Have you been waiting on God to move in your life? Today on Enjoying Everyday Life, Joyce Meyer discusses the benefits of diligence and steady effort. – – – – – – – Follow Joyce: WEBSITE: https://joycemeyer.org
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– – – – – – – Joyce Meyer, one of the world’s leading practical Bible teachers and New York Times best-selling author, shares encouragement and advice to help us enjoy our daily lives. With a heart to share Christ and love people, Joyce’s messages help people in all walks of life to grow in their faith, learn to study the Bible, find healing from the wounds of life, get answers to life’s questions and encounter the love of God in a powerful way. #JoyceMeyer#EnjoyingEverydayLife#Diligence
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[Music]
I do what I do because I’ve seen God’s
power transform my own life and he will
do it for you the key to everything is
found in God’s word I’m Joyce Meyer and
I believe that God can heal you
everywhere you hurt
[Applause]
well thank you for joining me today on
Enjoying Everyday Life
and I believe the more the word that you
listen to
the more of God’s promises that you know
about the more that you do what he asks
you to do the more you will enjoy your
life I started yesterday talking about
the power of diligence
and diligence means to just keep doing
what’s right until you get the desire
the you know the thing that’s in your
heart that you want I want to give you
the definitions again because I think
it’s important in case you weren’t
watching yesterday
diligence
in the Websters 1828 dictionary means
steady application in business
constant in effort
our exertion now to be honest sometimes
we don’t like to exert ourselves and we
don’t like effort
exertion to accomplish what is
undertaken
attentive industrious not idle or
negligent
steadily applied not carelessly or
negligently in the Greek
the original language the Bible was
written in
it says a working
it is indicative of a process
business gain gotten by work Endeavor
pains earnestness and zeal
to hasten to do a thing not
procrastinating or putting
it off until later what are you putting
off until later what are you
procrastinating on
to attend to carefully
now
anything that you want to have is a
blessing on this end
you’ve got to make an effort on this end
and I think one of the best examples is
in Hebrews when the Bible says that
Jesus endured the cross for the joy of
the prize that was on the other side
now
said a lot of things yes I can’t say
again today so we’re just going to start
with Proverbs 13 4. the soul
of the Slugger desireth and hath nothing
but the soul of the diligence shall be
made fat
well I’m sure glad it doesn’t say the
body of the diligence shall be made fat
matter of fact just the opposite is true
if you’re diligent about your eating
habits and your exercise
unless you have something
that’s
physically wrong with you you will be
the size that you’re supposed to be you
won’t be overweight but it takes
diligence if you’re going to get a
result from working out it’s going to
take diligence you can’t just
do it once or twice
you have to do it
year after year after year my husband
looks so good
he’s going to be 83 in July and I mean
he looks
he doesn’t even come close to looking
like he’s 83 but he’s been working out
for 60 years 6-0 years every other day
for 60 years
I started working out about 16 years ago
and
I I see I see the benefits in my life
I’m having a little back problem right
now and I went for a test the other day
and they asked me to bend backwards and
I’ve got some stenosis in my spine and
the doctor said
it’s a good thing that you’re in as good
a shape as you are otherwise you would
not be able to do that and so it’s good
for your health
but so many people they’ll either work
out
for a little bit and then quit or they
don’t do it at all or they say they
don’t have time but I’ll tell you what
I’ve discovered we do what we really
want to do
you believe that if you really want to
do something you’ll find a way to do it
God has created us to function a certain
way
and
it’s just the way he’s arranged things
and if we try to do it a different way
we’re not going to be happy what does it
mean when it says the soul of the
diligent shall be made fat it means
satisfied
well I don’t know about you but
contentment and satisfaction are so
wonderful I remember all the years as I
sat around discontent and dissatisfied
and half the time I didn’t even know why
what has God told you to do that you’re
not doing
or what are you
what are you still doing that he’s told
you not to do
being obedient to God is the best thing
that you can do for yourself because
everything that God asks you to do or
not to do is for your benefit
God’s never trying to take anything away
from us he’s always trying to add
something to our life
everything in life is a process just
think about pregnancy you don’t just get
pregnant and two days later have a baby
a woman gets pregnant and she’s pregnant
for nine months
and if she’s anything like me she’s
pregnant for longer than that because I
carried All My Babies almost a month
overdue two of them were five one one
five weeks overdue and one five and a
half
my doctor said that I was the only woman
he knew that stayed pregnant as long as
an elephant
it wasn’t much fun but I had healthy
good babies
