THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

KEEP MOVING FORWARD AND STOP LOOKING BACK

It’s easy to live discouraged because of disappointments and things we don’t UNDERSTAND. We worked hard, but we didn’t get the PROMOTION. We prayed, but our loved one didn’t make it. We did our best, but the relationship didn’t work out. Life is not always fair, but God says He will take what was meant for your harm and use it to your ADVANTAGE. He says He will pay you back DOUBLE for the unfair things that happened. He says He will give you BEAUTY for the ashes, but you have to LET GO of the ashes before you receive the BEAUTY. You can’t hold on to the old and expect to receive the NEW. The past is over and DONE. That’s why it’s called the PAST. Quit DWELLING on it, quit RELIVING it. You are NOT going to understand EVERYTHING that happens, but God has a PURPOSE for it. He knows how to bring GOOD out of it. So keep moving FORWARD and stop looking BACK!

Today’s Scripture

Isaiah 61:3, NKJV

…to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness…

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

BE ENCOURAGED AND DON’T GIVE UP ON YOUR TOMORROWS…

No matter what may be happening TODAY, God has good things in store for your FUTURE! It may not be easy to see now, but God has ALREADY lined up a new beginning, new FRIENDSHIPS and new OPPORTUNITIES for you.

Maybe you’ve experienced some setbacks, but don’t make the mistake of expecting the same for your future. Instead, accept God’s GOOD PLAN for your life by declaring His TRUTH. As believers, our attitude should be, “Even though the economy is down, I’m not worried. I know God is going before me, and He has PROMISED He will make rivers in the desert.” Or, “The medical report may not look good, but I have another report that says God IS restoring HEALTH unto me. I believe God has already released HEALING, HEALTH and VICTORY in my future.” Or, you may have a child who is not on the right course. In the natural, it seems impossible. But our report should be, “I KNOW God CAN DO the impossible!”

Today, be ENCOURAGED and don’t give up on your tomorrows. Accept the GOOD PLAN God has for you—a plan filled with HOPE, PURPOSE, BLESSING and INCREASE in EVERY area of your life!

Today’s Scripture:

“For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Jeremiah 29:11, NIV

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

WHAT WE SEE AS A SETBACK, IS A SETUP FOR GOD TO DO SOMETHING GREAT

Late on the night before Jesus was crucified, He was praying in the Garden of Gethsemane. He was under so much PRESSURE from what He was about to do that His sweat was like BLOOD dropping to the ground. We CELEBRATE what Christ did on the cross, which is the foundation of our FAITH, but the real BATTLE took place in the Garden. That’s where He made the DECISION to drink the bitter cup of the cross, knowing that out of this INJUSTICE would come His RESURRECTION and OUR REDEMPTION from our sins. There are times when life is not FAIR and we don’t understand it. That’s when you have to do what JESUS did and say, Father, even though this isn’t FAIR and doesn’t make SENSE, I TRUST You. I know that YOU’RE in control, and You will take this thing and work through it for my GOOD. Don’t get discouraged. What we think is a setback is really a SETUP for God to do something GREAT.

Today’s Scripture

Luke 22:42, NIV

Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

IT GOD ALLOWED IT, HE KNOWS HOW TO USE IF FOR YOUR GOOD

When Judas BETRAYED and tried to stop Jesus, it seemed like a bad BREAK. But Jesus had known that Judas was going to betray Him, and He hadn’t tried to stop him. Jesus understood that BETRAYAL was a part of His DESTINY. Had Judas not betrayed Him, there wouldn’t have been a crucifixion, and without the cross there wouldn’t have been a RESURRECTION, and without a resurrection we wouldn’t have REDEMPTION. The man who sold Jesus out for thirty pieces of silver was CRITICAL to His DESTINY. What am I saying? Don’t COMPLAIN about that person who betrayed YOU. If they walked away, they didn’t set you back; they set you UP. If that had not happened, you wouldn’t get to where you’re supposed to be. If they tried to push you DOWN and LIED about you, it may not have been fair, but NOTHING happens by ACCIDENT. If God allowed it, He knows how to use it for your GOOD.

Today’s Scripture

Psalm 34:10, NLT

Those who trust in the LORD will lack no good thing.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

THE MOMENT YOU ASKED GOD TO FORGIVE YOU, HE FORGAVE YOU

When you need God’s MERCY, go BOLDLY to His throne. Don’t go weakly, telling Him how you don’t measure up. Go with CONFIDENCE, knowing you’re FORGIVEN, knowing He’s FOR you. Yes, you may have blown it, but He doesn’t LISTEN when you keep telling Him everything you’ve done WRONG. The moment you asked God to FORGIVE you, He FORGAVE you. God listens to the language of FAITH.

The enemy would LOVE for you to live feeling CONDEMNED. He’ll remind you of all the times you haven’t measured UP, even for SMALL things. There’s ALWAYS some reason to feel BAD about what you’ve done. If you give IN to those lies, you’ll go through life trying to pay God back for your MISTAKES. God’s mercy has covered EVERYTHING you’ve done wrong. All your sins–PAST, PRESENT, and FUTURE–have been taken CARE of by Jesus on the CROSS. REST in the fact that the spotless, sinless blood of the Lamb of God has paid the price in FULL. RECEIVE God’s MERCY.

