right” attitude. The truth is that we cannot make ourselves righteous. We can make ourselves religious, but we cannot make ourselves righteous.

True biblical righteousness is not based on what we do right, but it is based on what Jesus did for us. His righteousness becomes ours by faith, and once we believe that, then we progressively display more and more right behavior. But, we must always remember that God answers our prayers because He is good, not because we are. We can approach Him boldly in prayer and expect to hear from Him daily.

God’s word for you today: God will turn your mistakes into miracles if you trust Him and pray boldly.

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Forgive Those Who Hurt You

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Lord, fix not this sin upon them [lay it not to their charge]! And when he [Stephen] had said this, he fell asleep [in death]. —Acts 7:60

In Acts 6 and 7 we read the story of Stephen who was called before the Jewish council and falsely accused of blaspheming God and Moses by preaching the Gospel. After he had delivered a sermon that angered the council, he was taken out and stoned. But even as they were stoning him, Stephen prayed for his enemies, saying, Lord Jesus, receive and accept and welcome my spirit! And falling on his knees, he cried out loudly, Lord, fix not this sin upon them [lay it not to their charge]! (Acts 7:59,60).

I am afraid that in that situation I would have been tempted to pick up a rock and throw it back. But that is not what Stephen did. He forgave his tormentors and prayed for them, saying in essence, “Forgive them, Lord, they don’t understand what they are doing.” A large majority of the time those who injure us don’t understand what they are doing. They are just operating out of selfishness. Years ago someone told me something that helped me. He said that 95 percent of the time when people hurt our feelings, that was not what they intended to do.

God does not want us to have an offended heart. If we do, we will not be able to minister to others. You may think this doesn’t relate to you because you don’t have a pulpit ministry. But every believer has a ministry. You may not be on a platform teaching, but you’ve got a ministry to your children, your spouse, your family, to God. How can we properly praise God with a wrong heart condition? It is easy for us to be offended. But according to the Bible love is not easily offended.

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Reminders

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That is why I would remind you to stir up (rekindle the embers of, fan the flame of, and keep burning) the [gracious] gift of God, [the inner fire] that is in you. . . . For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control. —2 Timothy 1:6–7

It doesn’t matter what kind of problem we have in our lives, we need self-control and discipline to gain and maintain the victory. I believe this is especially true with regard to our thought life and the battle for our mind. What begins in the mind eventually comes out of the mouth, and before we know it, we’re telling anyone who will listen how we feel. We have to discipline our mind, our mouth, our feelings, and our actions so that they are all in agreement with what the Word of God says.

Every quality of God that is in you and me, God Himself planted in us in the form of a seed the day we accepted Christ (see Colossians 2:10). Over time and through life’s experiences, the seeds of Christ’s character begin to grow and produce the fruit of His Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (see Galatians 5:22–23).

I have found that it is virtually impossible to operate in any of the other eight fruit of the Spirit unless we are exercising self-control. How can you and I remain patient, for example, in the midst of an upsetting situation unless we exercise restraint? Or how can we walk in love and believe the best of someone after they have repeatedly hurt us unless we use the fruit of self-control?

As Christians, we have the fruit of the Spirit in us, but we must purposely choose to exercise them. Not choosing to exercise the fruit of the Spirit is what produces carnal Christians—¬those who are under the control of ordinary im¬pulses and walk after the desires of the flesh (see 1 Corinthians 3:3). Whatever we exercise the most becomes the strongest.

Our thoughts and words are two areas in which the Holy Spirit is constantly prompting us to exercise self-control. The Bible says that “. . . as [a man] thinks in his heart, so is he,” and “out of the abundance (overflow) of the heart his mouth speaks” (Proverbs 23:7; Luke 6:45b). The devil is ¬constantly trying to get us to accept wrong thoughts about everything from God’s love for us (or the lack of it) to what terrible thing is going to happen to us next. Why? Because he knows that once we start accepting and believing his lies, it is just a matter of time until we begin to speak them out of our mouths. And when we speak wrong things, we open the door for wrong things to come into our lives (see Proverbs 18:20–21).

What if, instead of allowing our minds to go over all of the things that have hurt us, we would remind ourselves to think about all the good things God has brought into our lives? When we allow Satan to fill our minds with worry, anxiety, and doubt, we wear out our ability to make good decisions. Worry is also thankless by nature. I’ve noticed that people who worry rarely see much good in life. They talk about tragedy, failures, sickness, and loss. They seem unable to focus on the good things that they still have in life.

