THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

  THE FRIEND WHO WALKS IN WHEN OTHERS WALK OUT

You can tell who your real friends are when you fail, when you get off course. Friends stay loyal to the people God puts in their lives. Good people make mistakes and blow it. People who love you can let you down. When your loved ones and friends make mistakes, they don’t need another judge to condemn them or add to their guilt and shame. You can help love them back into wholeness. To be loyal doesn’t mean you condone or approve their actions. You’re simply showing them the mercy you would want shown to you. You’re being a healer, a restorer. You lift people up.

Don’t be a fair-weather friend. Be the friend who walks in when others are walking out. Our attitude should be, “You can count on me. I’m committed to loving you for the long haul, through thick and thin.” They know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they can count on you.

Today’s Scripture

Proverbs 17:17, NIV

A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

WHEN YOU KNOW THE LORD IS ON YOUR SIDE, IT GIVES YOU BOLDNESS

In today’s Scripture when David looked at where he was as the king and thought about all he had gone through to get there—King Saul trying to kill him, people betraying him, armies attacking him—he recognized that God was behind the scenes the whole time, not letting those enemies defeat him. It gave him a boldness for he knew the Lord was on his side.

All of us have some of these “by this I know” experiences. When you look back at how you survived that sickness, how you put yourself through college, how you broke that addiction, you realize it was only by the grace of God, and here you are. When you know the Lord is on your side, it gives you a boldness. You don’t fall apart when opposition comes. Your attitude is, “You’re messing with the wrong person. I may look ordinary, but I have a secret: the Most High God is on my side.”

Today’s Scripture

Psalm 41:11, ESV

By this I know that you delight in me: my enemy will not shout in triumph over me.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

GOD WILL ADD UP YOUR LOSSES, AND BALANCE YOUR BOOKS

In accounting, the term balancing the books means making up for a loss. If an account has a deficit, when you balance the books, you have to first take all the losses, all the deficits, and total them up. Then you know how much you need to add to balance it. When the books are balanced, nobody can tell there’s ever been a loss.

In the same way, God has promised that He will balance the books of our lives. We all go through things that put us at a deficit—a rough childhood, the loss of a loved one, something that doesn’t make sense. If nothing changed, we would be out of balance. Life is not always fair, but God is fair. You may go through seasons when you’re out of balance, but God is going to settle your case. He will add up all the losses, the disappointments, and the heartaches, and He will pay you back.

Today’s Scripture

Jeremiah 33:26, MSG

“I will give them back everything they’ve lost. The last word is, I will have mercy on them.”

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

WHEN YOUR FAITH CAN BE SEEN IN YOUR ATTITUDE, THATS WHAT GETS GODS ATTENTION

We all have difficulties and reasons to be sour, but we can’t let those things talk us out of what God wants to do. In today’s Scripture, Paul could see an expectancy on this man’s expression that he had the faith to be healed. Paul stopped his message and said, “Stand up!” The man jumped up and began to walk for the first time.

The question is, can your faith be seen like this mans was? Can anybody notice that you’re expecting to go to a new level? Are you talking like it’s going to happen, thinking like it’s going to happen, acting like it’s going to happen? There should be an expectancy that you’re ready to be healed, ready to be free, ready to go to a new level. “What I’ve believed God will do for me could happen today!” When your faith can be seen in your attitude, in your expressions, in how you talk, that’s what gets God’s attention.

Today’s Scripture

Acts 14:8–9, NIV

In Lystra there sat a man who was lame. He had been that way from birth and had never walked. He listened to Paul as he was speaking. Paul looked directly at him, saw that he had faith to be healed.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

IF IT HASN’T HAPPENED, YOU HAVEN’T NEEDED IT

In the book of 2 Samuel, the prophet Nathan reminded David of the ways he had experienced God’s goodness, favor, protection, and provision down through the years. Then God added this powerful statement: “If it had not been enough, I would have given you much, much more.” In other words, “David, looking back over your life, if you ever needed more wisdom, more favor, more protection, or more finance, I would have given it to you.”

That tells me that the moment something begins to stop God’s plan for your life is the moment God will intervene. The moment you need a new friend, the moment you need a good break, the moment you need an idea, it will show up. So if it hasn’t happened yet, don’t be discouraged, thinking that it’s never going to work out. If it hasn’t happened, you haven’t needed it. When you need it, it won’t be one second late.

Today’s Scripture

2 Samuel 12:8, NLT

“And if that had not been enough, I would have given you much, much more.”

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

THE ONLY WAY TO RELEASE YOUR BUTTERFLY, IS TO GET YOUR THINKING IN LINE WITH GOD’S WORD

Inside each of us is a BLESSED, PROSEROUS, VICTORIOUS person. This person is FREE from addictions and bad habits. This person is CONFIDENT and SECURE, TALENTED and CREATIVE, DISCIPLINED and FOCUSED. But just because this person is IN you doesn’t mean he or she is automatically going to come OUT. This person has to be RELEASED.

The apostle Paul gives us the secret: “Be TRANSFORMED by the renewing of your MIND.” In the original language, the word transformed is metamorphoo. It’s where we get our word metamorphose. We know how caterpillars metamorphose into butterflies. Paul is saying that if you’ll get your thoughts going in the RIGHT direction and NOT dwell on “not able to” thoughts and program your mind with what GOD says about you, then a TRANSFORMATION will take place. Here’s the key: it’s not up to God; it’s up to US. The only way to release your butterfly is to get your THINKING in line with God’s WORD.

Today’s Scripture

Romans 12:2, NIV

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

GOD WANTS TO SHOW YOU HIS PLAN AND POUR OUT HIS BLESSING ON YOU

What are YOU doing to bring your dreams to pass? Are you getting PREPARED? Do you have clear DIRECTION? Are you taking steps of FAITH? Success is INTENTIONAL. You may not know what steps to take right NOW, but God has a GOOD plan for your life. If you’ll do YOUR part to seek Him and begin to make plans to succeed, God will GUIDE you. He WILL direct your steps. You don’t have to vaguely go through life. God WANTS to show you His plan. He wants to pour out His blessing on you and see you living a life of VICTORY.

Decide TODAY to make plans to succeed. Write down your GOALS. Make time to EVALUATE where you are in life. Evaluate your FINANCES, your CAREER and your RELATIONSHIPS. Don’t go ANOTHER week without having a plan for your future. Evaluate how you’re spending your TIME and MONEY. If you’ll go beyond dreaming and start making PLANS to succeed, God PROMISES that HE’s going to direct your steps. He will LEAD you down the path of His FAVOR.

Today’s Scripture:

“The mind of man plans his way, but the LORD directs his steps.”

Proverbs 16:9, NASB

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

OUR WORDS AND ACTIONS ARE SEEDS

Have you ever looked at a large, old tree and wondered how long it has been there? It’s amazing to think that at one point, that gigantic tree was merely a tiny seed. In the same way, our words and actions are seeds. We will always reap a harvest on what we sow.

Think about the types of seeds you have been sowing. Are you sowing encouragement, hope, blessing, love? Then that’s what you’ll reap in the future. But if you’ve been sowing criticism, judgment and anger, you’re probably already reaping a bad harvest. It’s time to start changing your seed.

Today, I encourage you to pray and ask God to help you uproot any negative seeds you may have planted in the past and begin sowing good seeds for your future. As you stay obedient to the Word of God, you’ll see those seeds grow. You’ll rise up higher and enjoy the harvest of blessing God has promised you.

Today’s Scripture:

“Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant.”

Galatians 6:7, NLT

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

WHEN YOU ASK BIG, GOD CALLS THAT A ‘HEALTHY PRAYER’

When James says, “you ask amiss,” the word amiss means “sick, weak, miserable.” When we ask to just get by and endure, that’s a weak prayer. That’s asking amiss. God is saying, “I created the whole universe. Don’t come to Me with a weak prayer, asking Me to help you live in mediocrity. Ask big, knowing that I’m the God of more than enough. Ask Me to show out in your life, to heal you from that disease, to accelerate your goals.”

When you ask big, God calls that a healthy prayer. That’s when He says to the angels, “Go to work. Release My favor. Open new doors.” Ask to be the difference maker. Ask to set a new standard. When you say, “God, I don’t have the funds for this project, but I want to thank You that blessings are chasing me down,” that’s your faith being released. That’s what allows God to do great things.

Today’s Scripture

James 4:2–3, NKJV

You do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY TO ALL MOTHERS, ON THIS, YOUR SPECIAL DAY

Mother’s day is a SPECIAL day we set aside to let our moms know how much they mean to us. On this special day, be sure to tell YOUR mom how much you love HER and how much you APPRECIATE all she has done for you. PRAISE her for her dedication to her family and for her tireless efforts on YOUR behalf.

If you are not sure what to say, let GOD’s Word inspire you: “Her children stand and bless her. Her husband praises her. There are many virtuous and capable women in the world, but you surpass them all!” (Proverbs 31:28-29)

Today’s Scripture:

“So give your father and mother joy! May she who gave you birth be happy.”

Proverbs 23:25 , NLT