THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

YOUR MIND NEEDS A BREAK; YOUR BODY NEEDS TO RELAX

The Scripture says that our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, and we must take care of it. You can’t go against natural laws and expect God to BLESS you. Constant busyness and fatigue will make you feel flat. It’s easy to work all the time, to always be thinking about business, or some problem you must solve. That’s doing yourself and the people around you a DISSERVICE. Your mind needs a BREAK; your body needs to RELAX. That’s why God REQUIRED the people in the Old Testament to take a Sabbath. They had to REST.

If you live stressed out and overworked, don’t eat right or sleep enough, EVENTUALLY God will MAKE you lie down in green pastures. You’ll probably come to a point where you HAVE to rest. Don’t wear yourselves out to where God has to MAKE you slow down. You need RECREATION, EXERCISE, and LAUGHTER. The key is to live BALANCED—physically, spiritually, and emotionally.

Today’s Scripture

Psalm 23:2, NIV

He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

WHAT GOD STARTED IN YOUR LIFE, HE’S GOING TO COMPLETE

In the Scripture, some people brought a blind man to Jesus. You can imagine how THRILLED he was when Jesus opened his eyes, but everything was out of focus. Having blurry sight was FAR better than NO sight, and that could have been the end of the story. But then Jesus touched his eyes a SECOND time, and his eyes were COMPLETELY healed.

Many of us have seen God’s goodness. We’re grateful that He’s made us a whole lot BETTER and gotten us to where we are, although we haven’t accomplished our DREAMS. But too often, we settle for less than God’s best. God is NOT satisfied with MEDIOCRATY. He has a second touch coming YOUR way where He AMAZES you with His GOODNESS. Don’t be satisfied with BETTER. Be GRATEFUL for what God has DONE, but keep your FAITH stirred up for the FULLNESS of what you’re BELIEVING for. What He started in your life, He IS going to COMPLETE.

Today’s Scripture

Then Jesus placed his hands on the man’s eyes again, and his eyes were opened. His sight was completely restored, and he could see everything clearly.

Mark 8:25, NLT

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

YOU ARE SURROUNDED BY GOD’S FAVOR

When we receive a PROMOTION, or meet someone SPECIAL, or the medical report turns around, we know that’s the FAVOR of God. But when we face challenges and things are coming against us, it doesn’t seem like we HAVE favor. But having favor doesn’t mean you won’t have OBSTACLES; favor is what’s keeping those challenges from DEFEATING you. Today’s Scripture says that God’s favor is SURROUNDING you in the good times AND the tough times.

The psalmist says, “I have anointed him. I will steady him and make him strong. His enemies shall NOT overpower him.” In the middle of that challenge, you need to remind yourself that you are ANOINTED and crowned with FAVOR. Right NOW God is steadying you, making you STRONG, pushing BACK the forces of darkness, and taking you to VICTORY. You know a secret? You are SURROUNDED with His FAVOR in the storm, and God is turning the challenge to your ADVANTAGE.

Today’s Scripture

Surely, LORD, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield.

Psalm 5:12, NIV

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

DARE TO BELIEVE WHAT GOD HAS ALREADY DECIDED

In today’s Scripture, it doesn’t say Jesus WOULDN’T do any miracles; it says He COULDN’T. God works where there’s an attitude of FAITH. How many times do we STOP God from abundantly blessing our lives because we don’t BELIEVE His promises are going to happen? We let our CIRCUMSTANCES and what’s happened in the PAST talk us out of it.

Here’s the key: GOD’S idea of blessing you is very DIFFERENT than what YOU think BEING blessed is. We think NATURAL; God thinks SUPERNATURAL. He’s the running-over, the exceed-your-EXPECTATIONS God. He’s already DECIDED to bless you. Now it’s up to YOU. What you DECIDE will determine whether or not it comes to pass. You may not see how it can happen but take the LIMITS off of Him. Get RID of the excuses. Dare to BELIEVE what God has already DECIDED. If you DO this, God is going to EXCEED your expectations and take you to the FULLNESS of your destiny.

Today’s Scripture

And because of their unbelief, he couldn’t do any miracles among them except to place his hands on a few sick people and heal them.

Mark 6:5, NLT

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

YOU ARE ROYALTY, NOT CROWNED BY MAN, BUT BY ALMIGHTY GOD

Today’s Scripture talks about how God has made us to be KINGS and PRIESTS to Him. You need to start seeing yourself as ROYALTY. Start CARRYING yourself as royalty. Not in arrogance, thinking that you’re BETTER than others, but in HUMILITY, be PROUD of who God made you to be. You are not better than anyone else, but you are not LESS than anyone else. Understand that when your heavenly Father breathed HIS life into you and sent you to earth, you didn’t come as ordinary. He put a crown of HONOR on your head. Now start THINKING as royalty, TALKING as royalty, DRESSING as royalty, WALKING as royalty, and ACTING as royalty.

When YOU start seeing yourself as royalty, you will NEVER be intimidated again. You don’t HAVE to be the most talented, the most educated, or the most successful to feel GOOD about yourself. You are crowned NOT by people but by Almighty GOD.