Try this. Each day, focus on the things God has done for you in the past. This will make it easier for you to expect good things in the future. As I wrote those words, I thought of the memorials mentioned in the Old Testament. Often the people stacked up heaps of stones as reminders that God had delivered them or appeared to them. As they looked backward and remembered, they were able to look forward and believe.

The psalmist wrote, “O my God, my life is cast down upon me [and I find the burden more than I can bear]; therefore will I [earnestly] remember You from the land of the Jordan [River] and the [summits of Mount] Hermon” (Psalm 42:6). He was reminding himself of past victories. When he was having problems, he recalled God’s great work in the lives of the people.

When doubts try to sneak in, you can do what the psalmist did: You can look back and remember that God has always been with His people. All of us have had times when we wondered if we’d make it. But we did. So will you.

My great God, forgive me for allowing the little things of life to distract me and to take my thoughts away from You. Through Jesus Christ, help me always to remember that You are with me in the good times and in the bad times. Amen.

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Waiting on His Goodness

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I will make all My goodness pass before you. . . . Behold, there is a place beside Me, and you shall stand upon the rock, and while My glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft of the rock and cover you with My hand until I have passed by. Then I will take away My hand and you shall see My back; but My face shall not be seen.—Exodus 33:19,21-23

In times of trouble God hides you in Christ. Safe in the cleft of the Rock, there is provision for your needs. It may not be everything you want, but He gives you what you need to get through the situation.

Perhaps you are facing difficulty and have been waiting and waiting to see God’s glory. God desires to pour out His goodness upon you. He has covered you with His hand and is continually moving toward you with the answer. You may not see Him coming, but you will certainly know when He has been there!

 

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Don’t Be Afraid to Stop

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The thoughts and purposes of the [consistently] righteous are honest and reliable, but the counsels and designs of the wicked are treacherous. —Proverbs 12:5

Don’t be ashamed to back off if you get out in the middle of something and find that God is not in it. Just be secure enough to simply say, “I thought this was God, but it’s not, so I am not going to do it anymore.”

You can apologize to others if you caused them any trouble or confusion. But there is no shame in quickly admitting that you were wrong. It is more important not to perpetuate a mistake than it is to keep people from thinking you were wrong. Don’t be afraid to say, “I didn’t hear from God.” Honesty will keep your day going right, all day long.

 

 

 

 

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Don’t Let Your Emotions Vote

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Do not be misled, my beloved brethren. —James 1:16

If we desire to walk after the Spirit, all our actions must be governed by God’s principles. In the realm of the Spirit, there is a precise standard of right and wrong, and how we feel does not alter that standard.

If doing the right thing requires a “yes” from us, then it must be “yes” whether we feel excited or discouraged. If it is “no,” then it is “no.” A principled life is enormously different from an emotional life. When an emotional person feels thrilled or happy, he may undertake what he ordinarily would not do. But when he feels cold and emotionless or melancholy, he will not fulfill his duty, because his feelings refuse to cooperate.

All who desire to be truly spiritual must conduct themselves daily according to godly principles. A good sign to show you’re growing and maturing in Christ is when you consistently obey, even when you don’t feel like it.

Learn not to ask yourself how you feel about things, but instead ask yourself if doing or not doing something is right for you. You may know that you need to do something, but you don’t feel like doing it at all. You can wish you felt like it, but wishing does no good. You must live by principle and simply choose to do what you know is right. There may be a certain thing you want to do badly. It might be a purchase you want to make that you know is too expensive. Your feelings vote “yes,” but your heart says “no.” Tell your feelings they don’t get to vote. They are too immature to vote and will never vote for what is best for you in the long run.

We don’t allow people to vote in political elections until they are eighteen, because we assume they would be too immature to know what they are doing. Why not look at your emotions the same way?

They have always been a part of you, but they are very immature. They are without wisdom and cannot be trusted to do the right thing, so just don’t let them vote. We mature but our emotions don’t, and if they are left unchecked, our lives will be a series of unfinished and disappointing ventures.

Trust in Him Pray and ask God to help you trust Him more than you trust your emotions.

 

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Pressing Toward Perfection

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I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. —Philippians 3:12 NLT

It is our job to press toward the mark of perfection, and yet the Bible teaches us we will not attain perfection until Jesus, the Perfect One, comes to take us to live with Him for eternity (see1 Corinthians 13:9–10). We can grow; we can change and do better and better. But if we obtained perfection in our behavior, we would no longer need Jesus—and that is never going to happen.

