And therefore the Lord [earnestly] waits [expecting, looking, and longing] to be gracious to you; and therefore He lifts Himself up, that He may have mercy on you and show loving-kindness to you. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) are all those who [earnestly] wait for Him, who expect and look and long for Him [for his victory His favor, His love, His peace, His joy, and His matchless, unbroken companionship]!

Isaiah 30:18 (AMPC)

This verse has become one of my favorites, and it has often been a source of encouragement to me when I’ve had hard times. The Living Bible paraphrases the verse like this: “Yet the Lord still waits for you to come to him, so he can show you his love; he will conquer you to bless you, just as he said. For the Lord is faithful to his promises. Blessed are all those who wait for him to help them.” Let’s think of the implication of the promise. God waits for us. As I think of that promise, it staggers my mind. The Creator of the universe and the Giver of all life has chosen to wait for us—waits for us to come to our senses, waits for us to respond to His love, waits for us to turn to Him for help.

That’s a staggering thought. God wants to show us love.

Perhaps as much as anywhere else, Satan attempts to build a mental stronghold right there. When we contemplate God’s love for us, many of us can’t take it in. We can only think of our failures, our shortcomings, and dozens of other reasons why God shouldn’t love us.

That reminds me of a kind man I’ve known for many years. One day he took care of a situation for me that he didn’t have to. I was surprised and deeply touched. “You are probably the kindest man I know,” I told him.

He stared at me in shock. “Me? Kind? Oh, I can be mean-spirited and cruel,” he said. For several minutes, he explained to me that he couldn’t possibly be a kind man. “I live with myself all the time, and I see all my defects.”

“Maybe that’s the trouble,” I told him. “You see your defects so clearly, you don’t see your caring, compassionate qualities. You discount all those things.”

He never could accept that he was kind. I also used the word gentle and that surprised him, too.

Perhaps that’s how it is with many of God’s people. We are so absorbed by our failures and all the wrong things we see about ourselves, it’s hard to believe that God wants to bless us. If we read, “God wants to punish you,” we wouldn’t have trouble saying, “Yes, that’s what I deserve.” But how would we answer if someone said, “God wants to bless you”? We probably would say, “I don’t deserve that.”

How many of us believe we are entitled to God’s blessings? We want the good things. We want God to love us, encourage us, bless us, and give us victory, but to say we deserve the blessings may be more than we are willing to accept.

Why do we struggle over the concept of deserving? Our tendency is to think that we have to do something to earn the blessings . . . that we have to be good enough or faithful enough. We miss the point of God’s powerful, gracious love. Our blessings from God are not a result of our goodness. They are the result of God’s goodness.

We are entitled to God’s blessings for only one reason: because we are His children. It’s just that simple. Those of us who are parents grasp that concept with regard to our children. We brought them into the world, and they deserve our love. We freely give them our love before they do anything good or bad. They deserve our protection and all the good things we choose to give them. They don’t deserve those things because they’ve done something to earn them, but simply because they are our children.

Satan loves to trip us up on this one. As soon as we think it is right for us to be blessed, he points to our weaknesses or our failures. God points to our relationship. That’s the difference.

Prayer of the Day: Gracious and loving God, thank You for being willing to bless me. Even though the devil tries to make me feel undeserving, please remind me that I am Your child and You are my Father. My relationship to You makes me deserving, and I thank You for that in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

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For as [surely as] the earth brings forth its shoots, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring forth, so [surely] the Lord God will cause rightness and justice and praise to spring forth before all the nations [through the self-fulfilling power of His word].

Isaiah 61:11 (AMPC)

When a farmer plants a seed in the ground, that seed contains everything needed to reproduce a plant just like the one the seed came from. The seed has self-fulfilling power. All the farmer needs to do is water the seed and keep the weeds from choking the life out of it, and the seed does the rest.

The Word of God functions the same way. It has self-fulfilling power. When it is planted in our hearts and we water it with our faith and keep the weeds (sin) out of our lives, we will see amazing things develop simply from believing God’s Word.

