THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

GOD HAS GIVEN EVERYONE OF US A SPECIFIC GIFT AND PURPOSE

In today’s Scripture, a little boy had a sack lunch—five loaves of bread and two fish. Nothing much. Yet when thousands of people were hungry, Jesus took his lunch, multiplied it, and fed the whole crowd. Think about the boy’s mother who made the lunch. She was a homemaker raising a child without a title or acclaim. But titles don’t bring fulfillment. Keeping up with your neighbors doesn’t bring happiness. Trying to impress your friends will make your life miserable, but understanding your assignment and being comfortable with who God made you to be are what bring true fulfillment.

Don’t discount the gift God has given you. Are you secure enough to play the role that God has given you? Are you comfortable enough to not have to be number one, to have the title, to keep up with others? The beauty of our God is that He has given every one of us a specific gift and purpose.

Today’s Scripture

John 6:9, NIV

“Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

YOUR FAITH WILL ACTIVATE GOD’S POWER IN A NEW WAY

If God be FOR you, who DARE be against you? Quit telling yourself, “I’ll always struggle in this area. I’ll never lose this WEIGHT. I’ll never get out of DEBT.” Change your PERSPECTIVE. You are not weak, defeated, or inferior. You are full of “CAN DO” power. The same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead lives inside YOU. Tap INTO that power. Greater is He that’s in YOU than he that comes GAINST you. You are MORE than a conqueror.

Now start putting things under your feet. Think of that word TREAD in today’s Scripture. One translation says “to TRAMPLE.” God has not only put it under your FEET, but He has armed you with AUTHORITY and STRENGTH to be VICTORIOUS. He has ALREADY equipped you. If you will see these obstacles as being under your FEET, as being ALREADY defeated, a new BOLDNESS will rise up. Your FAITH will activate God’s POWER in a NEW way.

Today’s Scripture

Luke 10:19, ESV

“Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you.”

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

YOU’RE NOT MAKING THE BEST DECISIONS IF YOU’RE NOT CONSULTING WITH GOD

Joshua and the Israelites had just defeated Jericho miraculously. God’s favor was on them. A group of people, who lived nearby, knowing they also would be destroyed, came up with an elaborate plan to deceive Joshua into believing they were from a distant land and make a peace treaty with them, which God had forbidden. It was a persuasive deception on the surface, and it became a big headache that could have been avoided if Joshua had consulted the Lord.

That’s why you need to consult with the Lord before you get involved with people, before you sign that contract, before you put the money down. People show you one side, but God can see the whole package. You’re not going to make the best decisions if you’re not consulting with God. He will protect you from making mistakes, open the right doors, bring the right people, and take you to the fullness of your destiny.

Today’s Scripture

Joshua 9:14, NLT

The Israelites examined their food, but they did not consult the LORD.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

THE CUTTING MAY BE UNFOMFORTABLE, BUT IT’S MAKING YOU BETTER

God is the master GARDENER. He knows when and how MUCH our lives need to be PRUNED in order to grow fuller and HEALTHIER. This means all of us at times are going to experience being cut BACK. But He’s NOT going to cut anything back unless it’s the perfect time. Sometimes we think, God, why did You take this PERSON away, why did You cut back our BUSINESS, why did we go through that DISAPPOINTMENT? God knows what He’s doing. He cut you back for ONE reason—so you can bear much FRUIT. If He hadn’t cut you back, you would have been satisfied to stay where you WERE. But God doesn’t WANT you to get stuck. Remind yourself that you’re being pruned so you can see new GROWTH, new OPPORTUNITIES, new LEVELS. That cutting may be UNCOMFORTABLE, but it’s making you BETTER. God’s getting you PREPARED. You may have LOST something, but you need to get ready to gain something BETTER.

Today’s Scripture

John 15:2, MSG

Every branch that is grape-bearing he prunes back so it will bear even more.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

SEE THE GOOD AND BE GRATEFUL FOR WHAT YOU HAVE

Don’t miss a great season in your life wishing you had more, complaining about what you don’t have. The real joy in life is in the simple things—making memories with your family, riding your bikes together, watching the sunset with your spouse, or staring up at the stars at night. You don’t have to have big vacations or lots of money to have fun. Learn to enjoy the simple things in life.

Could it be that you’re at the right place for the season that you’re in, but you’re not enjoying it? Maybe if you would step back and see it from a new perspective, you would realize that God has you in the palms of His hands. He knows where you are, what you like, and what you don’t like. Instead of living discontented, frustrated, always wishing you were somewhere else, embrace the place where you are. See the good. Be grateful for what you have.

Today’s Scripture

1 Timothy 6:17, NIV

…to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

YOU WOULDN’T HAVE OPPOSITION IF YOU DIDN’T HAVE SOMETHING GREAT IN OF YOU

As a young man, God gave Joseph a dream that one day his parents and his brothers would bow down before him. Joseph should have used more wisdom and not told them about his dream. Some people can’t handle what God has put inside you. They won’t celebrate you; rather, as Joseph’s brothers did, they’ll get jealous of you and start finding fault.

