But Jesus [for His part] did not trust Himself to them, because He knew all [men]; and He did not need anyone to bear witness concerning man [needed no evidence from anyone about men], for He Himself knew what was in human nature. [He could read men’s hearts.]

John 2:24-25 (AMPC)

Jesus loved people—we see that in His interaction with people, especially His disciples. He had great fellowship with them—traveled with them, ate with them, and taught them—but He did not trust Himself totally to them. Because He knew what was in human nature.

That does not mean He didn’t trust them at all; He just didn’t open Himself up and give Himself to them in the same way He trusted God and opened Himself up to His heavenly Father. He didn’t expect them to be perfect toward Him and never disappoint Him.

We can be thankful for the example of Jesus because He shows us how we should live. We should love people, and we can trust them, but never give them the trust that belongs to God. He is always trustworthy, and He always has your best interest at heart.

Prayer of the Day: Father, thank You for the example of Jesus. I love and trust the people close to me in life, but my ultimate dependence and trust is in You.

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So whoever cleanses himself [from what is ignoble and unclean, who separates himself from contact with contaminating and corrupting influences] will [then himself] be a vessel set apart and useful for honorable and noble purposes, consecrated and profitable to the Master, fit and ready for any good work.

2 Timothy 2:21 (AMPC)

The Bible refers to us as earthen vessels (See 2 Corinthians 4:7); we are made of clay (See Isaiah 64:8). God formed Adam out of the dirt (See Genesis 2:7), and King David said, “Remember Lord, that I am but dust” (See Psalm 103:14).

When we fill ourselves with God’s Word, we become containers of His blessing, ready to be poured out for His use. God can even use cracked pots! We are all valuable to the Lord. We can offer His truth to people everywhere we go.

Read God’s Word before you go about your routine today and see how many people you can bless with the truth of His love.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, fill me with Your Word and help me grow to love it. Use me as Your vessel to bless others. I will never be perfect here on earth, but help me to shine with the truth of Your love wherever I go, amen.

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I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth…. Many evils confront the [consistently] righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.

Psalm 34:1,19 (AMPC)

All of us know we need to be thankful. God tells us to do so, and we also know from our own experience that once we seriously start praising God, our burdens and our troubles seem to weigh less heavily on our shoulders.

That’s part of the power of being thankful. As we pause to give thanks to God for what’s good in our lives, we also appreciate what we have. I believe God wants us to be grateful people—people who are filled with gratitude not only toward God, but also toward other people. That’s my first tip: When someone does anything nice for you, let that person know you appreciate it.

One day I was going into an office building, and a man standing nearby opened the door for me. I thanked him and smiled.

“You’re the fifth person I’ve held the door for,” he said, “and you’re the first one to smile and the second to thank me.”

I thanked him a second time. Afterward, I thought how much we take others for granted, even when they do such simple things as open a door for a stranger.

Instead of accepting that that’s the way things are, we can develop a thankful mind. Did your bus arrive on time today? If so, did you thank the driver? When you ate at the restaurant, did you thank the waiter for filling your coffee cup a second time without being asked? I could go on and on, but that’s the point I want to make: Develop an attitude of gratitude toward the people in your life.

Here’s another tip: Appreciate your family members, especially the person to whom you’re married. I appreciate Dave, and even though we’ve been married a long time, I still tell him that I appreciate him. He’s patient with me and thoughtful. Just those few words of thanks are a great way to develop a thankful mind and heart.

Try this: When you express appreciation, it’s good for the other person to hear the words, but also remember that it releases joy in you. You enrich both your life and another person’s life, even in small ways.

Another thing you can do is meditate daily on things for which you can be thankful. I have a friend who won’t get out of bed in the morning until he has thanked God for at least 10 things. He counts them on his fingers, and they’re small things really, such as having a reliable car to drive, being a member of an exciting Sunday school class, or just being thankful that he’s healthy.

