THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

THE BIGGER YOU MAKE GOD, THE SMALLER YOU PROBLEMS WILL BECOME

In the Scripture, Nehemiah had a dream to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, but he didn’t have the money, the supplies or the manpower. What he had was incredible opposition. The city leaders were not for him. The critics tried to talk him out of it. He could have gotten discouraged and thought, “I’m not a builder or qualified. These obstacles are too big. I’ll never overcome these enemies.” No, right in the middle of that difficulty he said, “I CAN do this because the gracious hand of GOD is on my life.” He was saying, “The favor of God is making a way.” Again and again, he made this same statement, “The gracious hand of God WILL help me overcome.” He was constantly bragging on God’s FAVOR. In the end, he not only rebuilt the wall, but he did it in record time. It should have taken a year or two, but he did it in just fifty-two days.

When you’re always talking about God’s GOODNESS, that’s when you’ll see His FAVOR, His GOODNESS, and His PROTECTION in NEW ways. You may be in a tough time, but don’t MAGNIFY your problem. Magnify your GOD. The bigger you make God, the SMALLER your problems will become. Brag on God’s GOODNESS and move forward in His VICTORY!

Today’s Scripture

Nehemiah 2:18, NLT
Then I told them about how the gracious hand of God had been on me…

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

GOD BREATHED HIS LIFE INTO YOU, AND HE DID NOT CREATE YOU TO BE AVERAGE…..

Did you know that God chose YOU before the foundation of the earth? Your Father is Almighty God. Before the worlds were ever formed, He KNEW you. You didn’t get here by accident. You didn’t just happen to show up. God breathed His LIFE into you. And He did NOT create you to be average. He didn’t create you to barely get by. No, He created you to EXCEL! Not only has He CHOSEN you, but He has EQUIPPED you with everything you need to live and THRIVE in this life. He has deposited seeds of GREATNESS inside EVERY person. But in order to tap INTO those seeds of greatness, you have to BELIEVE this and ACT on it.

Too many people today are going around with low self-esteem, feeling inferior, as though they don’t have what it takes. But that is living a LIE. And as long as we have a poor SELF-image, we’re not going to experience God’s BEST. In order to be all that God has CALLED us to be, we have to see ourselves as CHOSEN, VALUABLE and VICTORIOUS. Today, meditate on THIS truth. Let it sink down DEEP into your heart. Let it build CONFIDENCE and SECURITY in you. As you understand your VALUE in the eyes of God, you’ll be EMPOWERED to live the life of VICTORY He has prepared for you!

Today’s Scripture

Ephesians 1:4, NIV
For he chose us in him before the creation of the world…

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

GOD’S LOVE IS UNCONDITIONAL, BUT WE HAVE TO OBEY HIS COMMANDS IN ORDER TO SEE HIS BEST

Have you thought about the fact that God has already said “yes” to His promises in your life? You don’t have to beg God to be GOOD to you. You don’t have to plead with Him to HELP you. God WANTS to help you. He wants to pour out His abundant BLESSING on your life.

Scripture says His promises are “YES AND AMEN.” Amen means “SO BE IT.” In other words, it’s a done deal. All you have to do is make sure you are living up to YOUR end of the bargain. See, God’s love is UNCONDITIONAL, but we have to obey His commands in order to see His PROMISES come to pass. For example, Malachi 3:10 says that we have to bring our tithe to HIM in order to see the windows of heaven open. It says in Deuteronomy 5 that we are to HONOR our parents in order to live a long life.

The GOOD news is that when we surrender our HEARTS to Him, He EMPOWERS us to fulfill every one of His commands. He EQUIPS us for every good work because He wants to see us live a BLESSED life. That’s why His promises are “YES” and “AMEN!”

Today’s Scripture:

“For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.”
(2 Corinthians 1:20, NKJV)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

AS A BELIEVER, DECLARE TODAY THAT YOU ARE AS BOLD AS A LION, FEAR AND WORRY ARE BENEATH YOU

As a believer in Jesus Christ, you are called to live a BOLD, CONFIDENT and OVERCOMING life. You don’t have to live under a burden of fear. You don’t have to live with anxiety. Because of Jesus, fear, worry and uncertainty are BENEATH you. When you rise up in FAITH knowing that God is with you and FOR you, all doubt and fear has to leave your life.

Notice that today’s scripture says that the RIGHTEOUS are as bold as a lion. RIGHTEOUSNESS is God’s way of doing things. When you do things HIS way, when you are submitted to HIS plan for your life, He promises SUCCESS. It may not always be the way WE had in mind, but ultimately, HIS plan is to PROSPER you, NOT to harm you, to give you a HOPE and a FUTURE!

Today, if you’ve been feeling anxious or fearful, begin to declare God’s TRUTH over your life which will set you FREE! Declare that you are RIGHTEOUS in Christ Jesus! Declare that you are MORE than a conqueror! Declare that you are as bold as a LION because He who is in you is GREATER than he who is in the world!

Today’s Scripture:

“The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are bold as a lion.”
(Proverbs 28:1, NKJV)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

SOW SEEDS OF BLESSING AND OPEN THE DOOR FOR VICTORY

When a friend or family member SUCCEEDS, gets PROMOTED, or experiences an unexpected BREAK in life, how do you RESPOND?

Some people wonder, “What about ME?” Others criticize or say, “It won’t last long.” But really, the way you RESPOND to other’s SUCCESS will determine the level of your OWN success. Whether you respond in a negative or positive way, you are sowing seeds for YOUR future. That’s why scripture tells us simply to “REJOICE with those who REJOICE.” God wants YOU to be successful. His commands are for your GOOD. He doesn’t want jealousy or strife to enter your life or rob you of His BLESSING.