When you have a dream, you’re going to have some detractors. Sometimes the people closest to you will be the least supportive. When you believe that you can overcome an illness, pay off your house, or be successful in spite of past mistakes, some people will become jealous and try to make you look bad or try to talk you out of it. Don’t try to prove who you are or convince them to believe in you. You don’t need their approval. You have Almighty God’s approval. You wouldn’t have that opposition if you didn’t have something great in you.

Today’s Scripture

Genesis 37:19, NIV

“Here comes that dreamer!” they said to each other.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

WHEN YOU’RE GRATEFUL FOR THE SMALL THINGS, THEN GOD WILL RELEASE THE BIG THINGS

The Israelites had a dream to rebuild the temple. It was a huge task. After much work and frustration, they finally finished the foundation. They hadn’t even started the walls, yet they had a huge party. They could have said, “Forget it. We’re never going to finish,” but instead, they celebrated the small victory.

We all have things in our life that are incomplete. We’ve made some progress, but the dream hasn’t come to pass, a problem hasn’t turned around. Too often we wait for the total victory to celebrate. “When I get out of debt, I’ll be grateful.” But the key to seeing it come to fulfillment is to not let its completion hold your thanksgiving hostage. Celebrate partial victories along the way. When you pay off one credit card, celebrate what God has done. When you pass the test of being grateful for the small things, He’ll release big things in your life—more favor, more healing, more strength.

Today’s Scripture

Ezra 3:10–11, TLB

When the builders completed the foundation of the Temple, the priests… blew their trumpets; and… crashed their cymbals to praise the Lord… singing this song: “He is good, and his love and mercy toward Israel will last forever.”

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

YOU MAY BE A PRODUCT OF YOUR PAST, BUT YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE A PRISONER OF IT

If you’re always thinking about something negative that happened yesterday, last month, last year, there’s no FREEDOM there. That’s where the Spirit of the Lord WAS. This is a NEW day. Quit living in what WAS and come over into what IS. Right now there is freedom, joy, peace, and restoration for you. Right now there are new beginnings. Remaining upset and offended about what happened yesterday doesn’t bring FREEDOM. Living in regret of what you should have done or what could have been doesn’t do anything PRODUCTIVE. It’s time to drop it and move FORWARD. You may be a PRODUCT of your past, but you don’t have to be a PRISONER OF your past. God already knew every hurt, every loss, and every mistake you would go through. The GOOD news is that for every setback, He’s already arranged a COMEBACK; for every disappointment, a NEW beginning; for every failure, RESTORATION; for all the ashes, He has BEAUTY. Live in FREEDOM.

Today’s Scripture

2 Corinthians 3:17, NIV

Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

DON’T GIVE UP, STAY COMMITTED AND GOD WILL OPEN DOORS THAT NO MAN CAN SHUT

At any point in His ministry, and especially as He approached the cross, Jesus could have said, “I’ve loved these people, healed them, and served them, but they treat me badly. I’ve had enough. I’m done.” But Jesus stayed committed when it was hard, when it wasn’t fair, when He had every right to quit. He was unyielding when it came to fulfilling His destiny, even at the cost of His own life.

Is there something you’ve been tempted to give up on, to take the easy way out, to slack off—a dream, a relationship, a job? You may have a good reason to walk away, to back off, to not be your best, but God is saying, “Stay committed, stay determined, keep doing the right thing.” If you’ll stay committed to your dreams, to your marriage, to your friends, to your job, God is going to open doors no man can shut and take you to the fullness of your destiny.

Today’s Scripture

Proverbs 3:3–4, MSG

Don’t lose your grip on Love and Loyalty. Tie them around your neck; carve their initials on your heart. Earn a reputation for living well in God’s eyes and the eyes of the people.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

WHATEVER GOD HAS PLACED IN YOUR HEART, IT NEEDS TO GET INTO YOUR CONVERSATION

Notice the connection in today’s Scripture between I will say and He will do. It doesn’t say, “I BELIEVE He is my refuge.” The psalmist went around declaring it, speaking it out: “The Lord IS my refuge.” Notice what happened. God became his refuge and STRENGTH. God was saying in effect, “If you’re bold enough to SPEAK it, I’m bold enough to DO it.”

Have you ever declared that your dreams ARE coming to pass? Have you ever said, “I WILL pay off my house?” “I will start my own BUSINESS.” “I will get my DEGREE.” “I WILL lose this weight.” Whatever God has put in your heart, it needs to get in your CONVERSATION. TALK like it’s going to happen. Talk like it’s ALREADY on the way: “WHEN I get married…, when I graduate from COLLEGE…, when I see my FAMILY restored.” Not IF it’s going to happen, but WHEN it’s going to happen. That’s your FAITH being RELEASED.

Today’s Scripture

Psalm 91:2–3, ESV

I will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence.