The theme for today’s Joyce Meyer daily devotional December 9 2023 is ”You Can Depend on God”
SCRIPTURE: Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully.— 1 Peter 5:7 (AMPC)
God is always present in our lives—waiting to take over the heavy burdens we have if we will release them to Him. Like any loving father, He wants to help us handle our affairs just because He loves and cares for us. If we want to experience the peace that God desires for each of us, we must learn to cast ourselves and our cares completely into His hands…permanently.
Instead of giving our cares and burdens over to God completely and letting them remain with Him, many of us go to God in prayer just to get some temporary relief. After a while, we wander away and soon find ourselves struggling under the weight of the same old familiar burdens and cares—trying all the while to be more independent. The only way to really get rid of these burdens is to overcome the temptation to be independent people, placing ourselves totally in God’s hands.
We must not allow ourselves to reach back and re-grab those things that we’ve already given over to Him. It’s not our job to give guidance, counsel, or direction to God. Our job is to simply trust God with what is going on in our lives, having faith that He will let us know what is best for us.
God is God—and we aren’t. As easy as that is to understand, it’s hard for people who have been independent to walk it out in their daily lives. If we will yield ourselves and our burdens to Him and give up trying to be so independent, He will teach us His ways and care for us much better than we could ever care for ourselves.
Prayer of the Day: Father, please help me to release my burdens to You and leave them with You. Teach me to trust in Your wisdom and care, and not to lean on my own understanding or independence.