Joyce Meyer Daily Devotional August 13, 2026 Thursday Message
TOPIC: Works That Don’t Work
My people have committed two evils: they have forsaken Me, the Fountain of living waters, and they have hewn for themselves cisterns, broken cisterns which cannot hold water.
— Jeremiah 2:13 (AMPC)
The Word teaches that God’s people dug wells for themselves that couldn’t hold water. I know what it is like to work hard with no results. I spent many years of my life digging empty wells like these, and I can tell you, it really wears you out.
You may be digging an empty well right now. You may be working on something or somebody. You may have your own little project going. You may be following your own plan, trying to make things happen in your own strength and ability. If so, it is not going to work if you have left God out of your plan. Many times, we make a plan and then pray for it to work. God wants us to pray first and ask Him for His plan. After we have His plan, then He wants us to trust Him to bring it to pass, as we follow His direction and work in partnership with Him.
Our activity birthed out of the flesh actually prevents God from showing Himself strong in our lives. The Bible describes that kind of activity as works of the flesh (Gal.5:19–21 KJV). I call them “works that don’t work.” That is not the way to live the higher life that God prepared for us.
Prayer of the Day: Lord, I don’t want to dig empty wells in my own strength. Please help me seek Your plan first, and give me the trust to follow Your direction instead of my own, 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