THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

DON’T GET DISCOURAGED BY THE PREPARATION PROCESS

In the Scripture, David was ANOINTED to be the next king of Israel at the age of seventeen. After this incredible PROMISE was given to him, David did NOT go to the palace for a coronation; he went back to the SHEPHERDS’ fields. He was anointed but not APPOINTED. He had to pass the TEST of being FAITHFUL taking care of SHEEP. He had to pass the test of being GOOD to King Saul even though Saul was trying to KILL him. David didn’t take the throne until he was thirty-seven. It took twenty YEARS for him to take the throne, for him to be PREPARED for where God was TAKING him.

Don’t get discouraged by the PERPARATION process between the time God puts that DREAM in your heart and the time it comes to PASS. If you keep the right ATTITUDE, every struggle you go through, every disappointment, every delay is making you STRONGER, developing your CHARACTER, growing you UP. PASS those tests. It’s getting you PREPARED.

Today’s Scripture

James 1:12, ESV

Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

YOU HAVE SEEDS OF GREATNESS, DON’T LET ANYONE CARRY AWAY YOUR BLESSING

Esau was the firstborn son of Isaac and knew he would receive his father’s highest BLESSING, which included inheritance as well as being the leader of the family clan. But his twin brother, Jacob, DECEIVED their father into giving HIM the valuable blessing. Esau took the blessing for granted until it was carried AWAY by his brother.

Sometimes we let other people carry away OUR blessing. We let what they SAY about us—their disapproval and discouraging words—keep us from who we were MEANT to be. You have to put your foot down and say, “I’m NOT going to let PEOPLE talk me out of my DREAMS or let a coworker make me FEEL inferior as though I’m not GOOD enough. I’m NOT going to let a coach, a teacher, or a counselor talk me into living an average, mediocre, get-by LIFE.” You have seeds of GREATNESS. You are DESTINED to leave your mark on this generation. Don’t let ANYONE carry away YOUR BLESSING.

Today’s Scripture

Genesis 27:35, TLB

“Your brother was here and tricked me and has carried away your blessing.”

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

YOU’VE BEEN EQUIPPED; YOU’RE EMPOWERED!!

The Philistines had ruled over the people of Judah for forty years when God raised up Samson with SUPERNATURAL strength to DELIVER them. But when Samson struck against the Philistines, they THREATENED Judah, whose leaders were so comfortable with living in mediocrity and dysfunction that they turned AGAINST Samson rather than rise up and JOIN him in the fight for FREEDOM.

How many times is God sending US a Samson but we think like the Israelites. “I’ve had this addiction, this debt, this anger issue for SO LONG.” As long as you ACCEPT the negative thing as just the way it IS, even though God sends you a way to break FREE, you’ll talk yourself OUT of it. This is a NEW day. God has called YOU to be a Samson. He has put a supernatural STRENGTH on you to break the chains and barriers that have held you BACK. You’ve been EQUIPPED; you’re EMPOWERED. You can do it through CHRIST who STRENGTHENS you!

Today’s Scripture

Judges 15:11, MSG

“Don’t you realize that the Philistines already bully and lord it over us? So what’s going on with you, making things even worse?”

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

OUR GOD IS A GOD OF JUSTICE. HE’LL MAKE YOUR WRONGS RIGHT IF YOU’LL LEAVE IT WITH HIM.

In today’s Scripture, Jesus was talking about what we should do when somebody does us WRONG. Notice the principle of FORGIVENESS: let go of what you’re holding on to, DROP the matter. It’s EASY to get upset and stay offended, but you’re not hurting the OTHER person; you’re poisoning YOURSELF. The reason that Jesus says to leave it is that you’re going to be tempted LATER to pick up the hurt AGAIN when you think about what was said or DONE. Some people pick up the same offense for YEARS. It’s not a bag they CARRY anymore; unforgiveness is a part of who they ARE.

What was done might have been UNFAIR or UNKIND, but God is a God of JUSTICE. He’ll make your wrongs RIGHT. When you LEAVE it, that doesn’t mean you’re giving IN and don’t CARE about what happened. No, you’re saying, “God, YOU are my vindicator. I’m leaving that offense with YOU. I’m NOT carrying around any BAGGAGE.”

Today’s Scripture:

Mark 11:25, NLT

“But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too.”

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

YOU DON’T HAVE TO HAVE IT ALL TOGETHER TO DO SOMETHING GREAT

Many people don’t really like who they ARE. They FOCUS on their faults, their weaknesses. They’re constantly CRITICAL toward themselves. That recording of all the things WRONG with them keeps playing in their mind, “You’re impatient. You blew your diet. You should be ashamed of yourself.” They wonder why they’re not HAPPY, not realizing they have an inner WAR going on. It’s very FREEING when you can be happy with who you ARE even though you have SOME areas in which you still need to IMPROVE.

Think about what the apostle Paul said in today’s Scripture. Even HE still struggled in SOME areas. If he would have been down on himself, he would have never written almost half the books of the New Testament and become one of the HEROES of faith. You don’t have to have it ALL together to do something GREAT. If you’re waiting till you overcome EVERY weakness and perform PERFECTLY, you’ll be waiting your whole LIFE.