He says that at night he goes to sleep by focusing on at least three things that went well that day. He relives those three positive things. For him, it can be as simple as his supervisor telling him what a good job he did on a project, or an affirming e-mail from a friend.

Here’s another tip: Be thankful for the honesty in other people. No one likes to hear negative things, but sometimes you need to hear them. Of course, they may momentarily hurt your feelings, but you still can learn and grow from the experience.

I have a friend who says, “Only two people will tell you the truth about yourself: someone who’s angry at you and someone who loves you very much.” God uses both types of people in our lives.

So be thankful for people who tell you the truth about yourself, even if it’s not what you want to hear. When you hear the truth—especially something of which you’re not aware, you can change. And after you’ve changed, isn’t that just one more thing for which you can be thankful?

Prayer of the Day: God, thank You for all the good things You send into my life. Thank You for all the terrible things You don’t send into my life. Thank You for the people in my life who help me grow closer to You and become a more thankful person. I pray this through Jesus the Savior, amen.

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She looks well to how things go in her household, and the bread of idleness (gossip, discontent, and self-pity) she will not eat.

Proverbs 31:27 (AMPC)

Our friend in Proverbs is a responsible woman. She stays alert to how things go in her household, she refuses to be idle, and she doesn’t waste her time in things such as sitting around gossiping or wallowing in self-pity. She is not discontented. She appreciates life, and I believe she celebrates it fully each day. Idleness, waste, self-pity, gossip, and discontentment are thieves of the great life Jesus died to give you.

The apostle Paul gave this exhortation to some members in the church in Thessalonica, Indeed, we hear that some among you are disorderly [that they are passing their lives in idleness, neglectful of duty], being busy with other people’s affairs instead of their own and doing no work (2 Thessalonians 3:11 AMPC). Don’t allow these sins to rule you. When you maintain a positive attitude, you will enjoy more confidence.

Doing what one believes to be right will always increase confidence. You can’t go wrong when you keep God as the focus of your life. Follow the example of the Proverbs 31 woman. She gives us tremendous insight in how to be the best and most confident homemaker, wife, and mother we can be.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, I never want to waste my life and all the blessings You have given me. Help me to find my contentment in walking with You and following hard after You in service, amen.

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Let the saints be joyful in the glory and beauty [which God confers upon them]; let them sing for joy upon their beds. Let the high praises of God be in their throats and a two-edged sword in their hands.

Psalm 149:5-6 (AMPC)

We should form a habit of thanking and praising God as soon as we wake up each morning. While we are still lying in bed, let’s give thanks and fill our minds with Scripture.

Praise defeats the devil quicker than any other battle plan. Praise is an invisible garment that we put on and it protects us from defeat and negativity in our minds. But it must be genuine, heartfelt praise, not just lip service or a method being tried to see if it works. We praise God for the promises in His Word and for His goodness.

Worship is a battle position! As we worship God for Who He is and for His attributes, for His ability and might, we draw closer to Him, and the enemy is defeated.

We can never be too thankful! Thank God all day long and remember the many things He has done for you.

Prayer of the Day: Father, I choose to begin each day with genuine, heartfelt prayer and thanksgiving. Fill my heart with Your Word. I know You never lose a battle, You always have a definite plan, and when we follow You, we will always win. Hallelujah!

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Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

Colossians 3:2 (NIV)

Do you have a bad case of the “ifs”? It is a common misconception that if only we had this, that, or the other, we would find the happiness and fulfillment we so desperately desire. We find ourselves saying things like: If I didn’t have to work, if we had more money, if I had a bigger house, if the kids were grown, if I were married, if I weren’t married….

Stop thinking that you could be happy “if” your circumstances were different, and start being happy right now because God loves you and has already blessed you in many ways. Our unhappiness usually comes from within us and not from something around us. So I recommend that you take responsibility for your own joy and stop blaming the lack of it on anything or anyone. The people who are happy are the ones who decide to be happy.

Prayer of the Day: Father, I want my joy to always be rooted in You and not in my circumstances. Help me learn to take responsibility for my own joy and to stop blaming other people or my situation in life, amen.