Today, make it a point to find someone who is celebrating and celebrate WITH them. CONGRATULATE them on their SUCCESS no matter how small it seems in the natural. REJOICE with those who rejoice, sow seeds of BLESSING, and open the door for victory in your OWN life in RETURN!

Today’s Scripture:

“Rejoice with those who rejoice…”
(Romans 12:15, NKJV)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

THERE’S A PLACE OF VICTORY BEYOND YOUR CHALLENGE

Do you feel like you are walking through a tough place in your life today? When you walk through the “valley of weeping,” God is walking WITH you. He wants to STRENGTHEN and EMPOWER you to keep moving FORWARD. He is leading you to a place of BLESSING and REFRESHING! Be ENCOURAGED today, it’s not over until GOD says it’s over, and He ALWAYS causes us to TRIUMPH! The Bible says that weeping may endure for the night, but JOY comes in the morning. It also says that the path of the righteous is like the LIGHT of dawn shining BRIGHTER until the full day. No matter how dark your circumstances may SEEM, you are on a path that is shining brighter and BRIGHTER. There is a place of VICTORY beyond your challenge. Keep moving forward in FAITH one step at a time because there is BLESSING on the other side!

Today’s Scripture:

“When they walk through the Valley of Weeping, it will become a place of refreshing springs. The autumn rains will clothe it with blessings.”
Psalm 84:6, NLT

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

WHEN YOU PUT GOD FIRST PLACE IN YOUR LIFE, YOU’LL BE BLESSED WHEREVER YOU GO

Do you want to experience MORE of God’s blessing in your life? Living in OBEDIENCE and INTEGRITY is the key that unlocks the door to His ABUNDANCE. When you put God first place in your life, you’ll be blessed in the city and in the country—you’ll be blessed WHEREVER you go!

This chapter goes on to say that you will be SO blessed that you will lend and NOT borrow. Can you SEE yourself in that position? Can you see yourself living in that kind of ABUNDANCE?

God doesn’t want you to be living with a barely-get-by attitude. We don’t serve a barely-get-by GOD; our God is MORE than enough! He wants YOU to have more than enough to meet YOUR needs AND, be a blessing to the people AROUND you. Today, make ROOM in your life for the blessing of GOD. Choose to live in OBEDIENCE to His Word and be blessed WHEREVER you go!

Today’s Scripture:

“If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all His commands…you will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country.”
Deuteronomy 28:1-3, NIV

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

DON’T WASTE ANOTHER DAY SITTING IN THE ASHES.
THE PAST IS OVER…..

Everyone has experienced hurt and disappointment. We’ve all been burnt by life. But God doesn’t want us to sit in the ashes of the PAST; He wants to trade our brokenness for HEALING. He wants to give us BEAUTY for our ashes. The key is that we have to be willing to give UP the ashes in order to receive the BEAUTY. You can’t have both because the old HAS to go before the NEW can come.

Today, are you willing to TRUST Him with your past hurts? Are you willing to let go of the PAIN, to FORGIVE others AND yourself so you can move forward in FREEDOM? Don’t waste another DAY sitting in the ashes. The past is OVER, but your future REMAINS. Let God give you joy INSTEAD of mourning, and let Him make something BEAUTIFUL out of the ashes of your life today!

Today’s Scripture:

“He will give: beauty for ashes; joy instead of mourning; praise instead of heaviness.”
(Isaiah 61:3, TLB)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

IT DOESN’T MATTER WHAT OTHERS THINK, IT MATTERS WHAT GOD THINKS

Anytime you set out to do something GREAT in life, there will be critics. If you’re going to be a great BUSINESSPERSON, COACH, STUDENT, LEADER or EMPLOYEE, there will be opposition. The more SUCCESS you have, the more opportunities there will be for distractions. The HIGHER you go, the more haters will come out. When you start stretching to a new level and pursuing what God has placed in your heart, the jealous people, the critical people, and the small-minded people come out of the woodwork and start making negative comments, but you don’t have to let that distract you.

If you are under pressure today, if the critical voices are coming against you, know that it’s because YOU ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE. Don’t let them throw you off course. Instead, DIG YOUR HEELS IN, set your face like a flint, and say, “I will NOT get distracted. I will NOT get drawn into battles that don’t matter. It doesn’t matter what OTHERS think; it matters what GOD thinks!”

Today, look beyond the critics. Stand strong in adversity. Press forward to what lies ahead and win the prize of life that He has prepared for you!

Today’s Scripture:

“Do not gloat over me, my enemy! Though I have fallen, I will rise…”
(Micah 7:8, NIV)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

WHEN YOUR THOUGHTS ARE BETTER, YOUR LIFE WILL BE BETTER

In the original Bible language, the word “transform” is “metamorpho.” It’s where we get our word “metamorphose.” When a caterpillar changes from a little worm-like larva into a beautiful butterfly, it is called metamorphosis. The caterpillar starts out as possibly one of the most unattractive insects. It’s very plain, nothing special about it. But God DESTINED the caterpillar to go through a TRANSFORMATION. It goes from being one of the most ORDINARY creatures to one of the most beautiful, colorful and graceful. Instead of having to crawl on the ground, it can now FLY to wherever it wants to go.

Paul is saying that if you’ll get your THOUGHTS going in the right direction and not dwell on negative, condemning, “not able to” thoughts, and PROGRAM your mind with what GOD says about you, then a TRANSFORMATION will take place. The only way to release YOUR butterfly is to get your THINKING in line with God’s WORD. If you will keep renewing your mind and agreeing with what GOD says about you, it’s just a matter of time before that transformed PERSON comes OUT. When your THOUGHTS are better, your LIFE will be better.

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