THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

BECAUSE GOD DESIGNED YOU, YOU’RE STRONGER THAN YOU THINK

When David praised God that He had made him WONDERFULLY, he wasn’t just talking about his looks or his personality and talents. He was talking about our INFRASTRUCTURE, the way God designed things in you that you CAN’T see. It’s about how He planned for the CHALLENGES we would face, things you think would OVERWHELM you, but out of NOWHERE a STRENGTH rises up, a BOLDNESS comes on you, with faith to OVERCOME it and a determination to stand STRONG and OUTLAST the opposition. Because GOD designed you, you’re STRONGER than you think. You have more ENDURCANCE, more STAMINA, and more capacity for GRACE and FORGIVENESS than you can IMAGINE.

Don’t complain when something feels OVERWHELMING–a loss, a setback, a disappointment. That’s when you discover what’s IN you. You’ll discover PERSERVERANCE, COURAGE, and FAITH like you’ve never SEEN. If you keep the right ATTITUDE, the pressure will DEVELOPE you rather than BREAK you. You’ll grow and MATURE so you can go HIGHER, to see new levels of INFLUENCE and FAVOR.

Today’s Scripture:

Psalm 139:14, NIV

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

WHEN YOU GIVE GOD THE CREDIT, HE’LL TAKE YOU FURTHER…..

In Daniel 4, King Nebuchadnezzar looked out over his magnificent city and said, “Is not this the great Babylon ‘I’ have built as the royal residence, by MY mighty POWER and for the glory of MY majesty?” HIS attitude was, “Look at ME. It is MY power, MY might, MY majesty.” The PROBLEM is that we aren’t CREATED to take the glory; we’re CREATED to give GOD the glory. God will show you His FAVOR as long as you’re letting His glory flow THROUGH you up to HIM. But the moment you start KEEPING the glory, it will LEAVE, which is EXACTLY what happened to Nebuchadnezzar.

Be careful to give GOD the glory for your accomplishments. God OPPOSES the proud. Always be HUMBLE and say, “God, it was YOUR goodness that got me to where I am, that DELIVERED me from the mistakes I made, that kept the opposition from DEFEATING me, and that opened the doors of OPPORTUNITY. Thank YOU.” When you give GOD the CREDIT, He’ll take you further than you ever DREAMED.

Today’s Scripture:

1 Peter 5:5, NIV

All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

YOU’RE BEING PREPARED, FOR WHAT GOD HAS PREPARED FOR YOU

One reason we get in a hurry and make bad DECISIONS is that we think we’re falling BEHIND. Our FRIEND is getting married, our coworker got PROMOTED, our NEIGHBOR moved into a NEW house. We feel we’re being left OUT and need to MAKE things happen. Some people feel they have to COMPROMISE themselves to keep a RELATIONSHIP or get a POSITION. If you have to compromise your VALUES, it’s NEVER right and will only lead to HARM.

What God has put your name on is NOT going to go to anyone else. What BELONGS to you will NOT go to another person. Don’t be impatient for God to ACT. Keep a good ATTITUDE, keep growing, keep passing the TEST. What God has for YOU is on the way. You’re being PREPARED for what God has PREPARED for YOU. The reason it’s taken so LONG is that it’s going to be much BIGGER and more FULFILLING than you thought. When you see what GOD does, you’re going to say it was WORTH the wait.

Today’s Scripture:

Psalm 37:7, NIV

Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways…

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

WHAT GOD HAS STARTED IN YOUR LIFE, HE WILL FINISH

In Acts 16, Paul and Silas had been beaten and put in JAIL for sharing the good news. The OPPOSITION had stirred up TROUBLE, and things were out of their CONTROL. They had all KINDS of questions to which they had NO answers. Would they have a fair TRIAL…or be held there…or put to DEATH? They COULD have been UPSET, WORRIED, and losing SLEEP, but at midnight they were singing praises to GOD. THEIR attitude was, “We don’t KNOW what’s coming, but we DO know that God is in CONTROL. Him being FOR us is more than the WORLD being against us.” About that time, there was a great EARTHQUAKE and their chains fell OFF.

It’s very POWERFUL when you can say, “I don’t KNOW how this situation will work out, but GOD is on the throne, HE’S fighting my battles, His plans for me are for GOOD, and what He STARTED in my life He WILL finish.” THAT’S when the Creator of the universe will bring DREAMS to pass that seemed IMPOSSIBLE.

Today’s Scripture:

Acts 16:25, NIV

About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

AS STRONG AS EVER

When Moses was 120 years old, it was his time to die. God told him to climb to the top of Mount Nebo, and that’s where he would pass. You would think at HIS age, Moses would be frail and WEAK, his KNEES would hurt, and his eyesight would be POOR. You would think he would say, “God, I CAN’T climb a mountain.” But Moses was still as strong as a YOUNG man, still HEALTHY when God took him.

One of the names of God in the Scripture is Jehovah Rapha, which means “the Lord your HEALER.” You may know Him as a SAVIOR, which is GREAT, but He wants you to know Him as a HEALER as WELL. Get RID of the notion that as you age, you’re going to get FRAIL, be overcome by SICKNESS, and unable to MOVE. Say “NO, thanks” to that. TRUST God to keep you STRONG and HEALTHY, still climbing MOUNTAINS, still taking new GROUND, still making the world a BETTER place.