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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 (AMPC)

Many people are confused about what they are to do with their lives. They don’t know what God’s will is for them; they are without direction. I felt the same way once, but I discovered my destiny by trying several things. I tried working in the nursery at church and quickly discovered that I was not called to work with children. I tried being my pastor’s secretary, and after one day I was fired with no explanation except, “This just isn’t right.” I was devastated at first, until a short while later I was asked to start a weekly meeting on Thursday mornings at church and teach God’s Word. I quickly found where I fit. I could have spent my life being confused, but I thank God that I was confident enough to step out and discover what was right for me. I did it through the process of elimination, and I experienced some disappointments— but it all worked out well in the end.

If you are doing nothing with your life because you are not sure what to do, then I recommend that you pray and begin trying some things. It won’t take long before you will feel comfortable with something. It will be a perfect fit for you. Think of it this way: when you go out to buy a new outfit, you probably try on several things until you find what fits right, is comfortable, and looks good on you. Why not try the same thing with discovering your destiny? A confident person is not afraid to make mistakes, and if they do, they recover and press on.

Prayer of the Day: Father, I know You have a good plan for my life. Please show me the purpose You have planned for me and the courage to try new things. I need discernment, guidance, and the wisdom to find the perfect fit, amen.

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Adapted from The Power of Being Thankful

…As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you.

Joshua 1:5 (AMPC)

The presence of God in our lives helps us overcome fear. If we know by faith that God is with us, we can be grateful for His presence and we can take on any challenge with confidence and courage. We may not always feel God’s presence, but we can be thankful for His Word, remembering that He said He would never leave us or forsake us (see Hebrews 13:5).

In the Bible, the basis for not fearing is simply this: God is with us. And if we know God’s character and nature, we know He is trustworthy. We do not have to know what He is going to do, when He is going to do it, or how He is going to do it. Simply knowing He is with us is more than enough.

Prayer of the Day: Father, I am grateful that You have promised Your presence will never leave me. Thank You that no matter what things look like around me, I don’t have to fear because You are with me, and You will carry me through.

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Show me, Lord, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting my life is. You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Everyone is but a breath, even those who seem secure.

Psalm 39:4-5 (NIV)

Even if we live to be 100 years old, those long years are still nothing compared to eternity. It is good to think about this occasionally, because we should not waste any of the time God has given us on earth. David asked God how long he would live, but he didn’t get an answer, and neither will we. There is a time appointed for each of us to leave this earth, and only God knows when it is.

We should live every day as though it is our last—make wise choices, walk in love, be obedient to God, and bear good fruit. You may have many more days left to live, but you might not, and it would be a shame to waste the last one you have.

One time I was angry with Dave and wasn’t talking to him, and he said, “Wouldn’t it be a shame if this was your last day on earth and you spent it like this?” He got my attention and made me think. Don’t waste one more day being angry, jealous, or disobedient, or feeling anything else that steals time from you and does no good at all. Make your time count so you don’t end up regretting wasted years.

Prayer of the Day: Father, thank You for the reminder that life is short. I ask You to help me live with purpose, love, obedience and not to waste one day of my life, amen.

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I, even I, am He Who blots out and cancels your transgressions, for My own sake, and I will not remember your sins.

Isaiah 43:25 (AMPC)

Do you focus excessively on the past, feeling guilty or condemned about mistakes you’ve made, sins you have committed knowingly or unknowingly, or offenses against God or other people? Do you struggle to believe you can be happy today and have a great future because you feel your past has been too bad?

Many people allow their past sins and failures to weigh on their hearts and minds for too long. Some people reach a very old age and look back on their lives with tremendous regret because they allowed their past to influence them so much that they didn’t do the things they really wanted to do.

