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

and it discourages us. As children of God, we expect to be blessed more than those who are not serving God. We might paraphrase a portion of Psalm 73 this way:
“It looked to me as if the wicked were better off than the righteous, until I realized God’s patience does run out and He will deal with them.”
    The Bible emphatically states that the wicked in the end will be cutoff, but the righteous shall inherit the land. I don’t think “the end” necessarily means the end of the world or the end of our lives. I think it means when all is said and done, in due time (God’s time), the blessings of the child of God will surpass those of the wicked. The Word of God says in Galations 6:9 that if we refuse to become weary in well doing, in due time we shall reap if we don’t faint.
    It is a serious mistake to look at what other people have and compare it to what you have. God has an individual and unique plan for each of us, and comparison only tends to be a source of discouragement or pride. If we feel we are better off than others, we may become prideful (thinking more highly of ourselves than we should); if we feel they are better off than us, we may become discouraged and even depressed.
    It is vital that you learn to accept and respect the person God made you to be. All of our behaviors may be far from what they need to be, but if we are willing to change, God will keep working with us, and every day we will get better and better in every way. Don’t despise yourself because of your imperfections; instead, learn to celebrate your successes, even small ones.
    Trust in Him Have you seen someone do something wrong and get away with it, or even be rewarded for it? Don’t get discouraged or depressed when it seems like others are successfully getting away with evil. Continue to do what you know is right and trust God to work it out in the end.

March 12
Forgiveness Is Yours to Receive and to Give
    Be gentle and forbearing with one another and, if one has a difference (a grievance or complaint) against another, readily pardoning each other; even as the Lord has [freely] forgiven you, so must you also [forgive].
    COLOSSIANS 3:13
    F rom Genesis to Revelation, we read of God’s forgiveness toward us and of our need to forgive others. It is one of the main themes of the Bible. We’re very eager to receive forgiveness, but we often find it extremely difficult to offer others the forgiveness that we have freely received from God. We may want to forgive, try to forgive, and pray to be able to forgive, and yet we remain bitter, resentful, and filled with angry and unforgiving thoughts. Why? If we want to forgive, why is it so difficult to do so?
    The truth is, forgiveness hurts. It’s painful. Fortunately, you can learn how to manage your emotions rather than allowing them to manage you. What can you expect from your emotions once you begin to operate in forgiveness toward yourself or others? God is ready and willing to forgive you, but are you equally ready and willing to receive His forgiveness? Your emotions can get in the way. You may not “feel” worthy of receiving such a wonderful and undeserved gift from God. You may “feel” you need to somehow pay for what you have done wrong. You may “feel” you must sacrifice in some way in order to pay for your sins. If you do feel that way, I totally understand and can even say it is quite normal, but I also must say it is not God’s will for you.
    I persecuted myself for many years trying to pay a debt that Jesus had already paid. Over time I’ve come not just to understand but to receive the truth that Jesus paid the price and took on Himself the ultimate hurt so I wouldn’t have to. You and I can’t pay a debt that has already been paid—the only thing we can do is receive it or reject it. When we do learn to freely receive God’s forgiveness, then it is easier to let it flow through us to others.
    Trust in Him Forgiveness hurts, but Jesus took that hurt so we could