THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

NON-BELIEVERS MAY NOT WANT TO LISTEN TO WHAT WE BELIEVE, BUT THEY CERTAINLY WATCH HOW WE LIVE

A pastor’s life has been described as “LIFE IN A FISHBOWL.” Everyone is watching to see how you will react in any given situation. But really, that’s true of ALL of us. Whether you realize it or not, people are WATCHING you. They watch how you DRESS, how you take care of your HOME, how you WORK, and how you TREAT other PEOPLE. The Scripture talks about believers REPRESENTING God here on the earth. We are Christ’s AMBASSADORS. If we’re to represent God PROPERLY, we should do it with JOY, with ENTHUSIASM, with a SMILE. People of FAITH are supposed to be the LIGHTS of the world. Some who LACK faith may not want to listen to what we believe, but they CERTAINLY watch how we live. We are living EPISTLES read by ALL men. Some may not read the BIBLE, but they’re reading our LIVES. As the saying goes, “Preach at ALL times; use WORDS only when necessary.”

Today’s Scripture:

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.

(Colossians 3:23, NIV)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

GIVE YOUR FAITH A VOICE, AND YOU’LL SEE GOD’S PROMISES FULFILLED IN YOUR LIFE, HEALTHY, WHOLE, PEACEFUL, SUCCESSFUL……BLESSED

Every BELIEVER has been given a measure of FAITH. In order to see the promises of God come to PASS in your life, you have to give EXPRESSION to that faith through the WORDS that you SPEAK. That’s why the Scripture tells us, “Let the weak say, ‘I am STRONG”—not the opposite, “I am so tired. I am so rundown.” That’s calling in the WRONG things. Let the poor say, “I am WELL off”—not, “I am so in debt.” When you give your faith a VOICE, when you start speaking the promises of GOD, the Bible says that He watches OVER His Word to bring it to PASS in your life. The KEY is that we can’t allow words of defeat or negativity to come out of our MOUTHS. Don’t dig up your seed by speaking AGAINST His Word. Instead, WATER your seed by continuing to DECLARE the Word of GOD. As you give your FAITH a VOICE, you will see God’s PROMISES come to PASS.

Today’s Scripture:

And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, ‘I believed and therefore I spoke,’ we also believe and therefore speak.

(2 Corinthians 4:13, NKJV)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

WHEN YOU FOCUS ON MEETING THE NEEDS OF OTHERS, YOU WON’T HAVE TIME TO WORRY

NOTHING moves the heart of God quite like taking the TIME and EFFORT to meet the needs of hurting and desperate people. When you focus on meeting the needs of OTHERS, you won’t have TIME to worry about your OWN needs – which is actually FINE since GOD has promised to take care of YOUR needs when you spend yourself in behalf of OTHERS. The Bible says that God wants to bless you and give you an ABUNDANCE of what you need, so why WOULDN’T you give? Give ANYTHING and EVERYTHING you can, whether it’s TIME, MONEY, PRAYER, or just a kind WORD. So if you want God to satisfy YOU with every good thing, go out and help somebody in NEED. GIVE your life away!

Today’s Scripture:

“God can pour on the blessings in astonishing ways so that you’re ready for anything and everything, more than just ready to do what needs to be done.”

(2 Corinthians 9:8, MSG)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR SOMEONE YOU CAN BLESS

Is LOVE your greatest aim? How can you tell? EASY. Are you concerned about OTHER people, or are you concerned about only YOURSELF? Do you take time to make a DIFFERENCE, to ENCOURAGE others, to lift their SPIRITS, to make people feel BETTER about themselves? Do you follow the FLOW of love that God puts in your heart toward somebody in NEED? Or, are you too busy with your OWN plans? When God puts LOVE and COMPASSION in your heart toward someone, He’s offering you an OPPORTUNITY to walk in LOVE and make a DIFFERENCE in that person’s life. You must learn to FOLLOW that love as your greatest AIM. Do NOT ignore it. ACT on it. Be on the LOOKOUT for people you can BLESS. Be willing to be interrupted and inconvenienced if it means you can help meet somebody else’s NEED. YOU have what somebody needs.

Today’s Scripture:

Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.

(1 Corinthians 13:13, NLT)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

OPEN YOUR EYES OF FAITH AND SEE THE GOOD THINGS GOD HAS IN STORE FOR YOUR FUTURE

Before the foundation of the world, God laid out a PLAN for your life. He created you with a PURPOSE, FOR a purpose, and He created you to be SUCCESSFUL! He has MARKED MOMENTS already laid out that are going to come across your path. These MOMENTS are NOT ordinary. They are destiny-ALTERING moments. They are designed to thrust you YEARS ahead.

Ecclesiastes tells us that time and chance come together for EVERY person. That means you will have OPPORTUNITIES to meet the right PEOPLE, opportunities to advance in your CAREER, and opportunities to fulfill your DREAMS. God has already prearranged for you times of INCREASE, PROMOTION and BLESSING.

Today, open your eyes of FAITH and see the GOOD things God has in store for YOUR future. Thank Him for what He’s DOING and what He’s ABOUT to do. Thank Him for divine CONNECTIONS and marked MOMENTS because He is ready and willing to fulfill EVERY dream and DESIRE He’s placed within your heart!

