THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

TODAY, DARE TO PUT ACTION BEHIND YOUR FAITH AND DO WHAT GOD HAS PLACED IN YOUR HEART

One time in the Scripture, there were ten lepers who saw Jesus. They hollered out, “Jesus! Have mercy on us and make us whole!” Jesus COULD have healed them right then, but instead, He asked them to DO SOMETHING to express their FAITH. He said, “Go show yourself to the Priest, and you will be made whole.”

It’s interesting that those lepers were not supposed to be around other people. They had to live in colonies because they were contagious and considered unclean. I’m sure they debated among themselves, “Do you really think we should go? I don’t LOOK any better. It’s just going to be a waste of our time.” But they DARED to put ACTION behind their FAITH. They DECIDED, “Jesus said if we go, we will be well. Let’s go. Let’s take a step of faith.” The Scripture says, “As they went, they were made whole.”

Friend, what is God telling YOU to do in YOUR heart today? Take a step of FAITH. Put ACTION behind faith.

Today’s Scripture:

…And as they went, they were cured and made clean.

Luke 17:14, AMP

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

WHEN GOD MADE YOU, HE THREW AWAY THE MOLD

David said in Psalm 139, “God, I praise You because You have made me in an AMAZING way. What You have done is WONDERFUL.” Notice what followed David’s “I am.” He was not in pride but in praise to GOD.

Now, that goes against human nature. Most of us think, “There’s nothing amazing about me. Nothing wonderful. I’m just average. I’m just ordinary.” NO, the fact is there is nothing at ALL ordinary about you! You have a fingerprint that nobody else has. There will never be another you. Even if you have a twin, they don’t have your same PERSONALITY, your same GOALS, or your same FINGERPRINTS. You are an ORIGINAL. When God made you, He threw away the mold. When you say, “I am WONDERFUL, I am ATTRACTIVE, I am VIBRANT,” not only does vitality, youth and freshness start coming your way, but on the INSIDE, your SPIRIT rises UP. Your SELF-IMAGE begins to improve, and you start carrying yourself like you’re someone SPECIAL. You no longer drag through the day feeling inferior. You have that SPRING in your step, that “GO AFTER IT” attitude.

Today, get in agreement with God. Declare what HE declares about you. Declare, “I am fearfully and WONDERFULLY made.” See yourself the way GOD sees you and experience ALL He has for you!

Today’s Scripture:

“I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well.”

(Psalm 139:14, NKJV)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

YOU HAVE AN UNLIMITED SUPPLY OF GOOD THINGS INSIDE YOU

When you make Jesus the Lord of your life, God puts within you an ETERNAL WELL that will NEVER run dry. You have an unlimited supply of GOOD THINGS inside you which should be continually bubbling OUT of you. But Satan doesn’t want your joy, happiness, or laughter to flow freely. So he comes along and throws a stone of, let’s say, worry into your well. You may think, “That’s just one little stone. It’s not hurting anything. The water is still flowing pretty good.” But Satan will be back soon with ANOTHER stone, whether it’s fear, self-pity, or hopelessness. If you haven’t dealt individually with EACH of these stones and gotten rid of them, your nice, free-flowing well of GOOD THINGS will become clogged. Take the time today and EVERY day to EVALUATE your well. Ask God to give you REVELATION and to help you keep your well CLEAN!

Today’s Scripture:

“Anyone who drinks the water I give will never thirst – not ever. The water I give will be an artesian spring within, gushing fountains of endless life.”

John 4:14, MSG

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

JUST LIKE THE AROMA OF SPRINGTIME, THE AROMA OF YOUR LIFE IS A SIGN THAT CHRIST IS ALIVE IN YOU

Did you know that your life is a sweet FRAGRANCE to God? Think about how a wonderful AROMA affects you personally. When it’s springtime and the flowers are blossoming, everything feels NEW again. The sweet aroma in the air tells you that the flowers are fresh and ALIVE. It catches your attention! It makes you want to take a deep breath of the sweet FRAGRANCE.

God feels the same way about YOU! He loves wonderful AROMAS, and when you are living your life to please HIM, it’s a beautiful fragrance that captures His ATTENTION! Just like the aroma in springtime tells you that the FLOWERS are alive, the aroma of your life is a sign that Christ is alive in YOU. It is PLEASING to the Heavenly Father! The next time you experience a fresh fragrance, remember that your life is a fragrance to God. You can rest in knowing that He is PLEASED with a heart that seeks after Him. As you continue to seek HIM, you’ll be that sweet FRAGRANCE, and you’ll experience His wonderful hand of BLESSING in EVERY area of your life.

Today’s Scripture:

“For we are the sweet fragrance of Christ [which exhales] unto God…”

2 Corinthians 2:15, AMP

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

KEEP THE RIGHT ATTITUDE AND STAY FOCUSED ON THE GOODNESS OF GOD

Jesus is telling a parable in Matthew 13 about a man who went out to his field and planted wheat in the ground. He sowed GOOD seed. This represents that he was doing the right thing, HONORING God with his life, and being GOOD to others. But while he slept, an enemy came in and planted weeds. The man didn’t know what had happened. He was expecting to have a GREAT harvest; after all, he did ALL the right things. But the weeds sprang up among his wheat.

Sometimes, things happen in life. Weeds spring up that we didn’t have anything to do with. The key is to keep the right ATTITUDE and stay focused on the GOODNESS of God. When these unexpected challenges happen, we can say, “It’s just another weed. I didn’t sow it. I don’t have to reap it.” Then we can keep the door open for God to MOVE on our behalf.

