THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

WHEN YOU’RE IN A DARK PLACE IN YOUR LIFE, CHARACTER IS DEVELOPED THAT YOU WILL NOT FIND IN THE LIGHT

All of us at some point will go through a dark place—a sickness, a divorce, a loss, a child who breaks our heart. It’s easy to get discouraged, give up on our dreams, and think that’s the end. But God uses the dark places. They’re a part of His divine plan. Think of a seed. As long as a seed remains in the light, it cannot germinate and will never become what it was created to be. The seed must be planted in the soil, in a dark place, so that the potential on the inside will come to life.

You may not realize it, but it’s only in the dark places that the seeds of greatness in you—dreams, goals, talents, potential—will come to life. These times of darkness are where your character is developed, where you learn to trust God and persevere, and where you gain blessings, you cannot gain in the light.

Today’s Scripture

Isaiah 50:10, NLT

…If you are walking in darkness, without a ray of light, trust in the LORD and rely on your God.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

INVITE THE GOOD THINGS INTO YOUR LIFE EACH MORNING, “I AM….”

Whether you realize it or not, all through the day the power of “I AM” is at work in your life, for whatever follows those two simple words will ALWAYS come looking for you. When you say, “I am so unlucky,” you’re inviting disappointments. “I am so overweight.” Calories come looking for you. It’s as though you’re giving it permission to be in your life. That’s why you MUST be careful what follows the “I AM” and not wield its power AGAINST you.

The GOOD news is, you get to CHOOSE what follows the “I AM.” Get up in the morning and invite GOOD things into your life. “I am BLESSED. I am STRONG. I am TALENTED. I am WISE. I am DISCIPLINED. I am FOCUSED. I am PROSPEROUS.” When you talk like THAT, talent gets SUMMONED by Almighty GOD: “Go FIND that person.” Health, strength, abundance, and discipline start heading your way, and it costs you NOTHING!

Today’s Scripture

Proverbs 12:14, AMP

A man will be satisfied with good from the fruit of his words…

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

STAY AT PEACE KNOWING THAT GOD IS IN CONTROL

It’s easy to live frustrated because somebody is not doing what WE want, discouraged because of a disappointment, upset because our dreams haven’t come to pass. But God doesn’t remove EVERY frustration. He doesn’t change every PERSON we don’t like, or take away everything that’s BOTHERING us. When He says, “Be still and know that I am God,” this implies that if we’re NOT still, if we’re upset, frustrated, and WORRIED, we’re not GOING to know that He is God. Most of the time when we’re frustrated, we’re trying to change things that only GOD can change. We’re trying to BE God and fix things over which we have no CONTROL. You can’t MAKE people do what’s right or make yourself get WELL. If YOU’RE trying to control EVERYTHING, you’re going to be FRUSTRATED. Do what you CAN, then turn it over to God, and let HIM take care of the rest. Stay at peace, knowing He IS in control.

Today’s Scripture

“Be still, and know that I am God!”

– Psalm 46:10, NLT

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

GOD HAS ESTABLISHED THE END, AND IT’S NOT DEFEAT

How you start is not important. Don’t let what you think is a disadvantage or a bad break cause you to say, “If I’d had a better childhood, if I had more support, if I didn’t have this dysfunction, I could do something great.” That’s where you started, but that’s not where you’re going to finish. The beginning doesn’t determine your destiny.

The apostle Paul did not say that God will bring you “to a defeated finish,” “an unfair finish,” “a lonely finish,” or a “bankrupt finish.” God has a victorious finish, an abundant finish, “a flourishing finish.” When those thoughts tell you, “It’s never going to work out. You have too many disadvantages,” let those lies go in one ear and out the other. God has established the end, and He loves to take people who start with the odds against them and shine down His favor, give them breaks, increase them, and cause them to do extraordinary things.

Today’s Scripture

Philippians 1:6, MSG

There has never been the slightest doubt in my mind that the God who started this great work in you would keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish on the very day Christ Jesus appears.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

IT’S YOUR CHOICE WHETHER TO DWELL ON IT OR DELETE IT

The Scripture tells us to guard our MIND. YOU control the doorway to what you allow in. You can dwell on every negative thought and every derogatory comment, or you can choose to DELETE it and dwell on what GOD says about you. If you let negative thoughts play over and over in your mind, they will CONTAMINATE your confidence, self-esteem, and future.

Why don’t you start hitting the DELETE button? Quit DWELLING on every negative thought that comes to your mind. That’s the enemy trying to contaminate your MIND. If he can control your thinking, he can control your whole LIFE—you’ll go around with low self-esteem, you won’t BELIEVE your dreams will come to pass, and you won’t EXPECT problems to turn around. If the thought is NEGATIVE, discouraging, or pushing you down, do NOT dwell on it. DELETE it. If you’re going to reach your highest potential, you have to get GOOD at hitting the DELETE button.