Sometimes, the past is a problem because of what we have done to ourselves and to other people. Sometimes it is painful because of what has been done to us. When we have been victims of someone else’s wrongdoing, we need to ask the Lord to heal us. When we have sinned or failed, we need to repent. Once we repent to the Lord, forgiveness happens right away. We are immediately released from guilt and condemnation.

How wonderful it is to know that God is merciful and ready to forgive when we admit our sins and repent of them. This is something for which we should be thankful each and every day.

Prayer of the Day: Father, thank You for immediate forgiveness when I sincerely repent and for making a way for me to live free from guilt. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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The Lord has heard my supplication; the Lord receives my prayer.

Psalm 6:9 (AMPC)

Have you ever wondered whether or not God heard your prayer? It is easy to do if He seems to be taking a long time in answering. It is good to remember that a delay is not a denial. Be assured that God heard you when you prayed and that He will answer at the exact right time.

Some answers to prayer come very quickly, but for reasons we don’t fully understand, others can take years for us to see answered. I prayed for my father to accept Christ for at least 30 years before he finally did.

Are you waiting on something right now? If you are, I encourage you to remember that God heard you when you prayed, and although He may take longer than you would like Him to, He will not be late!

Prayer of the Day: Father, thank You for always hearing my prayers. Help me remember that a delay is not always a denial.

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Adapted from Hearing from God Each Morning

…Today, if you would hear His voice and when you hear it, do not harden your hearts.

Hebrews 4:7 (AMPC)

When we are unwilling to hear God’s voice in one area of our lives, we are often unable to hear His voice in other areas. Sometimes we hear only what we want to hear, and this is called “selective hearing.” When this happens, people eventually believe they can’t hear from God anymore, but this is not true. The fact is that He has already spoken to them, and they have failed to respond. Let me share a story to illustrate.

A woman once told me that she asked God to give her direction concerning what He wanted her to do: He wanted her to forgive her sister for an offense that had taken place months earlier. The woman was not willing to forgive, so she soon stopped praying. When she did seek the Lord again for something, all she heard in her heart was, “Forgive your sister first.”

Over a two-year period, every time she asked for God’s guidance in a new situation, He gently reminded her to forgive her sister. Finally, she realized she would never get out of her rut or grow spiritually if she did not obey, so she prayed, “Lord, give me the power to forgive my sister.” Instantly she understood many things from her sister’s perspective—things she hadn’t considered before. Within a short time, her relationship with her sister was completely restored and quickly became stronger than ever.

If we really want to hear from God, we have to be open to hear whatever He wants to say and willing to respond to it. I encourage you to hear and obey today.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, open my ears to hear Your voice clearly in all aspects of my life. I ask You, Father, to help me overcome selective hearing and respond obediently to Your promptings, amen.

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I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency].

Philippians 4:13 (AMPC)

Dread is a relative of fear. The devil tempts us with dread to get us to confess fear instead of faith. But 1 John 4:18 (AMPC) says, There is no fear in love [dread does not exist], but full-grown (complete, perfect) love turns fear out of doors and expels every trace of terror! For fear brings with it the thought of punishment, and [so] he who is afraid has not reached the full maturity of love [is not yet grown into love’s complete perfection].

Enjoy your day, knowing that God loves you per¬fectly. Don’t dread the hard things that you must do today, because God is on your side and is ready to help you.

Prayer of the Day: God, as hard as it may be, as much as it hurts, help me tackle the things I’m dreading and putting off, amen.

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Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near.

James 5:7-8 (NIV)

Today’s scripture about patience is written in the context of waiting patiently for Christ’s return, but it applies to many areas of our lives.

Patience is not simply the ability to wait; it is the ability to keep a good attitude while we are waiting. Patience is also a fruit of the Holy Spirit that can be developed only under trial. This is why God allows us to go through challenges and trials instead of delivering us from them as quickly as we would like. He always has a plan to bring us through the difficult times we face, but He uses difficult times to help us grow so we will be stronger and have greater faith when the trial is over.

