Joyce Meyer 16th September 2024 Daily Devotional, Monday Message
TOPIC: A Place of Mystery
He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. – Psalm 23:3 (ESV)
TODAY’S MESSAGE
I think it is safe to say that the soul is a place of mystery. We cannot see our soul, but we can and do feel its impact on our lives. All kinds of feelings, attitudes, thoughts, imaginings, and desires fill the soul, and they are often in conflict with one another. We may feel that we want to do one thing, yet think we are not able to do it.
We have many feelings we don’t understand or even know where they came from. Why, for example, would a woman feel intimidated when another woman she doesn’t even know walks into a room? Or why would a woman lack confidence even though she is very talented? What causes insecurity, fear of failure, abandonment, or rejection?
These problems are definitely caused by something, and we need to know what it is. There could be multiple reasons we react the way we do in specific circumstances, but we will never understand ourselves if we continue to ignore and hide from the negative feelings and strange behaviors we have. Most of them come from some emotional injury we have sustained in our lifetime that has never been healed. It is impossible to go through life and never be hurt, but whether we heal or stay wounded is up to us.
It is easy to hide from our pain and live under layers of false identities in an effort to hide the person we really are, but it takes courage to find your true self and learn to live the life you were meant to live. Have you ever thought, “I just don’t understand myself”? “What is wrong with me?” “Who am I, and what is my purpose in life?”
The way to find the answers to these questions is to look into God’s Word. In His Word, we find His plan for us and we recognize the lies we have believed, perhaps our entire life, that have been used to derail our destiny and leave us confused about our identity. I believed I would always have a second-rate life because my father sexually abused me, but in God’s Word, I found out that He could take my pain and actually make it work out for my good if I would let Him.
If you have been hurt and have a wounded soul, don’t be afraid to open your entire being to God and ask Him to heal you. Remember, healing requires facing a lot of things you may have been ignoring or hiding from for a long time. It may be a frightening thought to let the light into your darkness, but I promise that you will be glad you did.
Prayer of the Day: Father God, I refuse to live in the dark any longer. From now on, I will take Your hand, Lord, and walk into the light and seek truth and healing in Your Word, amen.
Joyce Meyer is one of the world’s leading practical Bible teachers. She is a New York Times bestselling author, and her books have helped millions of people find hope and restoration through Jesus Christ. Through Joyce Meyer Ministries, she teaches on a number of topics with a particular focus on how the Word of God applies to our everyday lives. Her candid communication style allows her to share openly and practically about her experiences, and helps others understand how to apply biblical principles to their own lives. Christ, amen