Joyce Meyer - What Can I Give God That Will Make Me Acceptable To Him

Let's just say that I've had this purse for, like, oodles of time, lots of time. And it's like, man, the handle's fallen off, the zipper's broke, the kids got it and colored on it. It's just bad. And I heard about this store called the exchange store, and somebody told me that anything that I've got that's old and worn-out, I can take it back there no matter how old it is, no matter how long I've had it, and they'll give me a brand new one.

That's just really hard to believe. But let's just try it out. So, let's see here. Yeah, ooh, open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. I like that store, it never closes.

Ginger: Hello.
Joyce: Hello.
Ginger: Can i help you?
Joyce: Yes. Well, first of all, what is your exchange policy?
Ginger: Oh, well, do you have your receipt with you?
Joyce: No, no receipt.
Ginger: Doesn't matter. Okay, here's our exchange policy. One rule.
Joyce: Ask and you shall receive?
Ginger: That's it.
Joyce: That's it? One thing? Ask and you shall receive? Well, this is really pretty bad, but...
Ginger: Yeah, you have well worn that. You've worn it well.
Joyce: I'm asking if I could trade this in for a brand new one.
Ginger: You said the right thing.
Joyce: Can I make a little special request?
Ginger: Sure, we'll listen.
Joyce: Can I have one with sparkles?
Ginger: You want sparkles?
Joyce: I like sparkles.
Ginger: You know what? We knew that.
Joyce: Okay.
Ginger: All right, we're ready. How about this one?
Joyce: Whoo hoo hoo! Thank you so much.
Ginger: You're welcome.
Joyce: I'm going to come back here again.
Ginger: See you next time.

Is this just not the best ever? This is so good. Okay, now as excited as I am about this, there's other things that I'm more excited about. 'Cause I'll tell you what, I can have a great purse, but I can have one messed up soul. And no matter how great my purse is, if I'm still dragging around all my junk and ashes from my broken, burned up, miserable past... why don't you just gather up all the ashes out of your ash pit?

I got mine right here. See, the thing is, is if you want to exchange with God, you got to give up the old stuff to get the new stuff. That means I can't hang onto these. You know, He said, "I'll give you beauty for ashes," not beauty and ashes.

And so, I got to get rid of all this stuff. I don't get to have a pit day, where I go sit in my pit, and feel sorry for myself, and go over all my ashes again of my messed up life. You know why?

Because whoever and whatever this represents died on the cross with Jesus Christ, and I've been resurrected to a brand new life and a brand new me. And I'm not waiting for God to do something in my life, He's already done everything in my life that He needs to do. He's waiting for me to believe it. Amen?

It's just by the mercy, and the grace, and the goodness of God He would touch you this afternoon, and you would go home and say, "I'm just going to believe what you say, God. If you say you love me, I believe you love me. If you say I can do anything, I believe I can do anything.

If you tell me all things are possible with you, then I believe all things are possible with you." I don't care how I feel, I don't care how long it takes, I don't care what it looks like, I don't care what people say, I don't care what the devil says, I believe.

Ginger: Hey, gorgeous.
Joyce: Hey. Whoo hoo, I like that. Can I hear that again?
Ginger: Hey gorgeous.
Joyce: You see this mess?
Ginger: Ew. Mm-hmm. Uh huh, uh huh.
Joyce: That's my life. I can't keep them?
Ginger: Just dump them right out here, you just get rid of them. Put them right there, honey.
Joyce: Okay, sweetie.
Ginger: Yeah, all right.
Joyce: Well, wait, what do I get?
Ginger: We're going to take this away. We're going to take this one.
Joyce: What do i get?
Ginger: Just the right thing for you. Look at this.
Joyce: Oh! Look at that, I am so excited, I am so excited! Whoo hoo hoo! Changed life!

I give Him what I am and especially what I'm not, and He gives me everything He is and everything He has. In myself, I'm a poor, miserable sinner. In him, I am the righteousness of God in Christ.

Isaiah 64:6 , "For we have all become like one who is unclean [ceremonially, like a leper] and all our righteousness (our best deeds of rightness and justice) is like filthy rags or a polluted garment."

Megan, can you come out here please? This is the way we are when we--in our own self. This is Megan's pre-Christ, filthy rags, messed up, miserable life. If we could exchange that for something else, would you like it?

Megan: Yes

Joyce: You tired of this? Tired of living like this? Dragging these chains around, hanging your head down, being miserable all the time? Well, let's see. Let's see what we got over here.

Ginger: Hello.
Joyce: Hello.
Ginger: Aww.
Joyce: Aww. But you know what? She told me she's sorry that she's lived like this. And she wants a new life.
Ginger: That's my favorite one to do.
Joyce: That's the favorite one to do? Okay, let's see if we can trade this for something.
Ginger: Yeah, let me have that old dirty rag.
Joyce: Let's see what we got here that we could trade for this.
Ginger: All right, I'm going to take this one. You don't need this anymore.
Joyce: No, you'll never get that back again. Let's see what we got here now.
Ginger: Look at this.
Joyce: Uh-oh. Man, I know what this is 'cause I got one. The robe of righteousness. Whoo, hallelujah. Whoa, let's see that pretty face of yours. Okay, let's get you all fixed up here. Whoa. Lord, it's a good thing you're married or you'd be getting another boyfriend today.
Ginger: She cleans up good.
Joyce: Oh, she does, I tell you what.

Okay, now, we see there is a little problem. It's a might big for her. But boy, here comes the good lesson. When we get the righteousness of God, it's too big for all of us. But now, is she going to grow into this dude, amen?

And if you'd look at this from a spiritual standpoint, one of the reasons why we can't believe what God's done for us is because it's like, well, we just can't believe it. She's like, "How could I possibly be the righteousness of God? How is that possible?" It's possible because God says so. You see, what happens is, as you keep growing.

But here's the thing. While you're growing, you cannot miss this. If you miss this, I have missed my whole point today. While you're growing into this, it's still 100% yours. Come on. And I've got a secret for you, it's always going to be a little bit big, and that's God's plan. Come on, give God a big praise.