Today’s Scripture

“And have made us kings and priests to our God; and we shall reign on the earth.”

Revelation 5:10, NKJV

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

KEEP HONORING GOD, HE’LL BRING YOU TO THE FOREGROUND

In the Scripture, David was discounted by his family, and his job as a shepherd was considered insignificant. His family looked on the outside, but David had a heart after God. He didn’t complain or get bitter; he didn’t slack off because nobody was watching or cared. He just kept being his BEST where he was. And on the day the prophet Samuel showed up to anoint one of his father’s sons as the next king, it was DAVID who was anointed over his brothers.

Just because PEOPLE leave you out doesn’t mean GOD leaves you out. People may overlook you or judge you by your LOOKS, your TALENT, or your SKIN COLOR. God looks on the INSIDE. He sees your FAITHFULNESS, your INTEGRITY. The good news is that if you keep HONORING God, He’ll take you from the background to the FOREGROUND. People may try to push you down, but God will lift you UP. People don’t determine your DESTINY; God DOES.

Today’s Scripture

“…The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”

1 Samuel 16:7, NIV

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

WHEN YOU SAY IT OUT LOUD, YOU GIVE LIFE TO IT

For instance, it’s IMPORTANT to believe that you’re blessed. But when you say, “I AM blessed,” that’s when blessings come looking for YOU. Today’s Scripture doesn’t say, “Let the redeemed THINK so, or BELIEVE so, or HOPE so.” That’s all good, but you have to take it one step further and SAY SO. If you’re going to go to the next level, overcome an obstacle, or break an addiction, you have to start DECLARING it.

Words have CREATIVE power. When you speak something out loud, you give LIFE to what you’re saying. When God created the worlds, nothing happened until He SPOKE. He said, “Let there be light,” and light came. His thoughts didn’t set it into motion; His WORDS set it into motion. It’s the same principle today. You can have big dreams, stand on God’s promises, but not see anything change until you SPEAK. When you SPEAK, good breaks, promotion, and ideas will track YOU down.

Today’s Scripture

Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy.
Psalm 107:2, NKJV

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

TODAY, TAKE WORRY OFF THE THRONE AND PUT GOD BACK ON

If we could add inches to our lives by worrying, some of us would be twenty-three feet tall. What keeps YOU up at night and takes your JOY? When we worry, we’re making our problem our GOD. Do yourself a favor: take that worry OFF the throne and put God back ON the throne. Every time you’re tempted to worry, turn it around and THANK God that HE is in control, and HE is taking care of that SITUATION.

Most of the time, especially in difficult SITUATIONS, the first thoughts that come are negative. What if I DON’T get well? What if I CAN’T make the payments? Don’t fall into that trap. Your life is going to follow your thoughts. If you live worried and anxious, you’re inviting discouragement, bad breaks, and negativity. Let the worry be a reminder to switch over to WORSHIP. THANK God that HE is fighting your battles. Thank Him that NO weapon formed against you will prosper.

Today’s Scripture

“And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?”

Luke 12:25, NKJV

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

GOD IS ALWAYS DEALING WITH US ABOUT SOMETHING…..

If we are going to live a victorious life in Christ, we have to be willing to deal with ANYTHING that is keeping us from being our BEST. It may be an addiction, a bad habit, or a hot temper. Maybe it’s not getting to work on time, not treating someone right, or having a critical spirit. God is ALWAYS dealing with us about something, calling us HIGHER. But anytime we go HIGHER, our flesh has to go lower.

If you have an area you struggle in—and we all do—DON’T ignore it.  Don’t pretend it’s not there or hope it just goes away. You will never CONQUER what you don’t CONFRONT. If you have a problem, get it out in the OPEN. When you have a HUMBLE attitude, in FAITH asking God for help, He will NEVER let you down. If you do YOUR part and deal with it, God will do HIS part and help you OVERCOME.

Today’s Scripture

let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.

Hebrews 12:1, NLT

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

AS A BELIEVER, YOU ARE A MAGNET FOR GOD’S GOODNESS

When you honor God with your LIFE, keeping Him in first place, He puts something on you called a “COMMANDED blessing.” The commanded blessing is like a magnet. It attracts the right PEOPLE, good BREAKS, CONTRACTS, IDEAS, RESOURCES, and INFLUENCE. You don’t have to go AFTER these things, trying to MAKE something happen in your OWN strength, your own talent, HOPING that life works out. All YOU have to do is keep honoring God, and the right people will find YOU. The right OPPORTUNITIES will come across your path. The favor, the wisdom, and the vindication will track YOU down.

Out of nowhere, a good break comes. SUDDENLY, your health improves. Out of the blue, you’re able to pay your house off. Unexpectedly, a DREAM comes to pass. That’s not a COINCIDENCE. That’s the commanded BLESSING on your life. Why? You’ve become a magnet for God’s GOODNESS.

Today’s Scripture

Deuteronomy 28:1–2, NKJV

If you diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you.