THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

JUST DO IT. WITH EVERY ACT OF OBEDIENCE, THERE’S A BLESSING

Sometimes God asks us to do things that don’t make sense. It doesn’t seem LOGICAL. It doesn’t fit into OUR budget. It doesn’t line up with our SCHEDULE. “God, You want me to go back to COLLEGE? I’m 40 years OLD.” “God, You want me to give them a GIFT? I was saving those funds for my OWN dreams.” Or, “God, You want me to LEAVE this secure position that I’ve had for years and start my own BUSINESS?” Too often we OVERANALYZE it. We debate it. Look at it only in the NATURAL. We end up making EXCUSES, talking ourselves OUT of it, “That COULDN’T be God.” But if you’re going to reach your highest POTENTIAL, you have to have BOLD obedience. That means you OBEY even when you don’t understand it. You JUST DO IT even when it doesn’t make sense. That’s what FAITH is all about.

If you can UNDERSTAND everything, you have the time, the money, it’s all lined up, then that doesn’t really take any FAITH. God will ask you to do things that seem FAR OUT, UNUSUAL, NOT PRACTICAL. With every act of OBEDIENCE, there is a BLESSING attached to it. When you do what you know GOD wants you to do, a blessing WILL follow. God REWARDS obedience!

Today’s Scripture:

Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession…

Exodus 19:5, NIV

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

ARISE AND LET GOD’S GLORY SHINE ALL OVER YOU

Are you going through a tough time today? Are you sitting on the sidelines of life? God is saying, “ARISE and get back in the GAME.” If a friend betrayed you, don’t go through life lonely. Go out and find some NEW friends. The right people ARE in your future. If you lost your job, don’t sit around complaining. Go out and find ANOTHER job. When one door closes, God will ALWAYS open another door. If you’re facing a health issue, fighting that sickness, don’t give up on life and start planning your funeral. ARISE from that discouragement!

When God sees you do YOUR part, He WILL do HIS part. He will give you a NEW life. That means He will restore your HEALTH, give you new OPPORTUNITIES, new RELATIONSHIPS. He will give you a new PERSPECTIVE. You will see that even though it’s painful, it is NOT the end. Even though it was unfair, it is NOT over. There is still LIFE after the sickness, life AFTER the divorce, life after the bad BREAK. A full life is STILL in front of you. Today, ARISE and let God’s glory shine ALL OVER you!

Today’s Scripture:

Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you.

Isaiah 60:1, NIV

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

OUR WRONG THINKING CAN KEEP US FROM OUR DESTINY

Many people are not living a VICTORIOUS life, not because there is something wrong with THEM, but because they have been dwelling on the wrong THOUGHTS. They start believing the lies, “I’m not TALENTED. I don’t have a good PERSONALITY. I’ve made too many MISTAKES.” Our wrong thinking can keep us from our DESTINY. If you’re going to live in VICTORY, you’ve got to know how to hit the DELETE button.

When that thought comes that says, “You’re just average. You’re ordinary.” Hit DELETE and say, “I’m a MASTERPIECE. I’m ONE OF A KIND.” When you hear, “You’ve seen your best days. It’s all downhill from here.” Hit DELETE and say, “My future will be BRIGHTER than my past.” If you will start hitting the DELETE button on those negative thoughts, your life will go to a new LEVEL, and you’ll experience the BLESSING He has in store for you!

Today’s Scripture:

Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.

Isaiah 43:18, NIV

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

REMAIN IN HIM, AND YOUR LIFE WILL BE FRUITFUL

Have you ever thought about the relationship between the BRANCH and the VINE? We don’t use these kinds of word pictures very much anymore, but think about it—if the branch is not ATTACHED to the vine, it withers and dies. The very LIFE of the branch depends on being attached to the VINE. The same thing happens if we try to operate in this life without Jesus. Without HIM, we can do NOTHING. We are cut from our life SOURCE. But when you remain in Him by daily connecting with Him through PRAYER, WORSHIP and study of the WORD, then your life will be FRUITFUL. You’ll walk in JOY and BLESSING.

I love that this verse says “MUCH fruit,” which means you will have an ABUNDANT harvest in your life. God doesn’t want you to just barely get by. He wants to OVERWHELM you with His goodness. Remain in Him TODAY. Choose to make Him TOP priority, and you’ll see His hand of BLESSING operating in every area of YOUR life!

Today’s Scripture:

I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing

John 15:5, NIV

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

IT’S TIME TO REPROGRAM YOUR MIND WITH THE WORD OF GOD

Our minds work like a computer. The way you PROGRAM it is the way it’s going to FUNCTION. You can have the most powerful computer made, but if you put the wrong SOFTWARE in it, it’s not going to function like it was DESIGNED. We’ve all had to deal with these computer viruses. All these problems occur not because the COMPUTER is defective, but because somebody CONTAMINATED the SOFTWARE.

