THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

STAY IN FAITH, YOU ARE CLOSER THAN YOU THINK

In 2 Kings 4, there was a wealthy lady who had been extraordinarily kind to the prophet Elisha. The only thing missing in her life was a child. She was barren and her husband was old. One day Elisha said, “By this time next year, you will hold a son in your arms.” She nearly passed out. She’d tried to have a baby for years. She said, “Please don’t lie to me like that!” She was saying, “How can this happen? It’s impossible.” But God is a supernatural God. He can make things happen out of season. A year later she had her son.

We all have situations that look permanent. All the circumstances say it’s going to take years to get out of debt, years to accomplish that dream, but God is going to surprise you. Don’t believe the lies that say it’s permanent. You may not see anything changing, but stay in faith—you are closer than you think.

Today’s Scripture

2 Kings 4:16, NIV

“About this time next year,” Elisha said,”you will hold a son in your arms.”

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

GET READY FOR FAVOR IN NEW WAYS

If we’re not careful to develop a freedom mindset, having a bondage mindset will become normal to us. We’ll accept that it’s normal to be hot-tempered, it’s normal to live depressed and negative, it’s normal to struggle and not get any good breaks, it’s normal to have bad relationships. That’s not normal. That’s a chain that restricts your movement, that limits your ability. You are made in the image of Almighty God. You have seeds of greatness. You were created to be free, to be happy, to accomplish dreams—not to get by in life, but to excel. Don’t let a chain that binds you become normal.

Jesus came announcing freedom, announcing that the chains that are restricting you are being broken. Now it’s up to you to receive it. The chain breaker, the Most High God is working in your life right now. Your day of freedom has come. Get ready for favor in new ways. Start living from a freedom mindset.

Today’s Scripture

Luke 4:18, NKJV

“The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me…to proclaim liberty to the captives and…to set at liberty those who are oppressed.”

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

YOUR FAITH CAN ACTIVATE GOD’S POWER TO DO AMAZING THINGS

In many of the healings that Jesus performed, He laid His hands on people. But in this case, the woman laid her hands on Jesus. There were other sick people in the crowd that day. Many people with needs bumped up against Jesus and nothing happened, but this lady believed in Him, touched Him, and was healed.

Are you brushing up against Jesus or are you touching Him, so to speak? Are you waiting for God to lay hands on you? Are you living with expectancy, knowing that He’s bigger than your specific problems, or are you discouraged, thinking it will never change? God is passing by. He has all power. Don’t just brush up against Him. Don’t be passive and think you’ll never accomplish your dreams, never start your business, never meet the right person. Your faith can activate God’s power to do amazing things. Do like this woman—touch Him and believe it will happen!

Today’s Scripture

Mark 5:27–28, NIV

When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.”

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

YOU ARE A CHILD OF ALMIGHTY GOD, KEEP YOUR CROWN ON

When somebody tries to make you feel small, they make derogatory statements. Instead of being upset and believing what they say, just reach up and straighten your crown of righteousness. They can’t change who you are. They don’t control your destiny or determine your value. God does. He calls you a masterpiece. He says you’re a king, a queen. You’re supposed to reign in life. He put the crown on your head to remind you of who you are.

Don’t take off your crown because somebody told you that you’re not talented enough, not attractive enough, not tall enough, not smart enough. Your crown was put there by your Creator. It has nothing to do with how you feel, how you look, or what other people say. It’s based solely on the fact that you are a child of the Almighty God. Keep your crown on, keep being your best, and He will get you to where you’re supposed to be.

Today’s Scripture

Romans 5:17, NIV

…how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

WHEN YOU’RE IN A DARK PLACE IN YOUR LIFE, CHARACTER IS DEVELOPED THAT YOU WILL NOT FIND IN THE LIGHT

All of us at some point will go through a dark place—a sickness, a divorce, a loss, a child who breaks our heart. It’s easy to get discouraged, give up on our dreams, and think that’s the end. But God uses the dark places. They’re a part of His divine plan. Think of a seed. As long as a seed remains in the light, it cannot germinate and will never become what it was created to be. The seed must be planted in the soil, in a dark place, so that the potential on the inside will come to life.

You may not realize it, but it’s only in the dark places that the seeds of greatness in you—dreams, goals, talents, potential—will come to life. These times of darkness are where your character is developed, where you learn to trust God and persevere, and where you gain blessings you cannot gain in the light.