Faith is amazing. It is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1 NKJV). God created everything we see in the world from nothing, and He will do the same for us as we believe and trust in His Word.

When we put a tomato seed in the ground, we will get tomatoes, and likewise, when we put our faith in God’s Word, we will get what it promises.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, help me plant Your Word in my heart and water it with faith. I trust in Your promises and believe You will bring them to life in me. In the name of Jesus I pray, amen.

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For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

2 Corinthians 4:17-18 (ESV)

Like you, I have faced difficult times in life, and I have learned to tell myself, “This can’t last forever. This, too, shall pass.” When you are going through hardship, deep disappointment, or some struggle that seems impossible, it’s easy to be tempted to think, I cannot stand this for one more day.

The devil takes advantage of our hurts and wounds and tempts us to think several times a day that our trials are going to last forever, that we will hurt for the rest of our lives, or that the negative effect of our problems will be permanent. We think, and sometimes fear, our pain will follow us everywhere we go for as long as we live. The truth is, nothing on earth lasts forever. The only thing we have that is eternal is our life in Christ. In the context of eternity, the struggles that seem unending in this life are actually quite brief. God always wants to heal us, restore us, and deliver us.

Chances are, you can look back over the course of your life and remember other times you have been hurt. God has been faithful to bring you through those times; you can be confident you will make it through this current challenge again through Christ, who gives you strength (Phil. 4:13).

Paul’s point in 2 Corinthians 4:17–18 is that seasons of difficulty always pass. They do not last forever. Going through trials is tough, but God is always with us—helping us, encouraging us, and fighting our battles for us. He never wants us to stay in pain. He always wants to heal us.

When you are tempted to become discouraged because you feel your journey to healing in your soul is taking a long time, remember: “This, too, shall pass.” Your afflictions may not seem “light and momentary” to you right now, but from the perspective of eternity, they are. No matter how difficult your situation may look, God loves you and has a good plan for your life. Your future is bright, and He is preparing you for something great.

Romans 8:28 says that we can “know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” God can take even the hurts and wounds we endure and use them for good in our lives. They won’t last forever, and He will use them to strengthen us and to bless and help others.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, help me trust that my struggles are temporary and that You are with me, healing and restoring. Strengthen me to persevere, knowing this, too, shall pass, amen.

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Do not be afraid of sudden terror, nor of trouble from the wicked when it comes; for the LORD will be your confidence, and will keep your foot from being caught.

Proverbs 3:25–26 (NKJV)

I once heard a story of a village where the children were told, “Whatever you do, don’t go near the top of the mountain. It’s where the monster lives.” One day, some brave young men decided they wanted to see the monster and defeat it. Halfway up the mountain, they encountered a huge roar and a terrible stench. Half the men ran down the mountain, screaming. The other half of the group got farther up the mountain and noticed the monster was smaller than they had expected—but it continued to roar and emit such a stench that all but one man ran away. As he took another step forward, the monster shrank to the size of a man. Another step, and it shrank again. It was still hideously ugly and stank, but the man could actually pick it up and hold it in the palm of his hand. He said to the monster, “Who are you?” In a tiny, high-pitched voice, the monster squeaked, “My name is Fear.”

If you follow God’s plan for conquering fear, you will find one day that the things that frightened you the most were really nothing at all.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, help me to begin to confront the fears I’ve been running away from. I want to silence the roars that keep me from moving ahead with my life, amen.

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Return to the stronghold, you prisoners of hope. Even today I declare that I will restore double to you.

Zechariah 9:12 (NKJV)

What are you hoping for today? What are you expecting in life? Are you looking for something good to happen, or are you expecting to be disappointed?

So many people are feeling hopeless these days. However, Jesus did not die for us to be hopeless. He died so that we could be full of hope.