We can learn a lot about patience by thinking about farmers who wait for their harvests. The lesson here is that while we wait for something, we simply need to do what we know to do. That’s how a farmer waits when expecting a crop. They water their seeds and pull the weeds—over and over again, day after day. Likewise, as we wait for God to bring something to pass for us, we keep doing what we know to do—pray, spend time in the Word, stand in faith, help, and bless other people, and prepare ourselves as God leads us to receive the blessings we are waiting for. In addition, according to James 5:9, we don’t complain. We simply trust God, knowing that He will do what He needs to do when the time is right.

Prayer of the Day: Help me, Lord, to wait patiently for You, doing what I know to do as I trust You to move in Your perfect timing.

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And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.

Galatians 6:9 (ESV)

Our obedience to God must not be based on our circumstances, because the circumstances of our lives are not always enjoyable. I have determined that when I go through a difficult time, I will simply keep showing up. This means I continue doing what I would do if I had no trouble. I keep my commitments, spend time with God as usual, and make a practice of continuing to be good and kind to the people around me.

Is it easy? No, it isn’t easy. Doing what is right is always easier if we feel like doing it, but we are to give thanks and …bless the Lord at all times…(Psalm 34:1 ESV). In addition, we are to continue to obey Him at all times.

Doing what is right when it is hard always helps us grow in Christian character. Jesus did this regularly, and we are called to be transformed into His image and let Him be our example in all things. If you are going through something difficult right now, just keep showing up and doing the right thing. In time, your trouble will pass, and you will have gained a victory over the enemy.

Prayer of the Day: Father, help me to be strong in You and keep showing up and doing what is right, no matter how I feel or what my circumstances are like. Thank You.

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I press on toward the goal to win the [heavenly] prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 3:14 (AMP)

Setting daily goals helps you see certain dreams come true. That’s because dreams are realized one step at a time, one decision at a time, one goal at a time.

Goals are essential if you want to be successful in life. It is pointless and even frustrating to have a big dream for your future, or even a small plan for the day, without setting goals on how you expect to see those things come true.

When you have a goal and move with a purpose, good things will happen for you. You may not know how everything is going to work out. You may not have all the answers for the day ahead. But if you set a goal (or two, or three), you’ll be amazed at how helpful it can be in improving your outlook for the day ahead.

Whether you’re a stay-at-home parent, a full-time employee, a student, a business owner, or a volunteer, goal setting can help you feel more enthusiastic and joyful about your day ahead.

Prayer Starter: Father, thank You for loving me. I want to feel more enthusiastic and joyful about my day ahead. Please help me make realistic goals today that I can meet, with Your help.

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For we [Christians] are the true circumcision, who worship God in spirit and by the Spirit of God and exult and glory and pride ourselves in Jesus Christ, and put no confidence or dependence [on what we are] in the flesh and on outward privileges and physical advantages and external appearances.

Philippians 3:3 (AMPC)

God is merciful toward us and wants to bless and prosper us. He sees our heart attitude and our faith in Jesus. When we have confidence in God and His love and kindness, we can progress to living confidently and enjoying the life He wants for us. Note that I said confidence in God, not in ourselves. Usually, people think of confidence as self-confidence, such as TV self-help gurus or athletes promote when urging us to “Believe in yourself!”

I beg to differ. I want to make it clear, right from the start, that our confidence must be in Christ alone, not in ourselves, not in other people, not in the world or its systems. The Bible states that we are sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency (Philippians 4:13), so we might also say that we are confident through Christ’s confidence. Or another way to say it would be, “We have self-confidence only because He lives in us, and it is His confidence that we draw on.”

Prayer Starter: Lord, I know that far too often I put my confidence in my own abilities, or other people, or the place I work to provide for my needs. I fix my eyes upon You. You alone are worthy of being my confidence, amen.

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As for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded.

