Check your motives by Joyce Meyer

September 24


Now am I trying to win the favor of men, or of God? Do I seek to please men? If I were still seeking popularity with men, I should not be a bond servant of Christ (the Messiah).
—Galatians 1:10

Our reason or motive for doing the things we do is very important. God wants us to have pure hearts. He wants us to do what we do because we believe He is leading us to do it or because it is the right thing to do. God wants us to be motivated by love. We should do what we do for the love of God and man. If we are motivated by fear, it does not please God.

God instructs us in His Word not to do good deeds to be seen of men. We are not to do things to be recognized and honored. When we pray, we are not to do it to be seen of men or to try and impress God by heaping up phrases and repeating them over and over. God is not impressed with the length and eloquence of our prayers. He is searching for sincerity and fervency. Any work of ours that is impure will be burned up on Judgment Day. We lose our reward for any work that is done with impure motives (See Matthew 6:1-7 and 1 Corinthians 3:13-15).

We should regularly take some time and ask ourselves why we are doing the things we do. It is not what we do that impresses God, it is the "why" behind what we do that He is concerned with.

Disney World Count Down

In nine days I'll be leaving for the happiest place on this old earth. Just me, Kerrie, Kaylin and Eli. I'm really looking forward to this trip. This will be the first time I've been and not taken someone that has never been. I always enjoy seeing it through someones eyes for the first time and making sure they see and do every single little thing. This trip is just us and since we have been many times we are just going to hit the really great rides and shows. We have dinner and/or lunch reservations everyday at places we have never taken the time to visit. We are going to Universal one day and Sea World one day. Can't wait!!

Be Faithful by Joyce Meyer

September 23


So then . . . consider Jesus . . . [See how] faithful He was to Him Who appointed Him [Apostle and High Priest], as Moses was also faithful in the whole house [of God].
—Hebrews 3:1-2

In Hebrews 3, we are told that both Moses and Jesus were faithful. In the New Testament, the Greek word translated faithful means "to be trusted, reliable," in other words, to be dependable. Do you know what it means for us to be dependable? It means we have to keep our word. If we tell somebody we are going to do something, then we need to do it. If we say we are going to be somewhere at a certain time, we need to be there and on time. It is amazing how many people are just not dependable. They can't be counted on to do what they say they will do or be where they say they will be when they say they will be there. Again, it doesn't matter how gifted a person is; if he is not faithful, God cannot use him.

And we must understand that God tests faithfulness. It is not enough to say, "Oh, yes, I'm faithful," because God will say, "Well, let's see." Do you know how God tests our faithfulness? He assigns us to do something for a period of time that we don't want to do, something that is not fun or exciting, something that may require us to submit to someone else's authority for a while, and He'll tell us in our heart, "Just be faithful." Faithfulness is not just showing up day after day—it is showing up day after day with a good attitude. God will reward that kind of faithfulness. Luke 16:12 tells us that if we are faithful over what belongs to someone else, God will give us our own.