The devil wants to steal your hope, and he will lie to you in order to do that. He will tell you that nothing good can happen in your life or that the good things you care about won’t last. But stay full of hope and remember that the devil is a liar. God’s Word is truth, and His promises bring hope.

Our Father is good, and He has good plans for you. So, refuse to give up hope and instead become a prisoner of hope! Start expecting God to do something wonderful in your life.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, fill my heart with hope and help me to trust in Your promises. I choose to expect Your goodness and refuse to let the enemy steal my hope.

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And Moses called Bezalel and Aholiab and every able and wisehearted man in whose mind the Lord had put wisdom and ability, everyone whose heart stirred him up to come to do the work.

Exodus 36:2 (AMPC)

Something powerful happens in your life when your heart is stirred up for action. It doesn’t do us any good to say, “Oh, I wish I felt that way.” We can decide to do something about the way we feel by stirring up our own hearts to do what God has called us to do.

How do we stir up our faith? I have discovered that the Word of God coming out of my own mouth in the form of prayer, praise, preaching, or confessions is the best way that I can find to fan the fire. It stirs up the gift within, keeps my faith and my hope active, and prevents my spirit from sinking within me.

Passivity, procrastination, and laziness are tools the enemy uses against God’s people. A passive person waits to be moved by an outside force before taking action. But we can be motivated and led by the Holy Spirit within us, not by outside forces. The best way to guard against passivity is to do whatever is before you with all of your might.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, stir my heart and faith to take action. Help me speak Your Word and be led by Your Spirit, and please help me keep my hope active and my spirit energized. In the name of Jesus, amen.

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And Moses called Bezalel and Aholiab and every able and wisehearted man in whose mind the Lord had put wisdom and ability, everyone whose heart stirred him up to come to do the work.

Exodus 36:2 (AMPC)

Something powerful happens in your life when your heart is stirred up for action. It doesn’t do us any good to say, “Oh, I wish I felt that way.” We can decide to do something about the way we feel by stirring up our own hearts to do what God has called us to do.

How do we stir up our faith? I have discovered that the Word of God coming out of my own mouth in the form of prayer, praise, preaching, or confessions is the best way that I can find to fan the fire. It stirs up the gift within, keeps my faith and my hope active, and prevents my spirit from sinking within me.

Passivity, procrastination, and laziness are tools the enemy uses against God’s people. A passive person waits to be moved by an outside force before taking action. But we can be motivated and led by the Holy Spirit within us, not by outside forces. The best way to guard against passivity is to do whatever is before you with all of your might.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, stir my heart and faith to take action. Help me speak Your Word and be led by Your Spirit, and please help me keep my hope active and my spirit energized. In the name of Jesus, amen.

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Then the disciples came to Jesus and asked privately, Why could we not drive [the demon] out? He said to them, Because of the littleness of your faith [that is, your lack of firmly relying trust]. For truly I say to you, if you have faith [that is living] like a grain of mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, Move from here to yonder place, and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you.

Matthew 17:19-20 (AMPC)

I sometimes hear people say, “I just don’t have enough faith for that.” The truth is we all have the faith we need to do whatever God’s will is for us, but the key to success is where we place that faith. If you put your faith in yourself or in other people, you will be disappointed. But if you put it in God, you will be amazed at what He can do through you.

Remember: With men, this is impossible, but all things are possible with God (Matthew 19:26 AMPC).

Prayer of the Day: Father God, please help me to place my faith fully in You. I trust that with Your power, all things are possible. Strengthen my belief in Your ability to work through me, amen.

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But they continued to sin against him, rebelling in the wilderness against the Most High.

Psalm 78:17 (NIV)

If you read all of Psalm 78, you will see that the Israelites had a bad attitude as they made their journey through the wilderness toward the Promised Land. I am certain that their bad attitudes started with negative thoughts. Thoughts lead to words, and words lead to emotional moods, attitudes, and actions. We know that the Israelites’ bad attitudes caused them to complain and speak negatively to and about their leaders, Moses and Aaron, which ultimately led to total rebellion.

We are wise to remember that our thoughts are the raw materials for our attitudes. If we think loving thoughts toward people, we will have an attitude of love toward them, and we will speak kindly and lovingly toward them. We will also express our love for them through our actions. This example of love and kindness is positive, but the same principle applies to negative thoughts, words, and attitudes.

In any situation, you can have a good attitude or a bad one, and it will begin with your thoughts. Choose positive thoughts today!

Prayer of the Day: Lord, help me choose to think godly thoughts so I will have godly attitudes.

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And all the women who had ability and whose hearts stirred them up in wisdom spun the goats’ hair.

Exodus 35:26 (AMPC)

When people think about managing their emotions, they often think of dealing with anger, fear, or other negative feelings. But we can also manage our positive emotions, such as joy and enthusiasm. We can be excited about God and what He calls us to do.

In today’s scripture, we read that the women who spun goats’ hair were “stirred up,” which describes their excitement. What were they stirred up about? Building the tabernacle, a portable sanctuary where the Israelites could worship God during their journey through the wilderness (Exodus 35).

Nothing on earth is worth getting excited about like God is. And there’s nothing better in which to invest our enthusiasm and energy than the assignments He gives us. Paul encourages us in Romans 12:11: Never lag in zeal and in earnest endeavor; be aglow and burning with the Spirit, serving the Lord (AMPC).

A person doesn’t have to be in full-time ministry to serve the Lord. You can serve Him as you love your family, as you’re kind to people in the grocery store, or as you do your job with excellence and integrity. However, and wherever you serve Him, be sure to do it joyfully.

If you find yourself lagging in zeal or enthusiasm, take time to stir yourself up by spending time in God’s presence and thinking about how wonderful He is. Enthusiasm is contagious, so talk to a fellow believer—someone who is excited about God and serving Him with gladness—and let their joy influence you. God is awesome, and He is worth getting excited about!

Prayer of the Day: Father, thank You for the unique way You’ve made me, with all my strengths and weaknesses. Help me to love myself as You love me and keep me stirred up to do what You have called me to do, amen.

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As we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

2 Corinthians 4:18 (ESV)

Yesterday I had what I would call a very challenging day. Four very disappointing things happened one right after another. I kept turning them over to the Lord, but they kept coming back to my thoughts and stirring up my emotions. I’m sure you have things like that too. When these days come, what should we do?

One thing that really seems to help me is to put my problems in perspective. I may have a problem (or three or four), but thankfully, I also have the privilege of praying to the Creator of all things and the assurance that He hears me and will answer. It also helps me to remind myself that these challenges will not last forever. While I am waiting for these situations to improve, I count my blessings, which far outnumber my problems.

We can trust God to do the best for us when we ask for His help. He may not always give us what we want, but He will always give us what we need. I encourage you today to remember that your problems are temporary, and God is working on them right now.

Prayer of the Day: Father, help me not to worry when trouble comes, but to keep my problems in their proper perspective compared to the rest of my life. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord has made to light upon Him the guilt and iniquity of us all.

Isaiah 53:6 (AMPC)

Jesus not only took our iniquity upon Himself, but He also took the guilt, and we are free from both. To believe that our sins are forgiven and then remain guilty and condemned makes it clear that a person does not properly understand God’s Word. How can we feel guilty about something that the Bible clearly says God forgives, forgets, and removes as far as the east is from the west? (Hebrews 10:17–18; Psalm 103:12)

Feeling guilty is our carnal way of trying to pay for our sins, but we cannot pay for something that has already been paid for. Jesus paid and we are debt free! This does not mean that we don’t feel sorry for our sins. We may even feel a grieving in our hearts because of our iniquities, but a guilty condemnation is the devil’s tool to keep us from making progress and bearing good fruit for God.

Conviction of sin is from the Holy Spirit and is intended to lift us out of sin, but condemnation is counterproductive because it presses us down and burdens us with feelings of overwhelming guilt.