Today’s Scripture

Philippians 4:6–7, NIV

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

GOD IS ABOUT TO DO SOMETHING UNUSUAL, SOMETHING MORE THAN YOU’VE DREAMED

There are times when things aren’t going your way, business is down, the medical report isn’t good. It’s not your season. The good news is that God specializes in doing things out of season. He doesn’t wait for the perfect circumstances to line up, for you to have the training, for the right people to believe in you. He does things unexpectedly. He’ll make water pour out in your dry places and cause you to blossom out of season. What happened? God blessed you out of season.

Do you feel out of season as though you’re stuck in some area? Stay encouraged. God has you in the palms of His hands. Get ready for an “out of season” blessing, for an “it’s beyond my imagination” healing, for an “it doesn’t make sense” promotion. God is about to do something unusual, something that’s bigger than you’ve dreamed, where you’re going to say, “Wow, God! I didn’t see that coming!”

Today’s Scripture

Isaiah 35:6, NIV

Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

GOD REQUIRES TRUTH IN OUR INNER PARTS

Psalm 51 is a prayer of REPENTANCE in which David acknowledged a sin he had covered up. His first step was to accept RESPONSIBILITY. You can’t overcome what you don’t CONFRONT—a hidden addiction, a failure, a hurt. When you hide things, it’s going to eat away at you like a poison. David went on to say that God requires truth in our INNER parts. You can’t pretend and have God’s blessing at the same time.

If you’re covering things up, it’s not going to magically go away. When you come to God and ask for His FORGIVENESS and MERCY, He’ll begin to restore and put you back on the path to your DESTINY. David says, “Create in me a clean heart, O God. Restore to me the joy of my salvation.” He got it out in the open and asked for FORGIVENESS—that was the turning point. God forgave and RESTORED him, and David went on to do GREAT things.

Today’s Scripture

Psalm 51:3, 6, NKJV

For I acknowledge my transgression. Behold, You desire truth in the inward part.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

THE WINDS MAY BELOW, BUT YOU’RE STILL STANDING

When the ground is saturated, even a big sturdy oak tree with an extensive root system that extends beyond its canopy can be blown over by high winds. That’s because most of its roots are less than twelve inches deep and don’t have anything to anchor to.

It’s the same principle in life. We all have things that come against us—a medical issue, a business downturn, a child gets in trouble. What’s going to determine whether or not you stand STRONG and outlast these storms is the DEPTH of your ROOTS. The reason some people are always upset, offended, and discouraged is that they only have SURFACE roots. They’re moved by what somebody said or did or something unfair. They’re always being tossed to and fro. But when you have DEEP roots, when you know that GOD is in control, you’re NOT moved by what doesn’t go your way. The winds may BLOW, but you’re still STANDING.

Today’s Scripture

Proverbs 12:3, MSG

You can’t find firm footing in a swamp, but life rooted in God stands firm.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

OUR GOD IS THE SUPREME COURT ALL BY HIMSELF AND HE’S ABOUT TO RULE IN YOUR FAVOR

In the legal system, a court will rule on a case and give their verdict, but that verdict can be appealed to a higher court that has more AUTHORITY and can overrule what the lower court decided. Finally, the SUPREME Court has the HIGHEST authority, and it can overrule ANY lower court decision.

In today’s Scripture, the psalmist is saying that the enemies that come against YOU —the fear, the lack, the sickness, the addiction—are NOT permanent. Our God is called the MOST HIGH God. He IS the Supreme Court all by HIMSELF. God is about to rule in your favor. He’s about to OVERRULE some things. You’re about to get a NEW verdict. God’s about to turn some things AROUND. You’re going to see a BREAKTHROUGH in your health. Doors are going to open BIGGER than you’ve IMAGINED. God’s going to bring divine CONNECTIONS, the right PEOPLE. He’s going to THRUST you to a NEW level of your destiny.

Today’s Scripture

Psalm 9:3–4, NLT

My enemies retreated For you have judged in my favor; from your throne you have judged with fairness.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

OUR GOD IS A MORE THAN ENOUGH GOD. DARE TO ASK BIG

When God laid out the plan for your life, He didn’t just put into it what you need to get BY and ENDURE until the END. He put MORE than enough in it. He’s a God of ABUNDANCE. We see this all through the Scripture. David says, “My cup runs over.” He had an ABUNDANCE, more than he NEEDED. Yes, we should thank God that our needs are supplied, but don’t SETTLE there. He is a more-than-enough God. He wants you to have an ABUNDANCE so you can be a blessing to those around you.

Are you asking for the abundant, overflowing, MORE-than-enough life that God has for you? God says you are to REIGN in life, that whatever you touch will PROSPER and SUCCEED. Don’t pray to just get by. Dare to ASK BIG. Ask for what God has PROMISED you. Ask Him for NEW levels. Ask Him for EXPLOSIVE blessings. Ask Him to propel you into your PURPOSE.

Today’s Scripture

Matthew 21:22, NKJV

And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.