Today’s Scripture

Romans 7:19, NLT

I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

IN THE END, ALL THINGS ARE GOING TO WORK TO YOUR ADVANTAGE

The Scripture says that God declares “the end from the BEGINNING.” When God planned out YOUR life, He started with where He wants you to end UP, and then He worked BACKWARD. His plans for you are “to give you an EXPECTED end.” The GOOD news is that you don’t end in defeat, in failure, in disappointment, or in heartache. You end in VICTORY, fulfilling your DESTINY. You can live in PEACE, knowing that in the END, ALL things are going to work to your ADVANTAGE.

But there will be difficult SEASONS in your life when it looks as though things didn’t work out. You MAY be in a difficult season right NOW, and it may look as though your DREAM has died. You have to remind yourself that’s NOT how your story ends. The Most High God has already planned it for an EXPECTED end. If you’ll keep moving FORWARD, He’ll weave it all together. He’s already ESTABLISHED the end.

Today’s Scripture

Jeremiah 29:11, KJV

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

KEEP WHAT GOD HAS PROMISED AND SAID ABOUT YOU CLOSE TO YOUR HEART

Mary was engaged to the man of her DREAMS when the angel appeared and said she was going to have a BABY, the MESSIAH, WITHOUT knowing a man.

We focus on how AMAZING that supernatural birth was and FORGET that she had to explain that to her FIANCE, JOSEPH, who would in all likelihood call off the wedding. She had to accept the FACT that for her whole LIFE she would have to put up with shameful rumors and negative comments about who the father was. She could have EASILY been defensive, cynical, and bitter. But today’s Scripture says she took in all that God had said and “PONDERED it in her heart.” She thought about it over and over. What she kept close to her HEART was what God PROMISED her.

When worries come, people are spreading rumors about you, or a loss happens, keep what God has PROMISED and SAID about you close to your HEART. You will rise ABOVE the negative.

Today’s Scripture

Luke 2:19, NIV

But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

KNOWING WHO YOU’RE NOT WILL HELP YOU STAY FOCUSED ON BECOMING WHO YOU ARE

John the Baptist was baptizing people and gaining a lot of ATTENTION when the Jewish leaders asked him if he was the MESSIAH. Without missing a beat, John said, “I am NOT.” It’s important to know who you ARE and who you’re NOT. If you don’t KNOW this, you can spend your LIFE trying to be something you’re NOT. Knowing what you’re NOT will help you stay FOCUSED on becoming who you ARE because there will ALWAYS be PRESSURES to be THIS, to be THAT, to be the OTHER. If you’re trying to be something you’re NOT, you’ll be FRUSTRATED. There’s no GRACE for it. It will be a constant STRUGGLE, like it’s always UPHILL. When you’re YOU, you activate your ANOINTING. The ANOINTING on your life is to be who GOD CALLED you to be. There’s a FAVOR, a BLESSING, a GRACCE that is UNIQUE to your life.

Be CONFIDENT in what you HAVE. Keep being who God’s MADE you to BE.

Today’s Scripture

John 1:19–20, NLT

This was John’s testimony when the Jewish leaders sent priests and Temple assistants from Jerusalem to ask John, “Who are you?” He came right out and said, “I am not the Messiah.”

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

NO ONE LIKES ADVERSITY, BUT KEEP THE RIGHT PERSPECTIVE. IT’S NO MATCH FOR OUR GOD

When it came TIME for God to promote David from the shepherds’ fields to the THRONE, what did He DO? God sent David a giant ENEMY. David could have said, “God, Samuel anointed me to be the next KING, but he didn’t say I was going to face a gigantic WARRIOR.” Instead, he REALIZED the giant had NOT been sent to defeat him but to SHOW people the ANOINTING on his life. That ONE victory gave David INSTANT respect from all the people of Israel and LED to the throne.

NO one likes ADVERSITY but keep the right PERSPECTIVE. It’s no match for our GOD. The forces FOR you are GREATER than the forces AGAINST you. Don’t run AWAY from the giant; run TO the giant. Overcoming that GIANT is going to ESTABLISH you and give you a new level of INFLUENCE. If you stay in FAITH, you’re going to come out PROMOTED to a NEW level of your DESTINY.

Today’s Scripture

1 Samuel 17:48, NLT

As Goliath moved closer to attack, David quickly ran out to meet him.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

WE SHOULD LIVE ON A MISSION TO GO OUT EACH DAY AND STRENGTHEN OTHERS

Jesus was telling Peter that FORCES were trying to keep him from his DESTINY, but He had prayed for Peter, and he WAS going to make it through. Then Jesus said something IMPORTANT. “When you have TURNED again, when you’re OUT of this trial, when you’re on the other SIDE with the VICTORY, HEALED, PROMOTED, and RESTORED, THEN strengthen your BROTHERS.” Whatever God has brought YOU through, whatever He’s turned AROUND, whatever He’s made happen that you COULDN’T make happen, that’s an OPPORTUNITY to STRENGTHEN someone. Every BLESSING, every HEALING, every BREAKTHROUGH was not just designed for YOU. It was to strengthen your BROTHERS.

We should LIVE on a MISSION. “I’m out to STRENGTHEN someone today. I’m going to ENCOURAGE someone. I’m going to help HEAL someone.” If you’ll let it flow to OTHERS, tell what GOD has done, speak LIFE and HEALING, share your SKILLS, TALENTS, and RESOURCES, then there’s no LIMIT to how HIGH God will take YOU.

Today’s Scripture

Luke 22:31–32, NIV

“Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”