Today’s Scripture:

Hebrews 4:16, NLT

So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

GOD CAN OVERRULE ANYTHING THAT’S HOLDING YOU BACK

So much happened at Calvary’s cross over two thousand years ago. Jesus Christ was mocked by soldiers, beaten, and nailed to the cross. It looked like it was over when they laid His body in the tomb. All of hell was rejoicing. They had finally defeated Him. But in the HEAVENS, God did NOT panic. He didn’t say, “What happened? My plan failed.” The earthly court said Jesus was defeated, but the JUDGE of all the EARTH said, “OVERRULED.” Jesus came out of the grave on the third day and declared, “I am He who LIVES. I was dead, but I am ALIVE FOREVERMORE.”

If God can overrule DEATH and the forces of DARKENSS, don’t you think He can overrule anything that’s holding YOU back. No matter what bondage or stronghold has held you captive, when you acknowledge Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, you receive His POWER that will set you FREE. BELIEVE in Him, receive His LIFE, and CELEBRATE true, eternal VICTORY!

Today’s Scripture

Revelation 1:18, NKJV

I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

GOD’S WORD LIGHTS OUR PATH AND HELPS US SEE CLEARLY

If you’re outside walking and you see something that could cause you to trip and fall, maybe a rock or a stick, you probably don’t make a big deal about it and just go around it. However, if you are distracted and not looking where you’re going, or if it’s too dark to see, that same object can become a stumbling block.

Friend, in our SPIRITUAL journey, the enemy has strategically placed ALL KINDS of stumbling blocks in our paths. When we make the Word of God our number one PRIORITY, it helps us to move forward with our eyes wide OPEN. His Word LIGHTS our path and helps us see CLEARLY where to step. When we love His Word, we keep our peace and AVOID stumbling. Remember that the most important thing you can do is take time to READ and MEDITATE on His Word. His Word is LIFE and STRENGTH to your body, and it will PROTECT and DIRECT your every step today!

Today’s Scripture:

“Great peace have those who love your law, and nothing can make them stumble.”

Psalm 119:165, NIV

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

YOU HAVE TO FORGIVE OTHERS SO THAT YOU YOURSELF CAN BE FREE OF THE POISON

As Jesus was hanging on the cross, having been BETRAYED by one of His disciples, falsely ACCUSED by the religious authorities, MOCKED by soldiers, and about to breathe His LAST breath, He did something SIGNIFICANT. He said, “Father, FORGIVE them, for they know NOT what they do.” They didn’t ASK for or DESERVE forgiveness. But Jesus was showing us by EXAMPLE to release the TOXIN of unforgiveness so that NOTHING will hold us back.

When somebody does US wrong, human nature wants to hold ON to the hurt and anger, to carry around a bitter GRUDGE. We think, I’m not going to forgive THEM. They don’t DESERVE it. But you’re not forgiving for THEIR sake; you’re forgiving for YOUR sake. Unforgiveness is a TOXIN that will contaminate your LIFE. When you forgive, as Jesus did, you’re not excusing THEIR behavior. You’re simply getting the poison out of YOU. You have to FORGIVE so that you can be FREE.

Today’s Scripture

Luke 23:34, NIV

Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

BE CONTENT WHETHER YOU HAVE A LOT, OR NOT

After David had been anointed to be the next king of Israel, he spent YEARS taking care of his father’s sheep. David could have thought, God, what am I doing stuck with a bunch of SHEEP? But David knew that GOD was in control, so he just kept going to work with a good attitude, GRATEFUL for where he was. Because he was CONTENT in the shepherds’ fields, he made it to the THRONE. He passed that TEST. But if you’re NOT content in the season you’re in, even if your dreams DO come to pass, you won’t be SATISFIED. Discontentment will follow you EVERYWHERE you go.

You have to TRAIN YOUR MIND to be THANKFUL and SATISFIED with where God has you right NOW. Be CONTENT whether you have a lot or not. CONTENT whether your children are in diapers or in college. CONTENT whether you’re in maintenance or MANAGEMENT. Pass the TESTS on your way to the THRONE.

Today’s Scripture

1 Timothy 6:6, NIV

But godliness with contentment is great gain.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

GOD IS FAITHFUL AND, IN THE END, YOU WILL HAVE THE LAST LAUGH

During a great famine in the land, Isaac was about to move to Egypt, but God said, “Stay where you ARE. My FAVOR is on you right HERE among the Philistines.” So DESPITE the famine, Isaac planted his grain fields. The Philistines were ALREADY jealous of him, and his planting in dry, hard soil added to their RIDICULE of him. But Isaac stayed in peace. Several months later, his critics were AMAZED to see his hundredfold harvest.

At SOME point, you may be tempted to run from a situation where you face ridicule and opposition, but you do not have to leave in order to be BLESSED. God wants to bless you right where you ARE. Part of His vindication is PROMOTING you so the opposition can SEE it. Your attitude should be: “They may be laughing NOW, but this challenge is preparing the way for God to PROMOTE me!” God is FAITFUL. In the end, YOU will have the last LAUGH.

Today’s Scripture

Genesis 26:12, NLT

When Isaac planted his crops that year, he harvested a hundred times more grain than he planted, for the LORD blessed him.