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

by yourself? You cannot give God glory through your life unless you trust in Him, abide in Him, and lean on Him. Remember, He chose you, wants to use you, and is worthy of your praise!

February 22
Quit Picking on Yourself
    But [as for me personally] it matters very little to me that I should be put on trial by you [on this point], and that you or any other human tribunal should investigate and question and cross-question me. I do not even put myself on trial and judge myself.
    1 CORINTHIANS 4:3
    A re you struggling with other people’s judgments and opinions of you? Look at Paul’s comment above concerning the criticism of others. Some people were questioning Paul’s faithfulness. He did not try to defend himself, nor did he become angry. He simply said,
“I do not care what you think. I do not even judge myself.”
Paul knew that if he was out of line, God would correct him, so he didn’t have to worry about what people thought. Many times in the past I have opened to this passage and soaked it in, trusting the power of God’s Word to deliver me from self-judgment and criticism. It’s easy for me to focus on my flaws and to pick on the things I don’t like about myself.
    We are not to pass judgment on each other or ourselves. Paul wrote to the Romans, “Who are you to pass judgment on and censure another’s household servant? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he shall stand and be upheld, for the Master (the Lord) is mighty to support him and make him stand” (Rom. 14:4).
    We stand because Jesus holds us up. When children learn to walk, their parents are always close by, holding their hands and helping themkeep their balance so they will not fall and hurt themselves. We stand because our Father supports us and holds us up! We are upheld by His power, not our own.
    Encouraging someone and speaking truth into someone’s life when God asks you to do so are healthy and wonderful things—but it’s never right to make a quick, dismissive judgment. Our judgments based on external appearances don’t have all the information and wisdom that God has—that’s why we leave it to Him!
    Trust in Him Trust the power of God’s Word to help you quit picking on yourself. Take to heart Paul’s words to the Corinthians:
“I do not care what you think. I do not even judge myself.”

February 23
You Can Remove “Spiritual Roadblocks”
    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
    T here 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 bitterand 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”
(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