Today’s Scripture

Isaiah 50:10, NLT

…If you are walking in darkness, without a ray of light, trust in the LORD and rely on your God.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

STAY AT PEACE KNOWING THAT GOD IS IN CONTROL

It’s easy to live frustrated because somebody is not doing what WE want, discouraged because of a disappointment, upset because our dreams haven’t come to pass. But God doesn’t remove EVERY frustration. He doesn’t change every PERSON we don’t like, or take away everything that’s BOTHERING us. When He says, “Be still and know that I am God,” this implies that if we’re NOT still, if we’re upset, frustrated, and WORRIED, we’re not GOING to know that He is God. Most of the time when we’re frustrated, we’re trying to change things that only GOD can change. We’re trying to BE God and fix things over which we have no CONTROL. You can’t MAKE people do what’s right or make yourself get WELL. If YOU’RE trying to control EVERYTHING, you’re going to be FRUSTRATED. Do what you CAN, then turn it over to God, and let HIM take care of the rest. Stay at peace, knowing He IS in control.

Today’s Scripture

“Be still, and know that I am God!”

– Psalm 46:10, NLT

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

GOD HAS ESTABLISHED THE END, AND IT’S NOT DEFEAT

How you start is not important. Don’t let what you think is a disadvantage or a bad break cause you to say, “If I’d had a better childhood, if I had more support, if I didn’t have this dysfunction, I could do something great.” That’s where you started, but that’s not where you’re going to finish. The beginning doesn’t determine your destiny.

The apostle Paul did not say that God will bring you “to a defeated finish,” “an unfair finish,” “a lonely finish,” or a “bankrupt finish.” God has a victorious finish, an abundant finish, “a flourishing finish.” When those thoughts tell you, “It’s never going to work out. You have too many disadvantages,” let those lies go in one ear and out the other. God has established the end, and He loves to take people who start with the odds against them and shine down His favor, give them breaks, increase them, and cause them to do extraordinary things.

Today’s Scripture

Philippians 1:6, MSG

There has never been the slightest doubt in my mind that the God who started this great work in you would keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish on the very day Christ Jesus appears.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

IT’S YOUR CHOICE WHETHER TO DWELL ON IT OR DELETE IT

The Scripture tells us to guard our MIND. YOU control the doorway to what you allow in. You can dwell on every negative thought and every derogatory comment, or you can choose to DELETE it and dwell on what GOD says about you. If you let negative thoughts play over and over in your mind, they will CONTAMINATE your confidence, self-esteem, and future.

Why don’t you start hitting the DELETE button? Quit DWELLING on every negative thought that comes to your mind. That’s the enemy trying to contaminate your MIND. If he can control your thinking, he can control your whole LIFE—you’ll go around with low self-esteem, you won’t BELIEVE your dreams will come to pass, and you won’t EXPECT problems to turn around. If the thought is NEGATIVE, discouraging, or pushing you down, do NOT dwell on it. DELETE it. If you’re going to reach your highest potential, you have to get GOOD at hitting the DELETE button.

Today’s Scripture

Philippians 4:6–7, NIV

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

ONE DAY YOU’LL LOOK BACK AND SAY, IT WAS ALL GOOD

If you’re fighting everything you don’t like, you need to have this new perspective: it’s all good. Whether it’s a grouchy boss, an illness you’re dealing with, or a dream that’s taking forever to be fulfilled, you can say, “I don’t like how this has gone, but God is on the throne. He promised that He would use what has come against me to my advantage.” All things work together for your good. They may not be good at the time we go through them. It’s painful to go through a loss. It hurts when people do us wrong. It’s discouraging when a dream doesn’t work out. By themselves, they may not be good, but the problem is that you’re isolating these single events. God promises He’s going to bring it all together. What looked like a setback was a setup for God to show out in your life. One day you’ll look back and say that it was all good.

Today’s Scripture

Romans 8:28, NKJV

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

GOD IS ABOUT TO DO SOMETHING UNUSUAL, SOMETHING MORE THAN YOU’VE DREAMED

There are times when things aren’t going your way, business is down, the medical report isn’t good. It’s not your season. The good news is that God specializes in doing things out of season. He doesn’t wait for the perfect circumstances to line up, for you to have the training, for the right people to believe in you. He does things unexpectedly. He’ll make water pour out in your dry places and cause you to blossom out of season. What happened? God blessed you out of season.

Do you feel out of season as though you’re stuck in some area? Stay encouraged. God has you in the palms of His hands. Get ready for an “out of season” blessing, for an “it’s beyond my imagination” healing, for an “it doesn’t make sense” promotion. God is about to do something unusual, something that’s bigger than you’ve dreamed, where you’re going to say, “Wow, God! I didn’t see that coming!”

Today’s Scripture

Isaiah 35:6, NIV

Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert.