It is good for me to draw near to God; I have put my trust in the Lord God and made Him my refuge, that I may tell of all Your works.— Psalm 73:28

There are many examples in God’s Word of men and women who went through periods of questioning, doubting, blaming, and even criticizing God. But they realized they were being foolish. They repented and turned back to trusting God instead of being angry with Him.

This psalmist is one of those people. Here is my paraphrase of his progression from anger to trust in Psalm 73: “God, it sure seems that the wicked prosper and do better than I do. I am trying to live a godly life, but it does not seem to be doing any good. It looks as if it’s all in vain. I am having nothing but trouble, and when I try to understand it, the pain is too much for me. However, I have spent time with You, and I can understand that in the end the wicked come to ruin and destruction. My heart was grieved. I was bitter and in a state of upset. I was stupid, ignorant, and behaving like a beast. Now I see that You are continually with me. You hold my right hand. Who do I have in heaven, God, but You? Who will help me? If You don’t, there is no one on earth who can help me. You are my strength and my portion forever. It is good for me to trust in You, O Lord, and make You my refuge” (see vv. 12-28).

If you are stuck in a place of bitterness toward God, I encourage you to go through the process of forgiveness. Anger toward God is a “spiritual roadblock”—perhaps stronger than any other. Why? Simply because anger closes the door to the only One Who can help, heal, comfort, or restore our emotions, relationships, and lives. While God doesn’t need our forgiveness, we need to forgive Him and repent in order to be released from bitterness and resentment. If we have been harboring a grudge against God, we must forgive Him so we can experience His power and blessing in our lives and our relationships.

Trust in Him: It isn’t wrong to feel anger, but you must quickly realize you have no reason to hold on to anger against God, the One Who knows what is best for you. Don’t let a “spiritual roadblock” keep you from trusting Him.

From the book Trusting God Day by Day by Joyce Meyer.

http://www.joycemeyer.org

…And who knows but that you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this and for this very occasion? —Esther 4:14

Have you ever noticed that the men and women we read about in the Bible and consider “great” were all people who allowed God to interrupt their lives and were willing to make tremendous sacrifices for Him?

Joseph saved a nation from starvation, but not before God dramatically removed him from his comfortable home where he was his father’s favorite and allowed him to be imprisoned for many years. Joseph probably wasn’t planning a life of hardship and rejection, but God took him through those things in order to position him to be in the right place at the right time. But Joseph could only know that after the fact.

Esther was a young maiden who undoubtedly had plans for her future when suddenly, without warning, she was asked to enter the king’s harem and gain favor with him so she could reveal the plan of wicked Haman, who intended to slaughter the Jews. She was asked to do things that left her frightened for her life, but her wise uncle knew that God had brought her to this point in her life and allowed everything she had endured in the past to prepare her for a moment of greatness.

These people had plans, but they let God interrupt them and they followed Him instead. If you will decide that you don’t mind having God interrupt your life, He can prepare you too, for moments of greatness and use you in awesome ways.

Love God Today:“Lord, interrupt my life for Your purposes at any time and in any way You see fit.”

From the book Love Out Loud by Joyce Meyer

http://www.joycemeyer.org

I, Wisdom [from God], make prudence my dwelling, and I find out knowledge and discretion.—Proverbs 8:12

A word you don’t hear very much teaching about is “prudence.” In the Scriptures “prudence” or “prudent” means being good stewards of the gifts God has given us to use. Those gifts include abilities, time, energy, strength, and health, as well as material possessions. They include our bodies, as well as our minds and spirits.

God has given each of us different gifts and grace according to how He wants us to use them. One person may be gifted to sing and does so in their local area, while another person’s singing ability is known in most of the world. The Bible tells us to use our gifts according to the grace given to us (see Romans 12:6).

Each of us would be wise to know how much we are able to handle, to be able to recognize when we are reaching “full capacity” or “overload.” Instead of pushing ourselves into overload to please others, satisfy our own desires, or reach our personal goals, we can learn to listen to the Lord and obey Him. If we follow the Lord’s leading, we will enjoy blessed lives.

We all experience stress and at times we feel the effects of it, but we should learn to manage it well. Ask God to show you areas in your life that could be changed to help you eliminate excess stress better.

From the book Closer to God Each Day by Joyce Meyer.

http://www.joycemeyer.org

…I will pour out my Spirit upon all people…. In those days I will pour out my Spirit even on servants—men and women alike.—Joel 2:28-29 NLT

I believe that most women possess a sixth sense that God did not give to men. It’s often called women’s intuition, and it’s the real deal. Men are usually very logical, while women tend to be more “feeling” orientated. For example, a male manager might look at a job candidate’s résumé, job application, college GPA, and work history and be ready to hire him, based on the “facts.” However, this male manager’s female counterpart might evaluate the same candidate and intuitively pick up on personality quirks or subtle-but-destructive attitudes that don’t show up on paper.

This does not mean that women are innately better leaders than men or that their instincts are based on a special God-to-woman frequency to which men aren’t attuned. In fact, a woman’s emotions can also get her in trouble, and she frequently needs the left-brain logic of a man to help her see things clearly.

