THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

RELEASE YOUR CARES TO THE LORD AND LET HIM FILL YOU WITH HIS PEACE AND JOY

God wants to give you rest. He wants to refresh and restore your soul—your mind, will and emotions. It’s so easy to get caught up in the “BUSYNESS” of life, and before long, your mind, will and emotions are so “SPUN UP” that you can barely THINK straight! But even in the hustle of life, you can find REST, EASE and RELAXATION.

God wants to take care of EVERYTHING that concerns you so that you can find rest in your innermost BEING when you come to HIM.

Imagine how you would feel if someone came up to you today and said, “Give me all of your monthly bills; I’m going to pay them.” You’d get pretty excited, WOULDN’T you? But it wouldn’t happen until you did YOUR part to actually hand that person your BILLS. They can’t pay them for you if you never RELEASE them. In the same way, when we release our CARES and CONCERNS to God, He PROMISES to take care of them.

Today, RELEASE your cares to the Lord. Let Him fill you with His PEACE and JOY. Receive the REST that He promises and enjoy the FULFILLMENT and BLESSING He has for you!

Today’s Scripture:

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

Matthew 11:28, NIV

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

THERE ARE MOMENTS OF FAVOR THAT GOD HAS ALREADY RELEASED INTO YOUR FUTURE

The scripture talks about how TIME and CHANCE will come together for EVERY person. In other words, there are moments of FAVOR that God has ALREADY released into your future. If you’ll let that sink down into your heart today, it will change your WHOLE outlook on your FUTURE.

So many people miss out on the GOOD things because they allow fear to DISTRACT them and hold them BACK. They say, “What if I fail?” “What if they don’t like me?” “What if I make a mistake?” However, “What if you DO succeed?” “What if they do LIKE you?” “What if you do it BETTER than anyone ELSE?” That’s EXPECTING God’s goodness and favor. And when you go out each day with an attitude of FAITH and EXPECTANCY, you’ll SEE those good things He has in store. You’ll walk into divine moments of FAVOR, moments of BLESSING, moments of INCREASE and EMBRACE all the good things He has in store for you!

Today’s Scripture:

“…time and chance happen to them all.”

Ecclesiastes 9:11, NIV

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

BE HAPPY, RIGHT WHERE YOU ARE

It’s good to be passionate about your DREAMS, but did you know a dream can actually become an IDOL? If it’s all you think about, and you’re not going to be happy unless it happens YOUR way, that’s out of BALANCE. The fact is, sometimes you have to RELEASE that dream back to the Father.

Sometimes we can get frustrated because we are trying to FORCE things to happen on OUR timetable. Sometimes we hold on to things SO tightly, but when we are finally willing to let them GO, that’s when God can bring them to PASS. If you’ll choose to RELEASE that frustration and not let it become the CENTER of your attention, but INSTEAD, THANK God that HE’S directing your steps, THAT will open the door for God to give you the desires of your heart.

We have to remember, God ALREADY knows what we want and what we NEED. He’s the One who PUT those desires in us. We shouldn’t be CONSUMED with trying to make things HAPPEN. Instead, a greater act of FAITH is to be happy RIGHT WHERE YOU ARE; to stay OPEN and TRUST God because He has GOOD PLANS in store for your future!

Today’s Scripture:

“I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels—a plentiful harvest of new lives.”

John 12:24, NLT

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

WITH FAITH THAT IS ALIVE, YOU’LL RISE UP HIGHER

Did you know that FAITH can be alive or dead? Dead faith doesn’t do anything. There are a lot of people who LOVE God, but they aren’t overcoming obstacles or accomplishing their God-given dreams simply because they are not putting any ACTION behind their faith. Their faith is simply DEAD.

What can you do today to keep YOUR faith alive? It doesn’t have to be something big. By simply obeying God’s Word and doing your BEST, you are keeping your faith ALIVE. When you go to work every day and give it 100%, you are DEMONSTRATING your faith. Sometimes just putting a SMILE on your face when you feel discouraged is putting ACTION behind your faith. Taking time to go to church—that’s faith that is alive. That’s faith that ACTIVATES God’s POWER. That’s faith that opens the door for God to MOVE on your behalf! With faith that is ALIVE, you’ll rise up HIGHER. You’ll OVERCOME obstacles, and you’ll move FORWARD into the BLESSING and VICTORY God has in STORE for you!

Today’s Scripture:

“…faith without works is dead.”

James 2:20, NKJV

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

PRESENT-DAY CIRCUMSTANCES DON’T DEFINE YOUR FUTURE, GOD DOES…..

In the Old Testament, there was an Israelite woman who was about to give birth. She had just heard that the Ark of the Covenant which housed God’s presence had been stolen. She was so upset about it that she named her baby boy Ichabod, which means “the glory has departed.” Notice what she did; she named her FUTURE by what was happening in her PRESENT. She could have just as easily named him “the glory will RETURN,” but she was so FOCUSED ON THE NEGATIVE, so caught up in where she was at that MOMENT, that she defined her FUTURE by it.

Friend, don’t EVER name your FUTURE by your PRESENT-day CIRCUMSTANCES. You may have had some hard times in the PAST, but get that “Ichabod” spirit OFF of you. It may look like you’re stuck in a rut and you don’t really see how you could ever rise any HIGHER, but don’t speak defeat over your life. Instead, name your FUTURE: BLESSED, PROSPEROUS, SUCCESSFUL, VICTORIOUS, HEALTHY, WHOLE, STRONG, TALENTED, CREATIVE, WISE. Declare what God’s WORD says so that you can move FORWARD in the DESTINY He has prepared for you!

