THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

IN DIFFICULT TIMES, KEEP YOUR JOY AND KEEP DECLARING GOD’S WORD

If you know you are going into a challenging season, you can get PREPARED for it. You can make sure you are mentally ready. But what about the difficulties that we don’t see coming? The unexpected crisis that catches you off-guard? Sometimes, it can seem so overwhelming that it almost knocks the wind right out of you.

The scripture says that we shouldn’t be surprised by fiery trials. That’s because the forces of darkness would not be fighting against you if they didn’t know that God has something AMAZING in your FUTURE! Sometimes, those unexpected difficulties are just a sign that you’re on the right track. It’s always darkest just before the dawn appears. The enemy always fights the hardest when you are closest to your BREAKTHROUGH. The key is to stay the course and keep fighting the good fight of FAITH.

In the difficult times, keep your JOY and keep declaring God’s Word over your future. God has PROMISED that you WILL overcome EVERY obstacle. You WILL defeat every enemy, and you will embrace the BLESSING and VICTORY He has in store for YOU!

Today’s Scripture:

“Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.”
1 Peter 4:12-13, NIV

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

IF YOU EXPECT TO SEE GOD’S GOODNESS, YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED

God wants to exceed your HIGHEST expectations! He wants to BLESS you and INCREASE you. He wants to make you more EFFECTIVE in your JOB, RELATIONSHIPS and EVERYTHING to which you set your hand. The key is to EXPECT to see His goodness.

So many people today have LOW expectations because they look to the news, the economy or other people to set the tone for their day. If you expect the worst, you WILL NOT be disappointed. But if you expect to see God’s GOODNESS, you won’t be disappointed EITHER.

Today, set your expectations on GOD. Focus your HEART and MIND on Him. MEDITATE on His Word and sing a song of PRAISE. As you do, you WILL see His GOODNESS, and He will do AWESOME deeds beyond your highest EXPECTATIONS!

Today’s Scripture

Isaiah 64:3, NLT
When you came down long ago, you did awesome deeds beyond our highest expectations…

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

WHEN YOU CHOOSE LOVE, YOU SHOW THE WORLD GOD IS FIRST PLACE IN YOUR LIFE

There is tremendous power in LOVE! In the same way that a tree will grow taller and STRONGER when its roots grow deep, YOU will be stronger and rise HIGHER when you are rooted and ESTABLISHED in LOVE.

How do you establish yourself in love? It starts by making a CHOICE. When you choose to say “YES” to love, you are saying “yes” to everything GOD because God IS love! Then, EVERYDAY choose to LOVE through your ACTIONS by modeling your life according to I Corinthians 13. That means choosing to be PATIENT and KIND. It means NOT seeking your own way, NOT being jealous or boastful. When you choose love, you are showing the world that GOD is first place in your life. The more you choose to WALK in love, the deeper and stronger your ROOTS will grow.

Remember, love is the GREATEST thing. It is ALL that will last in eternity. Choose to ESTABLISH yourself in love and let it be FIRM within you. Let His love build SECURITY in you and EMPOWER you to live the life of BLESSING He has in store for you.

Today’s Scripture:

“…May you be rooted deep in love and founded securely on love.”
Ephesians 3:17, AMP

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

WHEN YOU’RE IN GOD’S WILL, THERE WILL BE JOY ON THE INSIDE

When you love what you do, it doesn’t mean you don’t work hard or that you don’t have to deal with some frustrating days and PEOPLE. That’s all a part of life. But ULTIMATELY, God can help you ENJOY what you’re doing. When you’re in God’s will, there will be a joy on the INSIDE. Deep down in your spirit, you will feel a sense of ACCOMPLISHMENT. You’ll live the best life that God INTENDED for you. If you’ll live a FOCUSED life with your PRIORITIES in order and clear GOALS for the FUTURE, there’s NO limit to what God will do! He’ll take you places that you’ve never even DREAMED of. You’ll experience the ABUNDANT life He has in store for you. Your deepest desire should be to follow God’s perfect WILL so that one day, you can look back and say, “THIS is why God put me here.”

Today’s Scripture

Colossians 3:23, NLT
Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

HIS PRESENCE IS ONLY A PRAYER AWAY…..

God wants to EMPOWER and STRENGTHEN you to OVERCOME every obstacle in this life. He wants to give you CONFIDENCE, WISDOM and BOLDNESS to pursue the DREAMS and DESIRES in your heart. He wants to give you supernatural INSIGHT so that you can be a witness of His goodness. In scripture, Peter and John were supernaturally EQUIPPED. Everyone around them marveled at their BOLDNESS, at their ABILITY. They knew Peter and John didn’t have any formal training. They knew there wasn’t anything special about them. This POWER and WISDOM could have only come from one place—the PRESENCE of Jesus.

Friend, when you spend time with Jesus, people will SEE it. You’ll be ENERGIZED by His anointing and EQUIPPED by His GRACE. That’s why it’s so important to take time every day to be in His PRESENCE. No matter where you are on this earth, His PRESENCE is only a prayer away. Scripture says He is near to ALL who call upon His name. It says that He INHABITS the PRAISES of His people. Make your relationship with Him your number one PRIORITY and be EMPOWERED by His PRESENCE each and every day!