pregnancy is a process the baby the baby
grows little by little by little and you
can you can see the the progress all the
time
growing up physically
is a process growing up spiritually is a
process
I believe that everything
in God’s economy Works according to the
law of gradual
growth I look at our ministry and it’s
just grown gradually little here little
there sometimes things grow so slowly
you know that you can’t you can’t see
them grow you don’t feel like they’re
growing but if you look back a year you
can see that they’ve grown
you know if I go out and watch if I
plant well I don’t plant but if I have a
new Bush planted
it’s a little tiny thing like gay so
I can go out and stare at it all day and
I’ll Never See It Grow
but
if I wait a year
I’ll be able to say boy that bush grew
so much in the last year so we have to
be diligent we have to be patient and we
have to just keep at it and keep at it
and keep at it be not weary and well
doing for in due season you shall reap
if you faint not and to faint means to
give up first we give up in our minds
and if you give up in your mind
then you will follow through physically
we need to go through the process
because the process is what makes the
end result enjoyable
I gave an example yesterday that I’ll
repeat today about
I I have three honorary
Doctorate Degrees
so legally I call myself Dr Joyce Meyer
but I didn’t go to school to get any of
those degrees they were given to me as
an honor because of all the books that
I’ve written about 150 books
and so I guess they figure you must know
something if you can write that many
books so
I wanted to go to college for journalism
but my life was such a mess because of
the abuse of my childhood that all I
wanted to do was just get a job and go
to work so I could take care of myself I
couldn’t go to college but God gave me
honorary degrees and he gave me the
ability
to write even though I wasn’t able to
take
classes in journalism
the Bible says that God changes us from
glory to glory and that means little by
little
don’t be discouraged about yourself if
you feel like you’re not growing
spiritually that you’re still just a big
mess
you know we always have a tendency to
look at what’s wrong with us but I want
to encourage you today to look at the
progress you’ve made and celebrate that
progress don’t just look at how far you
have to go
now here’s a here’s a process
in second Peter 1
actually 3 through 15. you think you can
pay attention for
12 verses
in the new King James version it says as
his divine power has given to us all
things that pertain to life and
godliness so God has given us something
he’s given us everything we need
to have a great life and a Godly life
I want you to think about you have
everything you need to live a great life
and a Godly life and you might say Well
then why why am I not living it well
it comes through the knowledge of him
who called us by glory and virtue well
do you know God or do you just know
about him
see knowing god requires effort on your
part it takes study
it takes prayer it takes spending time
with God it takes paying attention to
what God’s doing in your life
so
all of these promises that pertain to
life and godliness come through the
knowledge of him
by which you have been given exceeding
the great and precious promises there
are over 5 000 promises in the word of
God and they’re to every single one of
us
that through these promises you might
become a partaker of God’s divine nature
having escaped the corruption that’s in
the world through lust
but for this very reason now here we go
because of everything that’s been given
to us the Promises of God
the the ability to live
life and to live it in a Godly way all
these things that have been given to us
he says now
for this reason you give all diligence
remember doing the right thing over and
over and over and over and refusing to
give up until you get the right result
now you add to your faith virtue and
divert you knowledge into knowledge
self-control into self-control
perseverance to perseverance godliness
see it’s a process
to Godliness brotherly kindness to
brotherly kindness love
and then in other translations it says
this this love this Divine love is the
end goal of what God wants for us
do you know that that is God’s will for
your life that you walk in faith and
love
God wants us to love him first you shall
love the Lord your God with all your
heart soul mind and strength
and you shall love your neighbor as you
love yourself God wants you to love him
first receive his love for you
and love yourself with that in other
words don’t be in love with yourself and
selfish and self-centered but love the
you that God has created read Psalm 139
and you’ll see that you are fearfully
and wonderfully made
and that God created you with his own
hand in your mother’s womb carefully and
intricately he created you you are not
an accident
stop looking at everything that you
think is wrong with you and believe that
God created you and he never makes any
junk
therefore brethren
verse 10 be all the more diligent
there’s that word again
to make your call and election sure for
if you do these things you will never
stumble
for this reason
and I love this
Peter’s saying I am being diligent
to remind you to be diligent
and that’s what I’m doing today I’m
being diligent to remind you to be
diligent
he says for this reason I will not be
