THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

WE SERVE AN EXTRAORDINARY GOD, AND WE ARE CALLED TO BE A REFLECTION OF HIM

ZEAL is simply another word for PASSION. Sadly, too many people today have LOST their passion and ENTHUSIASM for life. At one time, they were EXCITED about their dreams and woke up every day with PURPOSE and PASSION. But now, because time has passed and they’ve experienced disappointments, they’re not as excited about those dreams anymore. They’ve lost their FIRE.

Today know that God wants you to live with PASSION! You weren’t meant to live a stagnant, ordinary life. You serve an EXTRAORDINARY God, and you are called to be a REFLECTION of Him.

The truth is, most of life can be VERY routine. We have to WORK to keep things fresh. We have to put forth EFFORT to stay passionate about our JOBS, RELATIONSHIPS and our walk with the Lord. Every day we need to stir ourselves UP. Just like the apostle Paul told Timothy, we have to fan the FLAME! In other words, don’t let the fire go out. Stay PASSIONATE about your life and the DREAMS God has placed on the inside of YOU!

Today’s Scripture:

“Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the LORD.”

Romans 12:11 NIV

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

GOD’S PROMISES NEVER RETURN VOID

Did you know YOU can limit your life by dwelling on the WRONG THINGS? So often, wrong thinking keeps people stuck right where they are. If YOU think you’ll never accomplish your dreams, then you’ll stay stuck where you ARE. If you think you don’t have the TALENT, the CONNECTIONS or the FUNDS, then you are LIMITING yourself. We have to remember that God’s promises NEVER return void. His Word stands true FOREVER! Don’t LIMIT what God can do in your life by focusing on what you see in the NATURAL realm. You have to REALIZE that you serve a SUPERNATURAL God, and just because YOU don’t see a way doesn’t mean that GOD doesn’t have a way. God can bring one OPPORTUNITY across your path that will launch you to a whole NEW level. He has explosive BLESSINGS in store that can blast you out of where you ARE and into a place of ABUNDANCE! Shift your FOCUS from this LIMITED realm, start looking at God’s SUPERNATURAL realm, and see His unlimited POSSIBILITIES for your FUTURE!

Today’s Scripture:

“I have seen that everything [human] has its limits and end [no matter how extensive, noble, and excellent]; but Your commandment is exceedingly broad and extends without limits [into eternity].”

(Psalm 119:96, AMP)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FIRE, IS A PLACE OF ABUNDANCE AND BLESSING

In scripture, three Hebrew teenagers, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, were told to bow down to the king’s idol or they would be thrown into a fiery furnace. They said, “No, King. We’re not going to bow down. We know our God will deliver us.” Their attitude was, “We’re not worried about it. We know we have inside INFORMATION. We know everything is going to be alright.” Notice they didn’t fight it. They weren’t upset. They weren’t complaining. They were at peace. They KNEW God Almighty had His hand upon them. The guards threw them into the fiery furnace, and when all was said and done, they came out without even the SMELL of smoke on them!

Notice that God didn’t DELIVER them from the fire; He delivered them THROUGH the fire. Maybe YOU are going through the fire today. Know that God is WITH you. He’s doing a work IN you, and He’s displaying His glory THROUGH you. Remember, on the other side of the fire is a place of ABUNDANCE and BLESSING! Stand STRONG and see the FULFILLMENT of the PROMISES He has in store for YOU!

Today’s Scripture:

“…We went through fire and flood, but you brought us to a place of abundance.”

Psalm 66:12, NLT

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

WHEN YOU HAVE FAITH, YOUR WORDS AND ACTIONS REFLECT IT

A mustard seed is a very SMALL thing. But when it’s planted, it grows into a HUGE tree. In the same way, Jesus is saying that a little bit of FAITH can bring tremendous RESULTS! As a BELIEVER in Him, you ALREADY have enough faith on the inside of you to overcome ANY obstacle. The same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead actually dwells IN you! It doesn’t matter if you grew up in church or not; it doesn’t matter what you KNOW or don’t know, God wants to WORK in your life today. You may not see how, but all you have to do is believe GOD.

With God, ALL things are possible. Do you have mustard seed faith? The Bible says that faith without WORKS is dead. When you have FAITH, your words and actions REFLECT it. Take a step of faith TODAY and declare your trust in Him. Even if YOU don’t see how, declare that God is working BEHIND the scenes in your life. As you act on your mustard seed FAITH, you’ll see it grow stronger and stronger, and you WILL live in victory ALL the days of your life!

Today’s Scripture:

“If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.”