The point is that women and men need one another; they can complement one another. Neither the man nor the woman sees the whole picture clearly or completely. That’s why men and women should work together, side by side in harmony, respecting one another as equals.

Lord, I thank You for making me the way You have. Help me to use my intuition and other gifts to be a blessing, and surround me with those who will help me see clearly. Amen.

From the book The Confident Woman Devotional: 365 Daily Devotions by Joyce Meyer

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Why are you cast down, O my inner self? And why should you moan over me and be disquieted within me? Hope in God and wait expectantly for Him, for I shall yet praise Him, my Help and my God. —Psalm 42:5

In today’s verse, the psalmist is clearly discouraged. Discouragement destroys hope, so naturally the enemy tries hard to discourage us. Without hope we give up, which is exactly what the devil wants us to do.

The Bible repeatedly tells us not to be discouraged or dismayed. God knows that we will not be strong or victorious if we lose our courage, and He wants us to be encouraged, not discouraged. When discouragement tries to overtake you, the first thing to do is to examine your thought life. What kinds of thoughts have you been thinking? Have they sounded something like this? I am not going to make it; this is too hard. I always fail; I may as well give up. God probably doesn’t answer my prayers because He is so disappointed in the way I act.

If these examples represent your thoughts, no wonder you despair! You become what you think. Think discouraging thoughts, and you will get discouraged. Change your thinking and be set free!

Love Yourself Today: Instead of thinking negatively, think more like this: Well, things are going a little slowly, but, thank God, I am making some progress. I am sure glad I’m on the right path. I had a rough day yesterday. I chose wrong thinking all day long. Father, forgive me, and help me to keep on keeping on. This is a new day. You love me, Lord. Your mercy is new every morning. I refuse to be discouraged. Father, You sent Jesus to die for me. I’ll be fine—today will be a great day. I ask You to help me choose right thoughts today.

From the book Love Out Loud by Joyce Meyer.

http://www.joycemeyer.org

But when He, the Spirit of Truth (the Truth-giving Spirit) comes, He will guide you into all the Truth (the whole, full Truth). For He will not speak His own message [on His own authority]; but He will tell whatever He hears [from the Father; He will give the message that has been given to Him], and He will announce and declare to you the things that are to come [that will happen in the future].—John 16:13

God knew you would need help in understanding His plan for you, so He sent the Holy Spirit to dwell inside you. He is your Guide, your Teacher of truth, your Comfort, and your Helper. He is also the Parakletos (Paraclete), which means counselor, advocate, and intercessor.

Jesus was confined to a body and could be only one place at a time. But He knew the Holy Spirit would be with you everywhere you go, all the time, leading and guiding you. Embrace the Holy Spirit in you, resting in the knowledge that in Him you are becoming everything God planned for you to be.

From the book Ending Your Day Right by Joyce Meyer.

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Wait and hope for and expect the Lord; be brave and of good courage and let your heart be stout and enduring. Yes, wait for and hope for and expect the Lord.—Psalm 27:14

When we “wait” on God, we are not being lazy or passive, but we are actually being very active spiritually. We may not be “doing” anything, but we are trusting God to do what needs to be done. In effect, we are saying, “Lord, I will not try to do this in my own strength. I will wait on You to deliver me. And I’m going to enjoy my life while I wait for You.”

Satan wants us to be frustrated from trying to solve our own problems. He hates our joy. He wants to see anything but joy, because the joy of the Lord is our strength (see Nehemiah 8:10). Worry robs us of strength, but joy energizes us.

We are tempted to think we are not doing our part if we don’t worry or try to figure out an answer to our problems, but this will prevent our deliverance rather than aid it. It is not irresponsible to enjoy life while we wait on God and expect Him to do what we don’t know how to do!

Do not fear because the battle is not yours, but the Lord’s.

From the book Closer to God Each Day by Joyce Meyer.

http://www.joycemeyer.org

But let endurance and steadfastness and patience have full play and do a thorough work, so that you may be [people] perfectly and fully developed [with no defects], lacking in nothing.—James 1:4

Patience is extremely important for people who want to glorify God and enjoy their lives. If we are impatient, the situations we encounter in life will certainly cause us to react emotionally.

The next time you have to wait on something or someone, instead of just reacting, try reminding yourself, Getting upset will not make this go any faster, so I might as well enjoy the wait. Then perhaps say out loud, “I am developing patience as I wait, so I am thankful in this situation.” If you do that, you will be acting on the Word of God rather than reacting to the unpleasant circumstance.

Remember, patience is a fruit of the Spirit that God wants to develop in your life. Don’t merely think about how hard and frustrating it is, but think about how blessed you can be as you learn the art of waiting well.

Prayer of Thanks: Father, I am grateful that You have planted patience in my spirit and that through You, I can react properly to any situation. Help me today, and every day, to exercise patience in all things.

From the book The Power of Being Thankful by Joyce Meyer.

http://www.joycemeyer.org