The only way we can be useful to God is if we know what He has done for us, who we are in Him, and the power that is available to us as believers in Him. Jesus paid for our sins and in Him there is no condemnation (Romans 8:1). Make a decision to stop wasting precious time and energy feeling guilty about something that God has forgiven and forgotten.

Prayer of the Day: Father, thank You for Your great grace and mercy. Your complete forgiveness of my sin is astounding. Help me walk in the freedom that You have provided for me in Jesus.

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…These are the words of the Holy One, the True One, He Who has the key of David, Who opens and no one shall shut, Who shuts and no one shall open.

Revelation 3:7 (AMPC)

Sometimes God speaks by opening or closing a door to something we want to do. Paul and Silas tried to go into Bithynia to preach the Gospel and minister to the people there, but the Spirit of Jesus prevented them from doing so (see Acts 16:6–7). We do not know exactly how that occurred; it is possible that they simply lost their peace. I sense that they actually tried to go into that province, and God somehow kept them from getting there.

Dave and I know from experience that God can open doors of opportunity that no one can close, and He can also close doors that we simply cannot open. I pray that God will only open the doors through which He wants me to pass. I may sincerely think something is right to do, when it may really be wrong; therefore, I depend on God to close doors I am trying to walk through if I am in fact making a mistake. I spent years of my life trying to make things happen that I wanted to do. The result was frustration and disappointment. It is much more peaceful and enjoyable to do my part and then simply trust God to open the doors that agree with His plan for my life and close tightly the ones that do not. God loves you and you can be assured that at the right time, He will open the right door for you.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, please help me trust You to open the right doors and close those that are not part of Your good plan for my life.

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[For Abraham, human reason for] hope being gone, hoped in faith that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been promised, so [numberless] shall your descendants be. He did not weaken in faith when he considered the [utter] impotence of his own body, which was as good as dead because he was about a hundred years old, or [when he considered] the barrenness of Sarah’s [deadened] womb. No unbelief or distrust made him waver (doubtingly question) concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong and was empowered by faith as he gave praise and glory to God, fully satisfied and assured that God was able and mighty to keep His word and to do what He had promised.

Romans 4:18-21 (AMPC)

The story of Abraham amazes me no matter how many times I read it. It’s not just the birth of a son when he was 100 years old. That’s a miracle. But just as amazing is the information that he waited 25 years for the fulfillment of the promise. He was 75 when God promised him a son.

I wonder how many of us would believe God and live in expectation for 25 years. Most of us probably would have said, “I didn’t really hear from God.” “Oh, I guess maybe God didn’t really mean that.” Or, “I need to go somewhere else to get a fresh word from the Lord.” Sarah and Abraham did have problems holding on to that promise. As a means of attempting to get what they wanted, they had Sarah’s handmaiden, Hagar, bear him a son, but God let him know that wasn’t the way it was going to be. I believe their actions delayed the arrival of God’s promised child.

In our impatience, we often take matters into our own hands. I say we get “bright ideas”—plans of our own, which we hope God will bless. These plans open the door for confusion and chaos. Then their results must be dealt with, which often delays our miracle.

When Moses came down from Sinai after having received the Ten Commandments from God, He saw the wickedness of the Israelites who had become impatient in waiting. In anger, he broke the tablets on which God had written the commands. Although we can understand Moses’ anger, we must remember that it was not initiated by God. Therefore, Moses had to ascend Mount Sinai again and once more go through the process of obtaining the Ten Commandments. Moses may have enjoyed a momentary emotional release, but it cost him a lot of extra work. This is a good lesson for all of us. We must pray first and agree with God’s plan, not plan and pray that our plan will work.

It’s often difficult to believe God and hold on year after year after year.

Sometimes after my meetings, people come to me and tell me many sad stories. I encourage them to become positive and upbeat. Some people will listen to every word I say, nod, maybe even smile, and then they say the most negative word of all: “But . . .” With that single word, they are negating everything I’ve said. That’s not the spirit of Abraham.

The Bible gives us promises, hope, and encouragement. God promises good to those of us who serve Him. Despite the adversity of our circumstances—and some people have absolutely terrible situations—God still promises good. Our sense of goodness, however, may not be the same as God’s. Getting what we want immediately may not be best for us. Sometimes waiting is the best thing because it helps develop the character of God in us.

The Lord chooses to do good to us and to make us happy; the devil chooses to do wrong and to make us miserable. We can remain patient and keep believing God’s promises, or we can allow the evil one’s whisper to fill our ears and lead us astray.

Too many of us have ignored the fact that God is the originator of miracles. He specializes in doing the impossible: He provided a son to barren Sarah; He opened the Red Sea for the Israelites to walk across on dry land; He destroyed Goliath with a single stone from a slingshot. Those are miracles. That’s the Holy Spirit at work, defying the laws of nature (He made the laws, so He can break them).

Hebrews 11 is a chapter about faith and the people of God who dared to believe the promises. But without faith it is impossible to please and be satisfactory to Him. For whoever would come near to God must [necessarily] believe that God exists and that He is the rewarder of those who earnestly and diligently seek Him [out] (v. 6 AMPC).

As I consider that verse, I can see how the devil creeps in. He says to us, “Yes, that’s true. Those were special people. You are nobody. God won’t do anything special for you. Why should He?”

That is a satanic lie—and one that too many easily accept. God loves each of us, and the Bible says He’s our Father. Any good father loves to do good things for his children. God wants to do good things for you and for me.

Expect a miracle in your life. Expect many miracles.

Positive belief in God’s promises yields good results because the Good One sends them to us. Refuse to give up, and you will see the result of your positive belief.

Prayer of the Day: Father God, please forgive my lack of belief. Forgive me for allowing Satan to deceive me or make me think I’m worthless or unworthy of Your miracles. I am worthy because You made me worthy. You are the God of the impossible, and I ask You to help me wait on You and never give up. In the name of Jesus Christ my Lord, I pray, amen.

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Look carefully then how you walk! Live purposefully and worthily and accurately, not as the unwise and witless, but as wise (sensible, intelligent people).

Ephesians 5:15 (AMPC)

Many times, you ask God to speak to you, but if He doesn’t respond with a specific word, you still have to live your daily life. You make decisions every day, and He doesn’t dictate every little choice you make. When you don’t get a rhema (spoken word) from God, you need to use wisdom to make good choices. He expects you to handle some issues on your own. You shouldn’t always re- quire a “big word” from God.

For example, if you want to buy something and wonder if you should, the first obvious question you need to ask yourself is, “Can I afford it?” If not, then wisdom would say, “Don’t buy it!” The audible voice of God is not needed when wisdom is already shouting the truth. You need to be mature enough to do what you already know is right.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, help me make wise choices in everyday decisions. Give me the maturity to trust the wisdom You’ve already given me and to always walk in faith, amen.

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

Proverbs 16:9 (AMPC)

You may have to step out to find out the right thing to do. If you don’t hear clearly from God, just step in the direction you think you should go and then wait for peace. If you lose your peace, back out of wherever you were headed.

Dave and I almost bought two different buildings to house our ministry. We were in negotiations until, one morning after praying, Dave said, “Joyce, I don’t have peace about buying that building. I feel like God is saying, ‘If you buy that building, you are going to be sorry later.’” So, we waited for peace, and now we have a building that is completely paid for with room to grow. Pray until you find peace.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, please help me trust Your guidance. Give me peace when making decisions, and the wisdom to step back and reassess when I lose my peace. Guide me in Your perfect will. All this in the name of Jesus I pray, amen.

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And He said to them, [As for you] come away by yourselves to a deserted place, and rest a while—for many were [continually]coming and going, and they had not even leisure enough to eat.

Devoimage23

Frequently we complain and live silently angry lives while at the same time we continue to do the very things that make us angry. We cannot blame others for what is ultimately our own responsibility. A normal Christian life should be lived within the boundaries of balanced living.

Once a person has a serious case of burnout, it is not easy to fix. None of us, not even those of us “called by God,” can break His natural laws without paying the penalty. Even though we may work for God, we cannot live without limits. Jesus rested. He walked away from the demands of the crowds and took time for renewal.

Many of God’s most precious and well-known saints have suffered from weariness and burnout with a tendency toward depression. We must learn that not all of our problems are spiritual; some of them are physical. We often blame the devil for things that are our own fault. We must learn to say no and not fear the loss of relationships. I have come to the conclusion that if I lose a relationship because I tell someone no, I really never had a true relationship at all.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, give me wisdom to know when I must rest and be renewed. Help me to adjust my schedule when I need to be refueled, amen.

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When they had all had enough, He said to His disciples, Gather up now the fragments (the broken pieces that are left over), so that nothing may be lost and wasted.

John 6:12 (AMPC)

Don’t just give God what you are and what you feel you have to offer—give Him what you are not. If you make mistakes or feel that you are lacking in several areas, give it to God and let Him be your all. If you give God everything you are and everything you are not, He will give you everything He is and has. Victory is not about what you can do; it’s about what God can do through you.

Paul said that God’s strength was made perfect in his weakness. Jesus said to gather up the fragments, so nothing is wasted. If you will give Jesus all of you, even the worn-out, used-up fragments, He will make something awesome out of them. Let God begin to flow through your strengths and your weaknesses.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, I give You all that I am and all that I am not. Please use my weaknesses to reveal Your strength and power through me, as I know I could never accomplish anything on my own, amen.

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You in Your mercy and loving-kindness have led forth the people whom You have redeemed; You have guided them in Your strength to Your holy habitation.

Exodus 15:13 (AMPC)

God will try to guide us, but He won’t force us to do the right thing or to move in the direction He has set forth for us.

Anything God guides us to do or not to do is for our benefit, and if we trust that, then we can follow His direction more easily. God’s desire is that we want His will more than we want anything else. There is no better place to be than in the will of God.

The center of God’s will is a place of joy, peace, and rest. When these things are missing in our lives it may be a strong indication that we have slipped out of God’s will. However, God will guide us back to the right path if we ask Him to.

Prayer of the Day: Father God, help me desire Your will more than anything else. Guide me back to Your path whenever I stray and fill me with peace and joy in Your presence, amen.

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Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.

Hebrews 10:22 (NIV)

There are some things you should keep between you and God, but some things must be brought out into the open. I have an example from my own life that may be helpful. When I was twenty years old—and that was a long time ago—I stole money from a company I worked for. The man I was married to at the time was a petty thief, and he convinced me to write some payroll checks since I was the payroll clerk, and we would cash them and quickly get out of town. I am not blaming him because I should have said no, but there are times in life when we let people we love talk us into things that go against our consciences. When we do, it always ends up badly.

We did cash the checks and leave town, but eventually we came back, and sure enough there was an ongoing investigation about the stolen money. I was questioned, told more lies, and escaped being accused of the crime. My husband cheated on me with other women, stole property, and eventually was arrested and went to prison. We got a divorce, and many years later, married to someone else and about to enter the ministry, I knew that I had to go to the company I’d stolen from, admit my theft, and pay back the money. Wow! What if they had me arrested? I was so frightened, but I knew I had to obey God. I could not go forward until that thing from my past was confronted.

I went to the company and explained what I had done and that I was now a Christian and wanted to ask their forgiveness and pay back the money. They graciously let me do so, and I was set free from the nagging fear that someday I might get caught. I am convinced that if I had not obeyed God, I would not be in ministry today. God is willing to forgive us for anything, but we must confess it and make restitution wherever possible.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, help me confront my past, seek forgiveness, and make things right, no matter how I might feel about the situation. Grant me courage to face difficult truths and walk in Your forgiveness and grace, amen.

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