Luke 17:6, NIV

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

SUCCESS IS NOT ACCIDENTAL, ACT ON THE DREAMS GOD HAS GIVEN YOU

Have you ever known someone who had an exciting DREAM to do something great but did nothing to make it happen? It’s so important to ACT on the dreams that God has given you. You can take OWNERSHIP of your dreams by PLANNING and PREPARING for them. Remember, SUCCESS is not accidental. Where do you see yourself in your CAREER, FINANCES or RELATIONSHIPS? Put some ACTION behind what you’re BELIEVING for. Maybe you don’t see how it can happen in the NATURAL. The GOOD news is you don’t have to have it ALL figured out. With your FAITH and OBEDIENCE, God will work SUPERNATURALLY in your situation to turn things around for GOOD.

BELIEVE in your dreams today. I encourage you to WRITE DOWN your short and long-range GOALS. Keep them in front of you so you will stay FOCUSED. When you make a move, God will direct your steps. He’ll make sure you come across the right PEOPLE, at the right TIME. God will give you WISDOM, INSIGHT and FAVOR as you TAKE STEPS to bring your dreams to pass.

Today’s Scripture:

Write the vision [dream] and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it.

Habakkuk 2:2, NKJV

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

DON’T LET THE PASSION WEAR OFF, REMEMBER WHAT GOD HAS DONE…

Anything can become routine if we let it. Anything can feel mundane after a while.

Not long ago, I heard about a story about a professional baseball player. He has been in the big leagues about fifteen years. His life seems so EXCITING, FAR from routine, far from ordinary. He said, “No, it’s not what you think. We travel all the time. We’re always on the road, in hotels, eating out and away from our family.”

The truth is that I’m sure he was EXCITED about it all when he first started. There are probably things in YOUR life that you were once EXCITED about. When God opened the door and gave you that new JOB, that PROMOTION, you were so EXCITED. You called your friends. You knew it was God’s FAVOR. Well, don’t let the PASSION wear off just because you’ve had it five YEARS! When you met that person and fell in LOVE you were on cloud nine. You knew it was God’s GOODNESS. Do NOT take that for granted. REMEMBER what God has DONE! Stir up the JOY in your heart. Stir up PRAISE. Thank Him for His FAITHFULNESS and let your attitude of GRATITUDE pave the way to live the life of BLESSING HE has for you!

Today’s Scripture:

“Remember the wondrous works that he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he uttered…”

Psalm 105:5, ESV

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

GOD’S NATURE IS TO BRING YOU COMPLETE HEALING

It doesn’t matter what is “broken” in your life today, God’s nature is to bring you complete HEALING. Do you need healing in your BODY? Your MIND? HEART? FINANCES? RELATIONSHIPS? God is your HEALER. Notice what the Psalmist says in this verse: He binds up their wounds. In the natural, if you have a broken arm, it doesn’t just heal overnight. The doctor makes a cast to hold it in place and protect it. He binds up your wound. In the SPIRITUAL realm, God does the same thing. He wraps HIMSELF around your brokenness and protects the wounded area until it is strong enough to function PROPERLY again. The Bible ALSO says that He is a RESTORER. That means that when He does a work of HEALING in our lives, He makes us BETTER than we were BEFORE.

If you’re going through the healing process today, know this: it may take longer than YOU planned, but God IS binding up your wound. He is PROTECTING you and HEALING you. He will bring you out BETTER and STRONGER than you were before. He will take you to a place of COMPLETE healing so that you can live the life of VICTORY He has in store for you.

Today’s Scripture:

“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”

Psalm 147:3, NIV

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

THERE IS NOTHING MORE IMPORTANT THAN SEEKING GOD IN ALL YOUR WAYS

Have you ever thought about the fact that a REWARD is put into place before anyone ever claims it? Right now, there are rewards for certain fugitives on the loose. That money is already in a fund just waiting for someone to step up and claim it. All a person has to do is find the fugitive, and the money will be RELEASED.

In the same way, God has a reward that has already been set in place for you and me, TOO. It’s just WAITING to be released. But, there are CONDITIONS to THAT reward as well. God says, “If you will just SEEK Me, I will give you the reward. If you will just make an effort to PLEASE Me, if you will just get up in the morning and THANK Me, if you will just read the SCRIPTURE, I’ll pour out My BLESSING.” You may not UNDERSTAND it all, but God says, “That’s OKAY. I will give you the reward because your HEART is in the right place, and you are making the EFFORT.

Today, there is nothing more important that SEEKING God in all your ways. When you go about your day, keep Him on your MIND. Talk to Him and ask for His DIRECTION. SEEK Him because you WILL FIND Him and find PEACE, ABUNDANCE, JOY and VICTORY all the days of your life!

Today’s Scripture:

“You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart”

(Jeremiah 29:13, NASB)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

WITH EVERY ACT OF OBEDIENCE, THERE’S A BLESSING ATTACHED TO IT

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