Joyce Meyer Daily Devotional for April 19, 2024, Friday Message
Something Is Missing
Joyce Meyer – Apr 19, 2024
And not only the creation, but we ourselves too, who have and enjoy the firstfruits of the [Holy] Spirit [a foretaste of the blissful things to come] groan inwardly as we wait for the redemption of our bodies [from sensuality and the grave, which will reveal] our adoption (our manifestation as God’s sons).- Romans 8:23 (AMPC)
I must admit that at times I feel that something is missing in my life, and I don’t quite know what it is. Then I feel frustrated with myself because I am amazingly blessed in many ways and think I should never feel that I need or want “more” of anything to be completely satisfied.
After a great deal of pondering and praying about what the problem is, I am happy to say that God has given me understanding and I now have rest! We are created for the garden (see Genesis 2:7–8), but we live in the world! We are longing for heaven—our true home—and we will never feel 100 percent settled until we see Jesus and live in His presence. As long as we are in this world, it is like we are on a long trip, living in a motel and longing for home.
We are created for perfection and yet we are currently assigned to being in a place where nothing and nobody, including us, is perfect. Since we are created for perfection, anytime we are confronted with imperfection, we sense a disappointment that I have learned is not wrong to feel. The more deeply we understand this, the more we can enjoy what we do have and the more we will be able to love people, even with their imperfections. I have found rest in realizing that what I feel and deal with every day is quite normal—at least it is normal for someone who is longing for home!
Prayer of the Day: Father, thank You that someday we will be coming home, and until then, we have the presence of the Holy Spirit with us, reminding us of the perfection that is to come.