Today’s Scripture:

“You will also declare a thing, and it will be established…”

Job 22:28, NKJV

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

WHEN YOU BELIEVE, YOU HAVE THE CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSE FIGHTING YOUR BATTLES

Is there something you’ve been BELIEVING for, something you’ve been HOPING for that’s taking longer than you expected? You might be tempted to just accept things the way they are. You might be tempted to think it’s never going to happen. If that’s you today, be ENCOURAGED because God is a FINISHER! He WILL complete what He’s STARTED in you!

Your part is to BELIEVE. Your part is to keep your eyes on HIM. When you BELIEVE, you have the Creator of the universe FIGHTING your battles, ARRANGING things in your favor, going BEFORE you, moving the wrong people OUT of the way. Don’t be intimidated by the size of a problem or the size of your DREAM! Don’t let CIRCUMSTANCES convince you to stop believing. “Jehovah Jireh, the Lord our Provider, is still on the throne. One TOUCH of God’s FAVOR and you’ll go from barely getting by to having MORE than enough! Begin to thank Him and declare that God is at work. Declare that He is PERFECTING what concerns you. Declare that He WILL complete everything He’s STARTED in your life!

Today’s Scripture:

“And David said to his son Solomon, ‘Be strong and of good courage, and do it; do not fear nor be dismayed, for the LORD God–my God–will be with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you, until you have finished all the work for the service of the house of the LORD’.”

(1 Chronicles 28:20, NKJV)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

YOUR MISTAKE DID NOT CHANGE ‘WHO YOU ARE’ TO GOD

When we make mistakes in life, there are three main things that we need to do. Number one, ask for FORGIVENESS. Number two, RECEIVE God’s mercy. And number three, move FORWARD with your life. Let it go and press AHEAD.

So many people today are still beating themselves down over something they did five years ago. They’ve asked God to forgive them a thousand times, but can’t let it go. They go around living depressed, defeated and feeling unworthy. If that’s you, REALIZE today the price has ALREADY been paid. The first time you asked God to forgive you, He FORGAVE you. Now YOU’VE got to receive God’s MERCY and press AHEAD. That mistake did not change WHO you are to God. MY daughter has never once gotten up in the morning as a Justice and then done something wrong and gone to bed that night with a different last NAME. No matter what she DID, she’s still my CHILD.

You may have made mistakes today, but because of the blood of JESUS, you are still your Father’s CHILD. You are still the apple of God’s EYE. You are still His most PRIZED possession. God may not be pleased with EVERY action, but He IS pleased when you receive His FORGIVENESS by FAITH!

Today’s Scripture:

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness”

(1 John 1:9, NKJV)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

WHEN YOU BECOME A FOLLOWER OF CHRIST, YOUR LIFE BECOMES DIFFERENT

When you become a follower of Christ, your life becomes DIFFERENT. Everything ABOUT you becomes different. When we follow God’s commands, it means we do things DIFFERENTLY from others. It means, instead of being offended, we choose LOVE. Instead of insisting on our way, we serve OTHERS. It means, instead of trying to be RIGHT all the time, we build and lift others UP.

This isn’t the way MOST people in the world act but that’s OKAY. We are called to be DIFFERENT. We are called to rise HIGHER. We are called to be examples of God’s GRACE, MERCY and FORGIVENESS. It may not make sense to OTHERS but that’s okay. God will promote you to a NEW level of BLESSING and VICTORY when you commit yourself FULLY to Him. Don’t live a life of mediocrity, live a life of EXCELLENCE for God. Live a life PLEASING to Him and don’t be afraid to be DIFFERENT!

Today’s Scripture:

“Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul.”

1 Peter 2:11, NIV

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

WHEN YOU DO THINGS GOD’S WAY, YOU WILL GET GOD’S RESULTS

Have you ever spent time with a small child or baby and had them mimic your every sound or action? To them it’s a fun game, but internally, they are learning by watching and copying everything you do. They just OBSERVE and do the same thing. That’s because we are all wired to be IMITATORS.

Even as adults, just like little children, we are all STILL imitators. So many people today end up imitating what they see in the world, on TV, in the news and magazines. But scripture tells us that we are to be imitators of GOD and follow HIS example of LOVE.

If you need to make a CHANGE in your life today, change what you are IMITATING. Change your FOCUS. The more you focus on the WORD, the more you will imitate GOD. When you do things GOD’S way, you will get God’s RESULTS—PEACE, JOY and BLESSING all the days of your life!

Today’s Scripture:

“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”

Ephesians 5:1-2, ESV

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

ENJOY THE JOURNEY OF LIFE. TAKE TIME TO STOP AND SMELL THE ROSES

Oftentimes, people tend to get wrapped up and busy with things that don’t really MATTER in ETERNITY. It’s easy to get consumed by your career and stay focused on your goals. It’s GOOD to work hard, but you’ve got to learn how to PLAY hard, TOO, so that you can stay in BALANCE. I heard somebody say, “It’s not that life is so SHORT, it’s that we WAIT so long to begin LIVING.” If we want to TRULY enjoy the JOURNEY of life, we have to TAKE TIME to stop and smell the roses. Do you appreciate the PEOPLE you love? Do you hug your CHILDREN before you leave each day and give your spouse a KISS? When was the last time you called your PARENTS to tell them how much you LOVE them? That’s how we can ENJOY the journey.

If you’ll stay determined to enjoy the JOURNEY of life, you’ll live with NO regrets. You’ll see your path shine BRIGHTER and BRIGHTER, and at the end, you’ll be able to say, “I made the MOST of my life. I enjoyed my FAMILY. I enjoyed my FRIENDS. I finished my course with JOY.”

Today’s Scripture:

“But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day.”

Proverbs 4:18, ESV