negligent to remind you always of these
things
though you know and are established in
the present truth yes I think it’s right
as long as I am in this tent him in his
body to stir you up by reminding you
so you know everything that you hear
that’s a teaching about the word of God
doesn’t have to be something brand new
you’ve never heard before a lot of it is
just reminders
to keep doing the right thing that you
should be doing
he said I know that shortly I must put
off my tent
just as our Lord Jesus Christ showed me
he meant
pretty soon he was going to die he was
going to go to heaven to be with the
Lord and he wanted to make sure that he
was doing what he should be doing to
remind the Saints to do what they should
do moreover I will be careful to ensure
that you always have a reminder of these
things after my decease
now you know yesterday I taught on
diligence and I would be curious to know
because I said I was going to teach on
diligence again today and I would be
curious to know how many people watched
yesterday and then were bold enough to
watch again today after I said what I
was going to teach him
sometimes we like the dessert messages
but not the meat and potato messages
we like the things that are easy we like
the things that make us feel good but
not the things they’re going to require
us to do something that may not be easy
the Bible talks about being diligent in
Ministry and you know to be honest we
all have a Ministry
every single one of us
may not be a Pulpit Ministry but
you may be called to help you may be
called to prayer
but God has an assignment for each and
every single one of us
second Peter 1 10 says therefore
Brethren be even more diligent
to make your call an election sure
some people want a Ministry but not the
work of the ministry
you know I work
I work hard
and I’m happy to do it
because I do it for the Lord and my
reward comes from the Lord
yes I get the privilege of being on
television I get the privilege of
standing in this pulpit and teaching
God’s word but
I don’t just do nothing the rest of the
time
a dream comes to pass with much business
and painful effort I could do without
the painful part
some people want the attention the
respect the showy part
of ministry or even owning a business
they want to be the boss
but you know what if you want to be a
good boss then God’s got to be your boss
I want to be I want to be a good leader
so I have to let God be my leader
well that’s an important point you need
to get that
if you want if you want to be a good
Authority then God’s Got To Be Your
Authority
the Bible says that God will bless
all that you Undertake and the work of
your hands well he can’t bless nothing
Deuteronomy 28 verses 8 and verse 12.
the Lord shall command the blessing upon
you in your Storehouse and in all that
you undertake
and he will bless you in the land which
the Lord your God gives you the Lord
shall open to you his good treasury the
Heavens to give the reign of your land
in its season and to bless all the work
of your hands
you shall lend to many nations but you
shall never have to borrow
I love that
the building that we have the building
I’m standing in right now that houses
our
Ministry
we we built this building as we had the
money
we didn’t borrow money to build it we
saved money to build it now I’m not
saying it’s a sin to borrow money
but I am saying that you don’t have to
but if you don’t want to then you’ve got
to be patient well I can’t wait I need
it right now well do you really need it
right now or do you just want it right
now
the Bible says that God gives us seed to
sow and bread to eat but you know what
you can’t eat your seed
in other words God God has laid out a
process in the Bible by which we can be
blessed give and it shall be given unto
you good measure press down shaken
together and running over well we all
like to be blessed but the Bible says
it’s more blessed to give than it is to
receive
I don’t know about you but I love to
give
and I just read yesterday that only two
percent two point something percent of
Christians
give 10 or more of their finances
to the church or to Ministry two percent
and that’s that’s one that’s one of the
first things we should be doing God
should be first in your finances
he should be first in your decisions
first in your time put God first in your
life if you put him first in your life
then he’ll put you first in his
our work and effort our diligence and
steadfastness are all seeds that we sow
prayer
are seeds that we sow
God cannot bless laziness
procrastination murmuring self-pity
complaining Strife resentment our
bitterness
I don’t just ask you a question because
it’s in my heart to ask are you holding
unforgiveness towards someone
there’s so many people that are in
unforgiveness and you know what the
Bible says that if you will not forgive
other people their trespasses against
you then God can’t forgive you your
trespasses
in Mark 11 it says that whatever you you
want or need ask for it but if you have
anything against anyone you must leave
it and let it go so it affects our
prayers
if you’re hard bringing holding
unforgiveness then
your prayers are basically
just empty words
you say well Joyce you don’t know what
that person did to me
it couldn’t be any worse than what they
did to Jesus
and he said on the cross father forgive
them for they know not what they do
and you know the truth is most people