Today, don’t let the weeds take root. Don’t let discouragement creep in. Instead, lift up your eyes of FAITH to what your Father GOD can do for you. Keep BELIEVING, keep PRAYING and keep HOPING because your harvest IS on the way!

Today’s Scripture:

“Jesus told them another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away.'”

Matthew 13:24-25, NIV

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

GOD’S FAVOR LASTS A LIFETIME

God wants to release FAVOR and BLESSING into your life. He longs to be GOOD to you. Some blessings are STORED UP for you because someone in your family line HONORED Him. It may have been a parent or grandparent, or maybe someone WAY back in your history that you don’t even know; but because they lived a life of FAITH, now you are going to reap the REWARDS. It may have been a hundred years ago, but God wants to increase you a thousand times OVER your ancestors. When you have those moments where you feel like you’ve received “favor out of nowhere,” that’s the time to thank God for His GRACE and MERCY. Thank Him for His promise to pass down BLESSINGS from generation to generation.

We serve a gracious and MIGHTY God, and His favor lasts a LIFETIME! Open your heart with an attitude of EXPECTANCY because blessings ARE coming your way!

Today’s Scripture:

“May the Lord, the God of your fathers, increase you a thousand times and bless you as he has promised!”

Deuteronomy 1:11, NIV

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

GOD’S GOODNESS AND MERCY ARE CHASING AFTER YOU

In the Bible, David was known as a man after God’s own heart. What kind of attitude did he have? Here in Psalm 23, he says, “Goodness and mercy are following me.” David lived with an attitude of EXPECTANCY. One translation says, “God’s kindness chases me everywhere that I go.” David’s ATTITUDE was “something GOOD is going to happen to me. Everywhere I go, I know God’s BLESSINGS are CHASING me. FAVOR is following me around.” No WONDER he saw God’s goodness! No wonder he OVERCAME his obstacles and accomplished great DREAMS. He knew good things were CHASING after him.

Do you know what’s chasing YOU right now? Not debt. Not failure. Not mediocrity. Not defeat. Not lack. NOT AT ALL! You are a child of the Most High God. You have been crowned with FAVOR. You have been REDEEMED from every curse. God has set you apart as His own special TREASURE. When you look back in your rearview mirror, you’d better get ready because YOU have a tailgater! There’s something coming toward you at a high rate of speed. You know what it is? BLESSINGS, FAVOR, supernatural OPPORTUNITIES, RESTORATION, divine CONNECTIONS—God’s GOODNESS and MERCY following you ALL the days of your life!

Today’s Scripture:

“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

Psalm 23:6, NKJV

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

OPEN YOUR HEART AND RECEIVE GOD’S MERCY

Isn’t it good to know that no matter what happened yesterday, no matter what you said, no matter what you did, God’s MERCY is new for you TODAY? Mercy is EMPOWERING. It gives us the chance to let go of the our mistakes and move forward in Him. We have to always remember that God is not condemning us. Romans tells us that there is NO condemnation for those who are in Christ. God wants to LOVE us and EQUIP us to OVERCOME in this life.

Do you need NEW MERCY today? Receive it by FAITH. You don’t have to beg God to forgive you. He forgives you the FIRST time you ask, but it’s up to YOU to RECIEVE that forgiveness. Open your heart today and RECEIVE His mercy. Let Him wash over you with His PEACE and JOY. Then choose to extend that mercy to OTHERS. Remember, you are God’s REPRESENTATIVE in the earth. As you show His love and character to OTHERS, He’ll pour out His blessing on YOU and use you in ways you never DREAMED!

Today’s Scripture:

“The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.”

Lamentations 3:22-23, NLT

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

LOOK FOR WAYS TO SOW SEEDS AND GIVE FREELY

Every command God gives us in His Word is for our GOOD. He is a good God, and He works ALL things together for our good because He LOVES us. He wants to BLESS us, MULTIPLY us and fill us with His exceeding JOY and PEACE, but we have to do OUR part. We have to obey His commands in order to set the blessing into MOTION.

One of the best ways to see the blessing of God operating in YOUR life is by sowing a seed of your TIME, ABILITIES or RESOURCES. Proverbs says that those who scatter seed GENEROUSLY reap even MORE. That’s because when you give, God promises that it will come back to you in ABUNDANCE- pressed down, shaken together and running over. But, you have to freely RECEIVE in order to have something to GIVE.

Remember, giving is tied to RECEIVING. I have found that the more I freely RECEIVE from God, the more I desire to freely give to OTHERS. Today, I encourage YOU to keep your heart and mind open to what God has for YOU. Look for ways to SOW seeds. Freely GIVE and set the blessing in motion in YOUR life today!

Today’s Scripture:

“…Freely you have received, freely give.”

Matthew 10:8 NKJV

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

TODAY IS A NEW DAY, AND YOU ARE A NEW PERSON

When God puts a DREAM or a PROMISE on the inside of you, He deposits within you EVERYTHING you need to ACCOMPLISH it. He wouldn’t give you the desire to do something without giving you the ABILITY to fulfill it. In fact, the scripture tells us that God gives us the DESIRES of our heart. In other words, He puts the desire inside of us and THEN works with us to bring it to pass.

Oftentimes, people set out to accomplish their DREAMS, but they face a setback or disappointment, and then they feel like their time has passed. But know this: no matter WHERE you’ve come from, no matter what’s happened in your PAST, God wants to make you NEW. He wants to give you a FRESH START. If you feel like you’ve missed opportunities in your life, if you feel like your time has passed, remember, today is a NEW day. You are a new PERSON, and God has new OPPORTUNITIES in store for you!

Today’s Scripture:

“Who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion.”

Psalm 103:4, NIV