Today’s Scripture:

Deuteronomy 34:7, NLT

Moses was 120 years old when he died, yet his eyesight was clear, and he was as strong as ever.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

BE STILL AND YOU’LL HAVE A PEACE THAT PASSES UNDERSTANDING

You might think that King David had an EASY life, that everything went his WAY, that he LIVED in the green pastures, so to speak. It was just the OPPOSITE. His life was full of CHALLANGES, people trying to push him DOWN, ARMIES trying to DEFEAT him, and his own FAMILY against him at times. Yet he was made to lie down in green PASTURES and led by STILL waters. He was TALKING about in his MIND. Despite all that came AGAINST him, he lived out of a place of PEACE.

There’s a lot of NOISE these days–worries, offenses, doubts, fears, jealousy–that may have gotten in US. GOD is saying, “You don’t HAVE to carry all the mind clutter. Come into the green pastures by the STILL waters and clear it OUT. REPROGRAM your mind with what I say about you in My WORD.” If you’ll be STILL, you’ll know that He is GOD. You’ll know that HE is directing your steps. You’ll have a PEACE that PASSES understanding.

Today’s Scripture:

Psalm 23:2, NIV

He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY TO ALL MOTHERS, ON THIS, YOUR SPECIAL DAY TODAY

Mother’s day is a SPECIAL day we set aside to let our moms know how much they mean to us. On this special day, be sure to tell YOUR mom how much you love HER and how much you APPRECIATE all she has done for you. PRAISE her for her dedication to her family and for her tireless efforts on YOUR behalf.

If you are not sure what to say, let GOD’s Word inspire you: “Her children stand and bless her. Her husband praises her. There are many virtuous and capable women in the world, but you surpass them all!” (Proverbs 31:28-29)

Today’s Scripture:

“So give your father and mother joy! May she who gave you birth be happy.”

Proverbs 23:25 , NLT

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

SOME THINGS WE SHOULDN’T HAVE AN OPINION ABOUT OR IF WE DO, WE SHOULD KEEP IT TO OURSELVES……

In Numbers 12, Moses’ sister, Miriam, and his brother, Aaron, began to CRITICIZE him and question his LEADERSHIP. Perhaps Miriam felt Moses was getting some of the recognition SHE deserved. She focused her criticism on the fact that many years BEFORE, Moses had married a CUSHITE woman, a FOREIGNER. It was none of her BUSINESS who he had married, and BECAUSE of it, her skin suddenly became LEPROUS. That may SEEM extreme, but that is how much God dislikes it when we sow DISCORD and stir up TROUBLE. Fortunately for Miriam, Moses PRAYED for her, and God RESTORED her skin to HEALTH.

The apostle Paul says to mind your OWN business. It is NOT our business who others marry, what CAR they drive, or how they spend their MONEY. Don’t be a BUSYBODY, don’t be NOSEY, trying to KNOW everything. Some things we shouldn’t have an OPINION about, or if we DO, we should keep it to OURSELVES unless they ASK. It’s hard enough to run our OWN life. Don’t try to run somebody ELSE’S.

Today’s Scripture:

1 Thessalonians 4:11, TLB

This should be your ambition: to live a quiet life, minding your own business and doing your own work, just as we told you before.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

GOD’S MERCY IS BIGGER THAN ANY MISTAKE YOU’VE MADE

When Jesus was on trial before His crucifixion, Peter DENIED that he KNEW Jesus THREE times. Peter was so bitterly DISAPPOINTED in himself, so ASHAMED of being a coward. Soon AFTER that, they CRUCIFIED Jesus. Peter never had the CHANCE to tell Him he was sorry. He had to live with the GUILT. But when three women found Jesus’ tomb was EMPTY, an ANGEL told them to go tell His disciples and PETEER that He was ALIVE. The only disciple specifically pointed OUT was PETER. God was showing us, “I don’t DEFINE you by your MISTAKES. I don’t cancel your destiny because you’ve FAILED.” And fifty days LATER, it was PETER who gave the inaugural message that birthed the CHURCH.

YOU may have made mistakes and failed, as PETER did, but you have to learn to FORGIVE yourself. Quit remembering what God has forgiven and FORGOTTEN. His MERCY is BIGGER than ANY mistake you’ve made. GOD is saying, “Get back in the GAME. You can STILL do what I called you to DO.”

Today’s Scripture:

Mark 16:6–7, NLT

…but the angel said, “Don’t be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead!… Now go and tell his disciples, including Peter, that Jesus is going ahead of you to Galilee.”

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

CLOSED DOORS CAN’T KEEP YOU FROM YOUR PURPOSE

PEOPLE can’t lock you out of your DESTINY. GOD is your doorkeeper–NOT your boss, not your BANKER, not your NEIGHBOR, not your CRITICS, not your ENEMIES. They may SHUT a door, but GOD can take you right THROUGH it. He can make things happen that don’t make SENSE. He doesn’t HAVE to open it. He may not do it a traditional WAY. God can take you AROUND what’s blocking you. He can take you OVER someone who’s trying to stop you. He can move someone out of the WAY who’s holding you BACK. What God has DESTINED for your life will OVERRIDE anyone or ANYTHING trying to STOP you.

You just keep HONORING God, BEING your best, and HE will get you to where you need to be. Trust His TIMING. Don’t be IMPATIENT because a door hasn’t OPENED yet. God knows what He’s doing. He’s NOT going to let you miss out. Stay in PEACE; your time IS coming. Closed DOORS can’t keep you from your PURPOSE.

Today’s Scripture:

Psalm 18:29, AMPC

For by You I can run through a troop, and by my God I can leap over a wall.