2 Chronicles 15:7 (NIV)

Anytime a person is wounded in their soul, that woundedness affects other people. It can have an impact on your social life, especially if your pain has caused you not to trust people or not to want to enter into healthy relationships. If you are a wife or a mother, one of the consequences of the hurt from your past is that it can negatively influence your relationships with your husband and your children, unless you let God heal you. It is sad to think about the fact that the pain one person has suffered can ultimately cause pain to others, but that’s the truth. However, there is a greater truth in these situations: your healing can also affect the people around you, and it will have a positive impact on them.

I cannot overemphasize the importance of our relationships with other people. Every area of our lives includes relationships of some sort, whether they are on-the-surface acquaintances, deep friendships, or family relationships. All we have to offer to the people around us is what’s inside us. If our hearts are filled with pain, anger, fear, rejection, or other negative qualities, that’s what we give the people in our lives. If we are filled with peace, love, joy, hope, and other positive attributes, then we can share those good things with them.

I encourage you today to think about your relationships. Is there a steady stream of good things flowing from you to your family, friends, neighbors, and coworkers? Or do people feel they have to be on guard when they are around you because they have learned they will not hear anything from you that will encourage them or lift them up? Do you talk about yourself and your problems excessively, or do you express an interest in how other people are doing? When you hear about something good that has happened for someone else, can you sincerely rejoice with that person, or do you find yourself jealous inside? Every bit of negativity I have mentioned in this paragraph can be eliminated as your soul is healed. God wants to bring you into a great place of healing and wholeness not only for yourself, but so you can be a blessing to the people you care about.

The journey to healing is not always smooth and easy. It will require you to take an honest look at some painful places in your life and allow the Lord to touch and heal them. In those difficult moments, I encourage you to press on and not to give up, remembering that your healing can have a positive impact on lots of people. I did not like to think about how my past woundedness had hurt other people before my soul was healed, but I rejoice now because God is using the healing He has done in my heart to help others. Stay on your healing journey and watch how He will use you!

Prayer Starter: Lord Jesus, thank You for loving me and healing me. I want to have a positive impact on the people in my life and experience more hope and joy in You.

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Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when the desire is fulfilled, it is a tree of life.

— Proverbs 13:12 (AMPC)

I define hope as “the happy anticipation of good things.” You can hope for something good to happen to you by learning how to celebrate and enjoy life.

Everything in life is a process in motion. Without movement and progression there is no life. As long as you live you are always heading somewhere, and you should enjoy yourself on the way. God created you to be a goal-oriented visionary. Without a vision you become bored and hopeless.

But there’s something about hope that makes people lighthearted and happy. Hope is a powerful spiritual force that is activated through your positive attitude. God is positive and He wants positive things to happen to you, but that probably won’t happen unless you have hope and faith.

Expect God to bring good out of every circumstance in your life. Whatever happens, trust in the Lord…and trust in the power of hope!

Prayer Starter: Father, thank You for hope. Please show me how to celebrate and enjoy my life and help me to keep a positive attitude as I move forward.

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And become useful and helpful and kind to one another, tenderhearted (compassionate, understanding, loving-hearted), forgiving one another [readily and freely], as God in Christ forgave you.

— Ephesians 4:32 (AMPC)

I once heard that medical studies indicate 75 percent of physical sickness is caused by emotional problems. And one of the greatest emotional problems people experience is guilt. They are refusing to relax and enjoy life because, after all, they feel they don’t deserve to have a good time. So, they live in a perpetual strain of regret and remorse. This kind of stress often makes people sick.

Two of the things that cause us to get all knotted up inside are meditating on all the negative things done to us by others, and the sinful and wrong things we have done. We have a hard time getting over what others have done to us, and we find it difficult to forget the mistakes we have made.

In my own life I had a choice to remain bitter, full of hatred and self-pity, resenting the people who had hurt me, or I could choose to follow God’s path of forgiveness. This is the same choice you have today. I pray that you will forgive others and receive God’s forgiveness for yourself. You will be healthier and happier if you do!

Prayer Starter: Lord, I know that Your way is forgiveness, so please help me to forgive others, forgive myself, and receive Your forgiveness once and for all.

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