Free Trusting God Day by Day: 365 Daily Devotions by Joyce Meyer Page A

foolish to put the wise to shame, and what the world calls weak to put the strong to shame. And God also selected (deliberately chose) what in the world is lowborn and insignificant and branded and treated with contempt, even the things that are nothing, that He might depose and bring to nothing the things that are, so that no mortal man should [have pretense for glorying and] boast in the presence of God.
    1 CORINTHIANS 1:27–29
    T he Bible contains many examples of weak people through whom God chose to accomplish great things for His glory, including His disciples. They were ordinary men who possessed weaknesses, just like you and me.
    The gospels clearly imply Peter was a rugged and volatile fisherman who displayed impatience, anger, and rage. In one crucial moment, he was so fearful that he would be discovered to be a disciple of Jesus that he succumbed to a cowardly act—he denied that he even knew Jesus. Andrew may have seemed too softhearted to be a leader; Thomas was a man riddled with doubt, afraid to place his trust in his Leader.
    And then there was Matthew. The religious leaders of the day were outraged that Jesus would even consider socializing with this lowly tax collector. Imagine their horror when Jesus dined with Matthew and invited him to become one of His followers and close associates.
    Probably the only man the religious leaders would have considered worthy of any admiration at all was Judas. To the world’s eye, Judas had business strengths and personality qualities that spelled success. But his greatest natural strengths became his greatest weaknesses—and brought destruction into his life.
    I find it interesting that those whom the world recommended, Jesus rejected. And those whom the world rejected, Jesus said, in essence,
“Give them to Me. I don’t care how many faults they have. If they will trust Me, I can do great and mighty things through them.”
    Trust in Him God sees your weaknesses as His opportunity, because when you lean on Him in weakness, He shows His strength through you. Trust Him to do great and mighty things through your weakness.

February 21
Always Remember: He Chose You!
    Dwell in Me, and I will dwell in you. [Live in Me, and I will live in you.] Just as no branch can bear fruit of itself without abiding in (being vitally united to) the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you abide in Me. I am the Vine; you are the branches. Whoever lives in Me and I in him bears much (abundant) fruit. However, apart from Me [cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing.
    JOHN 15:4–5
    F or years I tried to fight my flaws and change myself, but I never made much progress. I had many traits that would not have been suitable for a minister. Yet I believed God had called me to minister on His behalf, and because He called me, He filled me with desire to do it. So, I tried to be everything I thought God wanted me to be. I would determine, resolve, and exercise all the self-control I could muster.
    Although I did improve, there were still those awful moments when the real me emerged. I am sure during those times people looked at me and said,
“No way! God can’t be calling you to do anything major for Him.”
    I wanted to believe God and to believe what my heart was telling me, but I heard the voices of people, and I let their opinions affect me. I also listened to the devil, who gave me a running daily inventory of all my flaws and inabilities. He reminded me how often I had tried to change and failed.
    Then, after I had spent years wondering,
“How can God ever use me?”
God finally showed me that my constant victory was dependent on my constant abiding in and leaning on Him. Knowing this truth forces me to lean on Him continually. My need drives me to seek Him and to lean on Him at all times. By God’s grace, I finally came to believe He chose me on purpose. I was not pushed off on the Lord as a “last resort.” He chose me!
    Trust in Him Are you trying to change yourself,