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

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

FATHERS ARE SPECIAL

A father’s job is a lot more complicated today than it was for previous generations of dads. Instead, today’s father is expected to be right there in the delivery room, and more often than not, helping to guide his newborn into the world and cut the cord that connects mother and child.

The job that begins in the delivery room is one that continues throughout a child’s life. The father’s role, whether his child is a toddler or a teenager, is to encourage that tentative youngster to stretch his abilities. He is both teacher and coach to his young ones as they mature and take their first wobbly steps into a world filled with many challenges.

If you are fortunate enough to be able to talk to your father, thank him today for what he has meant to your life. If your father is no longer living, then thank your heavenly Father that you had a dad who cared about you. Or, you may have painful memories, and we pray that today you will be able to let go of that hurt.

Today’s Scripture:

“…and the glory of children are their fathers.”

Proverbs 17:6, KJV

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

WHEN YOU CHOOSE JESUS, YOU’RE CHOOSING YOUR ‘HEAVENLY’ HERITAGE

In LIFE, we all have negative things that happen to us. We go through situations that are unfair. I know people who were raised in an unhealthy environment. Their parents had issues, and now it’s making life much more difficult on them.

But here is the truth: when you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, He gives you a NEW HEART. In other words, your BLOODLINE changes. No longer are you subject to your EARTHLY heritage; you become subject to your HEAVENLY heritage! His spiritual blessing ALWAYS overrides the curse in the natural realm. When you understand who YOU are and what God has ALREADY done, then no matter what someone ELSE did, no matter how UNFAIR it was, no matter how you were RAISED, you won’t get bitter. You won’t live with a chip on your shoulder. You realize that NOTHING can stop you from fulfilling your God-given DESTINY!

Today, remember YOU came from Almighty God. He gave you LIFE. When you choose HIM, you are choosing your HEAVENLY heritage of BLESSING and eternal, ABUNDANT LIFE!

Today’s Scripture:

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.

Ezekiel 36:26, NIV

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

TODAY, CHOOSE TO ASCEND IN YOUR THOUGHTS SO YOU CAN ASCEND IN YOUR LIFE

You were meant to RISE HIGH in heavenly places and stand with GOD, but notice that in order to ASCEND, we have to make sure we have clean hands and a pure heart. How do we have clean hands and a pure heart? First of all, ONLY JESUS can make us clean and new. Once we RECEIVE Him as our Lord and Savior, we have to choose EVERY DAY to stand against the enemy and his attempts to bring us back down. It all happens in our THOUGHT life. We have to guard our thoughts by guarding what we allow to INFLUENCE our thoughts. We can’t just watch anything on TV. We can’t listen to any CONVERSATION. We have to make sure that what we allow into our minds is PLEASING to the Lord because what we allow into our MINDS will eventually affect our HEARTS. Choose today to ASCEND in your THOUGHTS so you can ascend in your LIFE and receive the BLESSINGS the Lord has in store for YOU!

Today’s Scripture:

“Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? Or who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.”

Psalm 24:3-5, NKJV

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

WE HAVE TO BELIEVE, IN ORDER TO RECEIVE

All through the Bible, there are so many PROMISES of what God has ALREADY done for us. It says in Ephesians that “God has blessed us with EVERY spiritual blessing.” It says in Colossians that “God has made us WORTHY.” There is MERCY for any mistake we will ever make. It’s ALREADY been taken care of. HE paid the ultimate price through the death, burial and resurrection of His Son, Jesus. He’s done HIS part. Now it’s up to us to do OUR part. We have to start BELIEVING it so we can RECEIVE.

In the natural, when someone gives you a gift, what’s the first thing you say? “Thank you.” When you give thanks, it’s a sign that you are RECEIVING the gift. Today, receive what GOD has given you by saying, “Father, thank You for Your MERCY. Thank You for supplying ALL of my NEEDS. Thank You for Your GOODNESS in my life.”

As you LEARN to give Him THANKS, you are learning to RECEIVE from Him. Open your heart by faith today and THANK Him for all of the BLESSINGS He has in STORE for you!

Today’s Scripture:

“If you believe, you will receive…”

Matthew 21:22, NIV

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

GOD’S PLAN IS TO DO A NEW THING IN YOUR LIFE

Can you see the “NEW THING” God is doing in your life? Sometimes it’s easy to see the hand of God moving, and sometimes the storms of life can cloud our vision. But no matter where you are in life TODAY, meditate on this truth that God is WORKING even when you can’t SEE Him. Like a seed buried deep in the ground, it may seem dark and lonely and there may be dirt all around, but that is the place where LIFE springs forth. TRUST that God is doing a NEW THING! You can trust Him because He is FAITHFUL!