Today’s Scripture:

…time and chance happen to them all

Ecclesiastes 9:11, AMP

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

WHEN YOU REQUIRE THE LORD AS A VITAL NECESSITY, YOU WILL TRULY ENJOY LIVING

What things do you consider a VITAL NECESSITY in your life? In other words, what CAN’T you live without? Most people would immediately think of food, water and shelter; but in REALITY, we can’t really LIVE unless our MINDS and HEARTS are set on seeking the LORD. Sure, you can EXIST without seeking Him, but you are called to MORE than just mere existence. You are called to LIVE…to THRIVE…to enjoy your life ABUNDANTLY! The GOOD news is that YOU have complete CONTROL over what you set your mind and heart ON. YOU decide what you think about. I encourage you today; set your mind and heart on seeking the LORD! Write down your favorite Scriptures and commit them to memory. Whenever you can, THINK about those verses. MEDITATE on God and His infinite LOVE. Make a HABIT of seeking Him and ask Him to REVEAL Himself to you. When you REQUIRE the Lord as a vital NECESSITY, you will TRULY enjoy living the ABUNDANT life He has in store for YOU!

Today’s Scripture:

“Now set your mind and heart to seek (inquire of and require as your vital necessity) the Lord your God…”

(1 Chronicles 22:19 AMP)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

WHEN YOU DILIGENTLY SEEK GOD, HE PROMISES THAT A REWARD IS COMING..

When God is first place in your life, and you make pleasing Him your highest PRIORITY, then you can fully expect to live a BLESSED, FULFILLED life! In today’s verse, notice who God rewards. It’s not people who half-heartedly seek Him. It doesn’t say “people who only think about Him when they’re having a problem;” or “people who will only come to church when something special is going on.” No, God rewards people who EARNESTLY seek after Him. That means we are DETERMINED. We get up EVERY morning and thank Him for His goodness. We go through the day MEDITATING on His promises. We give Him PRAISE in the good times AND the tough times. We are constantly STRETCHING, GROWING, LEARNING and STRIVING to KNOW Him better. Today, remember, when you DILIGENTLY seek God, He PROMISES that a reward is coming. He promises He will give you STRENGTH, WISDOM, FAVOR, good BREAKS, PROMOTION, HEALING and RESTORATION. When you seek Him with your WHOLE heart, you will FIND Him, and you won’t be ABLE to OUTRUN His GOODNESS and BLESSING!

Today’s Scripture:

“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him”

(Hebrews 11:6, NIV)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

DON’T WASTE ANOTHER SECOND, LIVE THE ABUNDANT LIFE JESUS CAME TO GIVE TODAY, AND EVERY DAY

Are you living the ABUNDANT life Jesus came to give? I’m not talking about living in the fanciest house or driving the newest car. No, His promise of abundant LIFE goes WAY beyond material things that this world offers. ABUNDANT life means “life to the FULL.” That means no matter what is going on AROUND you, you can partake of the full BLESSINGS of God. You can have PEACE in the midst of a storm. You can have JOY when things are uncertain. You can have HOPE when circumstances seem hopeless. As BELIEVERS, a lot of times it’s easy to look at that verse and think, “God is going to give me abundant life SOMEday.” But the truth is that God wants you to have abundant life TODAY! Don’t waste another second living in mediocrity or settling for less than God’s BEST. Receive His blessings by faith TODAY. Receive His HOPE, JOY, STRENGTH and FAVOR. Declare that you ARE living the abundant life TODAY and EVERY day!

Today’s Scripture:

“…I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”

(John 10:10, NKJV)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

ALL AROUND YOU, GOD’S GOODNESS IS ON DISPLAY, DO YOU SEE IT?

ALL around you, God’s GOODNESS is on display. The question is, do you SEE it? The Scripture talks about how God was in the midst of people, but they knew Him not. Too many times, God is working in OUR lives, showing us FAVOR, PROTECTING us, sending us HEALING, but we don’t RECOGNIZE His goodness. For example, if you weren’t the most qualified or the most talented but you got the PROMOTION, that’s the GOODNESS of God. If you’re going through a difficult time and a friend stops by out of the blue and cheers you up, that’s the GOODNESS of God. It’s EASY to see the negative, what we don’t have, what we didn’t get, but that won’t build our FAITH. Instead, make a DECISION to search for the GOOD things God has given you. His MERCY is new each morning. LOOK for His GOODNESS and His FAVOR today!

Today’s Scripture:

“For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen…”

(Romans 1:20, NIV)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

STARTING TODAY, GET INTO AGREEMENT WITH WHAT GOD SAYS ABOUT YOU; FREE, FORGIVEN AND HEALED

In scripture, God called Gideon a mighty man of fearless courage. Now Gideon looked around and said, ‘God couldn’t be talking about ME. I come from the poorest family. I’m the LEAST one in my father’s house.’ Gideon saw himself as weak, defeated, and NOT able. But God saw him as STRONG, CONFIDENT, and being MORE than a conqueror.

The question is are we going to believe what GOD says about us, OR are we going to believe what WE feel, what we THINK, or what the circumstances LOOK like? You may feel weak today, but God calls you STRONG. You may feel like a victim, but God calls you a VICTOR. You may be afraid, but God calls you CONFIDENT. You may be in debt, God calls you PROSPEROUS. You may be sick, God calls you WELL. You may be addicted, God calls you FREE. You may feel inadequate, but God calls you well ABLE.

Today, get into AGREEMENT with GOD. No matter what the circumstances LOOK like, you’ve got to dig your heels in and say, ‘God, I AGREE with what YOU call me. I’m FREE, FORGIVEN and HEALED in Jesus’ Name!”

Today’s Scripture:

And the angel of the LORD appeared to him and said to him, ‘The LORD is with you, O mighty man of valor’

(Judges 6:12, ESV)