Today’s Scripture:

“Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus.”
(Acts 4:13, NKJV)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

GOD IS BIGGER THAN YOUR PROBLEMS, AND BIGGER THAN FEAR

Fear always presents itself as much bigger than it really is. It’s always the worst-case scenario. It always tries to get you worried, anxious, uptight and panicked. Fear’s goal is to separate you from God by trying to get you to doubt His Word. But when the spirit of fear comes, RECOGNIZE that it has no power unless you GIVE it power. Don’t give it power by speaking what FEAR speaks. Don’t give it power by meditating on it. Instead, let the POWER of the Word of God rise up WITHIN you. DECLARE what God says; declare that God has given you ALL AUTHORITY in heaven AND earth. Declare that NO weapon formed against you shall prosper. Remember that no matter how big fear PRESENTS itself, it’s no match for the power of Almighty GOD. When you yield yourself to HIM, you tap into His POWER. Greater is He that is in YOU than he that is in the world. God is BIGGER than your problems and bigger than FEAR. Let FAITH rise up in your heart because faith is the victory that OVERCOMES the world.

Today’s Scripture

1 John 5:4, NASB
For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

WITH GOD ON YOUR SIDE, YOU ARE NEVER OUTNUMBERED

Everyone goes through times when they feel overwhelmed or “outnumbered” by whatever is coming against them. For example, just about the time the air conditioner needs repair in your house, the transmission goes out in your car. It can seem like one thing after another. It may feel as if all the forces of darkness are coming against you, but Scripture PROMISES that with God on your side, you have EVERYTHING you need to overcome. The truth is, you are NEVER outnumbered. You and God are a majority!

Anytime you’re feeling anxious, fearful or worried about anything, remember that God IS on your side. If God is FOR you, who can be AGAINST you? Difficulties may come, but He PROMISES to GUIDE and PROTECT you. The story isn’t over until you end in VICTORY.

Today’s Scripture:

“‘Don’t be afraid,’ the prophet answered. ‘Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.’”
(2 Kings 6:16, NIV)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

GOD DOESN’T WANT TO SEE YOU SETTLING FOR ANYTHING LESS THAN HIS VERY BEST

When you look out into your FUTURE, what do you see? What are the DREAMS and DESIRES that you hold close to your heart?

So many people start with BOLD dreams, but then opposition comes. Life doesn’t turn out the way THEY planned. They lose a loved one or encounter difficulty they didn’t anticipate. Today, if that’s you, I want to remind you that the Creator of the universe designed you with specific GIFTS and TALENTS that no one else has. He has you on this planet for a specific PURPOSE. When you commit your life to HIM, He PROMISES to be with you WHEREVER you go. Even though some things in life may have caught YOU by surprise, they didn’t catch GOD by surprise. His GOOD plan for your life REMAINS. You can trust HIM because He LOVES you with an EVERLASTING love, and He doesn’t want to see you settling for anything less than His very BEST.

I want to encourage you to be BOLD, be STRONG and be COURAGEOUS. Put ASIDE the past and lift up your eyes to JESUS. He is the Author and Finisher of your FAITH. Live BOLDLY and DREAM boldly so you can embrace the GOOD things He has in store for YOU!

Today’s Scripture:

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
(Joshua 1:9, NKJV)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

RELEASE ALL THE BITTERNESS—GOD PROMISES TO GIVE YOU A NEW BEGINNING!

Too many people today spend their days looking in the rearview mirror of their lives. You don’t have to DENY that painful things have happened to you. If you have lost a job, been mistreated, or had a loved one die, those are real hurts. What we are saying is that you need to leave those things in the PAST and MOVE ON. If you carry those disappointments around with you, you are going to start each day telling yourself, “God couldn’t possibly have anything good for me today because of what happened yesterday.” You have to LET GO of any SHATTERED DREAMS, quit dwelling on any disappointments, and FORGIVE the people who have hurt you. RELEASE all that bitterness—God promises to give you a NEW beginning!

Today’s Scripture

Isaiah 61:1-3, NIV
…He has sent me…to comfort all who mourn…to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes…

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

A RELAXED ATTITUDE WILL LENGTHEN YOUR LIFE

Throughout life, there will always be something that will try to take our JOY. If it’s not a grumpy sales person, it’s a family member aggravating you, traffic is backed up, your flight is delayed, or your spouse is taking too long. Don’t go the next 20 years allowing the same people and the same CIRCUMSTANCES to frustrate you. Change your approach. What’s upsetting you now doesn’t have to upset you anymore. You can choose to keep your cool and stay CALM and STEADY. Remember, a relaxed attitude is going to lengthen your life. The next time you’re tempted to be upset, ask yourself, “Is this really worth giving up my joy over?”

If you’ll make this DECISION not to give away your joy and live each day happy, God promises you’ll be STRONG; you’ll have more PEACEFUL relationships, and you’ll ACCOMPLISH more. He says a JOYFUL heart is good medicine! Hold on to your joy and let it heal your heart so you can experience the BLESSINGS He has in store for you!

Today’s Scripture 

Proverbs 17:22, ESV
A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.