Unless otherwise indicated, Scriptures are taken from the Amplified Bible.
Copyright 1954, 1962, 1965, 1987 by the Lockman Foundation.
Used by permission.
Scriptures noted KJV are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.
Scriptures noted The Message are taken from The Message. Copyright 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.
Scriptures noted NIV are taken from the HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.
Scriptures noted NKJV are taken from the NEW KING JAMES VERSION. Copyright 1979, 1980, 1982, Thomas Nelson, Inc., Publishers.
Scriptures noted NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996. Used by permission of Tynsdale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Ill. 60189. All rights reserved.
Copyright 2010 by Joyce Meyer
All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
FaithWords
Hachette Book Group
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First eBook Edition: January 2010
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ISBN: 978-0-446-57286-6
E3-20170707-JV-PC
The woman said to Him, I know that Messiah is coming, He Who is called the Christ (the Anointed One); and when He arrives, He will tell us everything we need to know and make it clear to us.
(JOHN 4:25)
L earning to hear from God and be led by the Holy Spirit is an exciting adventure. God wants to speak to you and tell you what you need to know to enjoy your life, be blessed, be wise, and fulfill the good plans He has for you. He always has something good and helpful to say, but sometimes people miss knowing these things because they fail to recognize that God is speaking to them. They need to learn how to hear and obey His voice.
Earthly parents talk to their children all the time, so why wouldnt our heavenly Father speak to us? Human parents do not expect their children to know what to do if they dont tell them, and God feels the same way toward His children. He wants to tell us everything we need to know in life.
We often want to go our own way so we can do what we want to do, when we want to do it. But, when we live this way, we end up losing our way and wasting our lives. We need the Holy Spirit to guide us through each day of our time on Earth, and He is committed to doing so by speaking to us and telling us everything we need to know.
GODS WORD FOR YOU TODAY: You have a guide and a comforter in the Holy Spirit, who is with you 24-7.
One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek, inquire for, and [insistently] require: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord [in His presence] all the days of my life, to behold and gaze upon the beauty [the sweet attractiveness and the delightful loveliness] of the Lord and to meditate, consider, and inquire in His temple.
(PSALM 27:4)
I f we desire to hear from God, then seeking Him must be a priority in our lives. David summarized lifes one requirement in the verse for today. He required Gods presence as a vital necessity in life.
David had enjoyed many opportunities to succeed and gain confidence. Empowered by the presence of God, he had killed an imposing giant with nothing more than a slingshot and five small stones. God chose this simple shepherd boy to become king of Israel even though he was the youngest brother of a family of men. His eventual fame and wealth offered everything most people might think would bring satisfaction.
Davids pursuit of more of God, even after experiencing Gods presence in many ways, should give us a realization that we must continue seeking God no matter how many victories we have enjoyed. After all, even David needed to know God more intimately.
Many people want guidance from God, but they dont want to lay aside other things in order to hear His voice. But David narrowed down everything he wanted to just one thingmore of God all the days of his life. I believe the only thing that truly satisfies the longing within us is to know God more intimately today than we did yesterday.
GODS WORD FOR YOU TODAY: Pursue more of God in your lifetoday and every day.
Come close to God and He will come close to you.
(JAMES 4:8)
N ot everyone is willing to pay the price required to be close to God. Not everyone is willing to simply take the time required or make the investments needed for spiritual growth. God doesnt ask for all of our time. He certainly wants us to do things we dont consider spiritual. He designed us with bodies, souls (minds, wills, and emotions), and spirits, and He expects us to take care of all these areas.
Exercising our bodies and caring for our souls takes time and effort. Our emotions need to be ministered to; we need to have fun and be entertained, and we need to enjoy being with other people. Our minds need to grow and be renewed daily. In addition, we have a spiritual nature that needs attention. To stay balanced and healthy, we must take time to take care of our entire being.
I believe the whole issue of intimacy with God is a matter of time. We say we dont have time to seek God, but the truth is that we take time to do the things that are most important to us. Even though we all have to fight distractions every day, if knowing God and hearing from Him is important to us then we will find time to do it. Dont try to work God into your schedule, but instead work your schedule around time with Him.
Getting to know God is a long-term investment, so dont get discouraged if you dont get instant results. Be determined to honor Him with your time and you will reap the benefits.
GODS WORD FOR YOU TODAY: Just like physical exercise, spiritual exercise needs to be done regularly. Youre sure to see the results.
Let the peace (soul harmony which comes) from Christ rule (act as umpire continually) in your hearts.
(COLOSSIANS 3:15)
I try to run my life by finding peace. If I am shopping, I dont buy something if I dont have peace about it. If I am involved in a conversation and find myself losing my peace, I become quiet. When I make decisions, I look at the options before me and see where the peace is. When I am trying to discern between the voice of God and the other voices that compete for my attention, I listen to see which voice or message brings the peace of God into my heart.
I have learned that maintaining peace is important in order to maintain power in our lives. When we dont have peace, we may very well be making a serious mistake. I would go so far as to say we should never act without peace. We might say that peace is an internal confirmation that God approves of the decision we have made.
God leads us by peace. The verse for today says peace is like an umpire that decides what is safe or what is out. If theres no peace, its out! We are to let the inner harmony in our minds and souls rule and act as an umpire continually in our hearts, deciding and settling with finality all the questions that arise in our minds and the decisions we must make in our lives.
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