HIS plan for you today is BLESSING. His plan is to give you a FUTURE and a HOPE. His plan is to do a NEW THING in your life. Let go of the thoughts of the PAST and open your heart to what God is doing TODAY. Ask Him to SHOW you what He’s doing. Ask Him to reveal it to your HEART. SEEK Him and you will FIND Him and see the NEW THING He’s doing in YOU!

Today’s Scripture:

“For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun!”

(Isaiah 43:19, NLT)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

THIS IS A NEW DAY, AND GOD WANTS TO BREATHE NEW LIFE BACK INTO YOU

The word “enthusiasm” comes from the Greek word “entheos.” “Theos” is God. When you’re ENTHUSIASTIC, it simply means you are full of GOD. When you get up in the morning EXCITED about your future, recognizing that day is a gift and go out with a SPRING in your step, pursuing your GOALS and PASSIONATE about life, then God will breathe in your direction. Studies even tell us that people who are ENTHUSIASTIC get better BREAKS. They’re PROMOTED more often. That’s not a coincidence. When you’re full of PASSION, you have the favor of GOD.

Remember, God didn’t breathe His life into us to drag through the day. He didn’t create us in His image, crown us with His favor, and equip us with His power to just go through the MOTIONS of life. You may have had some setbacks, the wind may have been taken out of your sail, but this is a NEW day! God wants to breathe NEW life back into you. If you’ll get your FIRE back, get your PASSION back, the wind WILL start blowing once again. When you’re in AGREEMENT with God, He can cause the winds of FAVOR to shift in YOUR direction!

Today’s Scripture:

You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace…

Isaiah 55:12, NIV

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

KEEP BELIEVING EVEN WHEN YOU DON’T SEE ANYTHING HAPPENING

Usually when a young couple finds out they’re pregnant, they’re so excited. Even though she doesn’t look any different on the outside right away, they’ll start PLANNING and PREPARING for their new baby. Then as time goes on, they move out of the fun, easy stage of CONCEPTION and into that much more difficult stage of DEVELOPMENT. That’s when the mother becomes uncomfortable, swollen, can’t sleep at night, her back aches. Things seem to get the hardest RIGHT BEFORE the birthing begins.

In a sense, it’s the same way in our SPIRITUAL lives. When we CONCEIVE something in our hearts from GOD, it’s so EXCITING. It’s EASY to stay ENCOURAGED and full of FAITH during that time. But the REAL test is when we go through the DEVELOPMENT process. Are we willing to keep a good attitude even when we’re uncomfortable and things aren’t going our way? Are we willing to stand and fight the good fight of FAITH until we give birth to our DREAMS?

If YOU’RE standing for something today, KEEP standing. Keep BELIEVING even when you don’t SEE anything happening. Hold on to that PROMISE even when it’s uncomfortable because soon you will give birth to EVERY DREAM and DESIRE the Lord has placed in your heart!

Today’s Scripture:

“A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world.”

John 16:21, NIV

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

WHEN YOU DECLARE GOD’S WORD, YOU OPEN THE DOOR FOR HIM TO MOVE ON YOUR BEHALF

There was a man who was BELIEVING to pay his house off. It was a standard 30-year mortgage, and he had 23 years left. In the natural, there was no way he could do it. But he was bold enough to say, “Father, I want to thank You that You are Jehovah Jireh; the Lord my PROVIDER. I know my job is NOT my source. YOU are my source. It may LOOK impossible, but I know You CAN do the impossible.”

Several years ago, he received an inheritance from a family member that he had never met before. He didn’t even know they were related. He was able to not only pay his house off, but he paid a friend’s house off as well. What was that? EXPLOSIVE BLESSINGS!

When you BELIEVE God, you position yourself for a MIRACLE. When you OBEY His commands, you set yourself under the open windows of heaven. When you DECLARE His Word, you open the door for Him to MOVE on your behalf. Keep STANDING, keep BELIEVING, keep SPEAKING and see the VICTORY and BLESSING He has in store for YOU!

Today’s Scripture:

“It is written: ‘I believed; therefore I have spoken.’ Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak.”

(2 Corinthians 4:13, NIV)