We can, however, have perfect hearts toward God by fully wanting His will and doing all we can to work with the Holy Spirit toward that goal. God sees your heart, and He counts you as perfect even while you are making the journey toward perfection.

Power Throught: I am pressing on toward the goal of perfection in Christ.

John MacArthur, Joyce Meyer

John MacArthur – Guarding Your Motives

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John MacArthur

“If a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in dirty clothes, and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the fine clothes, and say, ‘You sit here in a good place,’ and you say to the poor man, ‘You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool,’ have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil motives?” (James 2:2- 4).

The story is told of a pastor who never ministered to an individual or family in his church without first checking a current record of their financial contributions. The more generous they were with their money, the more generous he was with his time. That’s an appalling and flagrant display of favoritism, but in effect it’s the same kind of situation James dealt with in our text for today.

Picture yourself in a worship service or Bible study when suddenly two visitors enter the room. The first visitor is a wealthy man, as evidenced by his expensive jewelry and designer clothes. The second visitor lives in abject poverty. The street is his home, as evidenced by his filthy, smelly, shabby clothing.

How would you respond to each visitor? Would you give the rich man the best seat in the house and see that he is as comfortable as possible? That’s a gracious thing to do if your motives are pure. But if you’re trying to win his favor or profit from his wealth, a vicious sin has taken hold of you.

Your true motives will be revealed in the way you treat the poor man. Do you show him equal honor, or simply invite him to sit on the floor? Anything less than equal honor reveals an evil intent.

Favoritism can be subtle. That’s why you must be in prayer and in the Word, constantly allowing the Spirit to penetrate and purify your deepest, most secret motives.

Suggestions for Prayer:

•             Praise God for His purity.

•             Ask Him always to control your motives and actions.

For Further Study: Some Christians confuse honor with partiality. Giving honor to those in authority is biblical; showing partiality is sinful. Read 1 Peter 2:17 and Romans 13:1, noting the exhortations to honor those in authority over you.

 

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – God Will Help You

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Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. . . . Those who war against you shall be as nothing, as a nonexistent thing. For I, the Lord your God, will hold your right hand, saying to you, “Fear not, I will help you. Fear not, you worm Jacob, you men of Israel! I will help you,” says the Lord and your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.” —Isaiah 41:10-14, NKJV

When we start reading today’s scripture, we might think, Wow. God must be talking to people who really have their act together. The good news is that He is talking to ordinary people just like you and me. He helps us because He is good, not because we are. Fear comes against all of us, and God wants us to know that we don’t have to let the feelings of fear defeat us. We can keep moving forward in the presence of fear because He is with us.

If someone has hurt you or treated you unjustly, remember that God promises to deal with them and make them as nothing at all…nonexistent!! When we read that God will strengthen us that means He will enable us to do whatever we need to do today and everyday. God is with you and that makes you equal to anything that comes against you. Because God is with you that makes you greater than any problem you have.

Fear is not God’s will for you. He wants you to be bold, courageous and confident and you can be if you remind yourself often that you are not alone. God is with you!!

Love Yourself Today: Remember that God is with you at all times and you can do whatever you need to do.

 

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Open the Way

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Joyce meyer

And when she [Lydia] was baptized along with her household, she earnestly entreated us, saying, If in your opinion I am one really convinced [that Jesus is the Messiah and the Author of salvation] and that I will be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay. And she induced us [to do it].—Acts 16:15

Mary McLeod Bethune (1875–1955) was one of the most remarkable black women of her time. A graduate of Moody Bible Institute, she opened a school for black girls in Daytona Beach, Florida. From 1935–1944 she was a special advisor on minority affairs to President Franklin Roosevelt. She was the first black woman to head a federal agency and worked to see that blacks were integrated into the military. She also served as a consultant on interracial affairs at the charter conference of the United Nations. Bethune founded the National Council of Negro Women and was director of Negro Affairs for the National Youth Administration. The fifteenth of seventeen children born to slave parents, she came to have unrestricted access to the White House during Roosevelt’s life.

I admire those who are the first to do anything because the one who goes first endures more opposition than those who follow later. They are pioneers, and they open the way and pay the price for future generations.

Lord, Lydia opened her door to help Paul and those traveling with him, and I can open the way for others as well. Help me to be practical and take advantage of every opportunity to make a difference. Amen.