In the same way, when God created YOU, He stepped back and said, “Another MASTERPIECE.” Your hardware is PERFECT. From the very beginning, He programmed you to be VICTORIOUS, HEALTHY, STRONG and CREATIVE. He programmed, “Whatever you touch will PROSPER and SUCCEED.” He programmed, “The HEAD and NOT the tail. LEND and NOT borrow. VICTOR and NOT victim.”

That’s how your Creator DESIGNED you. But the reason we don’t always experience this abundant LIFE is because we’ve allowed viruses to contaminate our software. Because our software is INFECTED, we go around with low self-esteem, negative and doubtful. It’s time to REPROGRAM your mind with the Word of GOD! Meditate on what HE says about you, DELETE the viruses, and get back to your ORIGINAL software!

Today’s Scripture:

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

(Romans 12:2, NIV)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

OUR GOD IS A GOOD AND PERFECT FATHER, HE LOVES US WITH AN EVERLASTING LOVE

When you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, not only is your ETERNITY secure, but you become a CHILD of the Most High GOD. You instantly have an EVERLASTING Father! Think about that word EVERLASTING. It means that before the beginning of time, the Father was there. He was WAITING for you to ACCEPT Him and become a child of His.

I can only imagine that He was excited and anticipating that day just like a father would anticipate the birth of his child in the natural. I can imagine that each day God would think, “Is it today?” I don’t know what your experience has been with your earthly father, but God is a good and PERFECT Father. He loves you with an EVERLASTING love. He loves EVERYTHING about you SO much that He notices when a single hair falls from your head. He ACCEPTS you JUST the way you are, and He LOVES you enough to guide you and work His character IN you. And, He will be your Father from now until ETERNITY! He will NEVER leave you nor forsake you! Thank Him today for being YOUR Everlasting Father!

Today’s Scripture:

For to us a Child is born, to us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder, and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father [of Eternity], Prince of Peace

Isaiah 9:6, AMP

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

GODS FREEDOM IS FREE FOR EVERYONE

Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is FREEDOM—and God’s freedom is free for EVERYONE! It doesn’t matter what your nationality or heritage is, or who your family is. It doesn’t matter how much money you have or don’t have; God wants you FREE from everything that would hold you back from your relationship with Him!

God wants to pour out His abundant blessing on ALL who honor Him and do what is right. In fact, the Bible says in Galatians that in Christ, there is no Jew or Greek or even male or female. That means God’s not judging you based on physical conditions. He’s looking at your HEART. He’s looking at the gifts He’s placed INSIDE of you.

Don’t let the enemy lie to you and tell you that God is blessing everyone else but YOU. Look for the ways He is pouring out blessing in YOUR life. Thank Him for His ACCEPTANCE, LOVE and FREEDOM. Focus on HONORING Him and doing what is RIGHT, and you’ll see His hand of blessing in EVERY area of your life!

Today’s Scripture:

“…God does not show favoritism but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right.”

(Acts 10:34-35, NIV)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

OPEN THE EYES OF YOUR HEART AND SEE OTHERS THE WAY GOD SEES THEM

When God looks at mankind, He doesn’t see us as different races. He doesn’t see different social standings. He doesn’t see color or creed. God looks past all the SUPERFICIAL things that our culture seems to magnify—what we WEAR, what we DRIVE and what we LOOK like—and He sees us all the same; not black or white, just His BEAUTIFUL creation. Not upper class or lower class; just ONE BIG FAMILY.

Sometimes people make the mistake of judging a whole race by a few people. We make sweeping generalizations, and it keeps us from enjoying the PEOPLE God places in our lives. Today, if you’ve been looking at others through the traditions of the WORLD, why don’t you open the eyes of your HEART and see others the way GOD sees them? We are all here by His DESIGN and called according to HIS purposes. When we see others through HIS eyes, we can come together in UNITY and receive the blessing He has prepared for US!

Today’s Scripture:

“In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free…”

Colossians 3:11, NLT

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

IT BRINGS GOD PLEASURE TO PROSPER YOU BECAUSE YOU ARE A REFLECTION OF HIM

If someone you know, brought their children to church and their clothes were all raggedy and worn out, if they had holes in their shoes and their hair was a ratty mess, you would look at them and think, “What kind of parents are they?” It would be a poor reflection on how they care for their children.

Now, think about how OUR lives reflect GOD’S goodness. When you’re HAPPY, LOOKING good, living in a nice place, EXCELLING in your career, GENEROUS with others, that brings a SMILE to God’s face. It shows the world HIS goodness.

Always remember: it brings God PLEASURE to PROSPER you. It brings God pleasure when YOU show the world His GOODNESS and GLORY. Remember, you are a REFLECTION of your Father, and He DELIGHTS in you!

Today’s Scripture:

But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord…

2 Corinthians 3:18, NKJV