who hurt you really they don’t even
they’re not out to hurt you
maybe they’re hurting hurting people
hurt people
forgive them God will help you do it
and you know just because you forgive
somebody doesn’t mean you’re going to
feel any different about them it’s a
decision you make about how you’re going
to treat them
you know maybe you’ve got a boss that’s
not
paying you what you should be paid
maybe you deserved a promotion and he
gave it to somebody else but you know
what if you’ll be diligent and work hard
then God will bless you
he’ll open the door make a new door
give you favor
get you another job offer that’s going
to be much better
than the one you would have gotten even
if your boss would have done what he
should have
when people don’t treat us right instead
of getting angry at them we need to
release that situation to God and then
trust him but God Joseph’s brothers
hated him
and they
threw him into a pit and sold him as a
slave
the Bible says but God
was with Joseph and he gave him favor
do you want God to give you favor
then don’t be mad at anybody
have a satisfied content
Soul be diligent in doing the things
that God tells you to do
how many people go through a hard time
and then they just withdraw and they get
a bad attitude and then they’re treating
other people wrong they’re grumpy
grouchy because
they had something happen that didn’t
make them happy
you know what let’s learn to be stable
and just do the right thing do the right
thing do the right thing do the right
thing
be not weary in well doing and doing the
right thing the Amplified Bible says for
in due season you shall reap if you
faint not
Proverbs 22 29.
do you see a man diligent and skillful
in his business
he will stand before Kings he will not
stand before obscure men diligence
brings blessings into your life
people who are diligent get promoted
they gain honor and respect
there’s a business side to every
profession
even Ministry Ministry is not just
well I pray about it and God does it
in Ecclesiastes I think it’s chapter 5
verse 4 it says a dream comes to pass
with much business and painful effort do
you have a dream for your life
do you want to lose weight do you want
to be out of debt
do you want to clean your house
do you want to have children do you want
to get married do you want to be in
Ministry anything that you want
you’re going to have to do what you need
to do to get it
and you have to do it and do it and do
it and do it and do it and I guess
that’s the main thing I’m trying to get
across these two days is if you’ve got a
lifetime full of a mess
you can’t just do what’s right once or
twice and it all be fixed
let’s at least give God the same amount
of time we gave the devil
amen
be diligent
you know being a wife requires diligence
a good wife requires diligence
the lady in Proverbs 31 you know it’s
easy to get mad at her because she looks
so perfect
but if you really read proverbs 31 she
was so diligent about everything
and her husband was even well known in
the city Gates because he had such a
fine wife
I tell Dave all the time I said you’re
well known because you’ve got a fine
wife
Dave and I have been married 56 years
and we just have more fun now than we’ve
ever had we tease each other all the
time
what about the fruit of impatience and
haste what does that get you
people that are in a big hurry are
always in some kind of trouble
be not rash with your mouth
the Bible says
Ecclesiastes 5 2-4 be not rash well
yeah be not rash with your mouth and let
not your heart be Hasty to utter a word
before God for God is in heaven and you
are on earth therefore let your Words Be
Few
for a dream comes to pass with much
business and painful effort and a Fool’s
voice with many words
what does the fool say I’m going to do
this
and then they never do it
all right I’m gonna have this
I’m I’m going to write a book and I
write two pages
come on be the kind of person that never
gives up
when you make a vow
or you make a pledge to God don’t put
off paying it
for God has no pleasure and fools those
who witnessly mock him
God expects us to do what we say we’re
going to do it’s easy to say you’re
going to do something but following
through and doing it
that’s another story if you’re thinking
of things right now that you’ve said
that you would do and you haven’t
followed through and done them it’s not
too late to do the right thing
the biggest thing that we need to do is
learn how to think like God thinks and
the only way you can do that is by
knowing the word of God in words to live
by Joyce Meyer shares how studying the
word of God transformed her life
experience a deeper and more meaningful
relationship with God through the
captivating collection of verses in this
beautiful hardcover book by Joyce Meyer
discover the transformative power of His
word words to live by from Joyce Meyer
get your YouTube exclusive offer today
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number two
the Mind actually is the battlefield
that’s where we win or lose the war with
Satan he said all he gets to say
is mine you start asking God to heal you
and he will restore it’s the God of all
comfort and I am so grateful that I know
how to call on God
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Of Peace
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thank you
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