THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

IT’S GOING TO HAPPEN BECAUSE OF YOUR PRAISE, SO TURN IT UP!

In today’s Scripture God was saying to His people, who had been taken into captivity in Babylon, that when you thank Him even though you don’t see anything good happening, when you offer up the sacrifice of praise, God is going to reverse negative situations and restore what’s been stolen. When you don’t see how it can work out, but you go through the day saying, “Father, thank You that the answer is on the way; thank You that this problem is turning around,” get ready because God is going to reverse and restore. He’s going to reverse finances that are down, reverse a bad health report, reverse a legal matter, and He’s even going to restore what should have been yours. He’s going to restore years that you’ve lost because somebody did you wrong. He’s going to restore a relationship that’s on the rocks, restore health back to your body. It’s going to happen because of your praise, so turn it up!

Today’s Scripture

Jeremiah 33:11, NKJV

“…the voice of those…who will bring the sacrifice of praise into the house of the LORD. For I will cause the captives of the land to return as at the first,” says the LORD.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

KEEP ABIDING IN HIM AND HE’LL BRING YOU THROUGH AND MAKE YOU STRONG AND STABLE

In life, we all have ups and downs. There are seasons that are more difficult than others, seasons of testing, trials and temptation where our CHARACTER is being developed and our faith in God is being STRENGTHENED. Sometimes it can feel like you are taking two steps forward and then three steps backward. But if we’re not careful, we’ll start thinking that life is ALWAYS going to be this way. Even in the STRONG seasons, you’ll start looking for things to go wrong.

God doesn’t want us to be living life like a roller coaster. He wants to bring us to a place of STABILITY where we remain STRONG in Him. Jesus said, “I am the vine. You are the branches. If you abide in me, you will bear much fruit and your fruit will REMAIN.” The word “REMAIN” means “to be FIXED, IMMOVABLE, not AFFECTED by circumstances.” If you will just keep ABIDING in Him, just keep MEDITATING on His Word, He’ll bring you THROUGH. He’ll make you STRONG, He’ll keep you STABLE, and you’ll keep moving forward into the life of BLESSING He has prepared for you!

Today’s Scripture:

“If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given to you.”

(John 15:7, NIV)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

WHEN YOUR ROOTS ARE HEALTHY, POSITIVE AND HOPEFUL, THEY’LL FEED YOU STRENGTH…..

A small offense from a coworker is just a little seed, not a big deal. If you ignore it, nothing will come of it. But if you dwell on it, resentment sets in. Now that little seed takes root as bitterness. Before long, it will grow and pollute other areas of your life.

Notice that bitterness is described in today’s Scripture as a root that produces bitter fruit. When your roots are healthy, positive, and hopeful, that’s feeding you with strength, encouragement, and hope. If you have bitter roots, they feed you bitterness, self-pity, anger, and drain all the life and joy out of you. The good news is, you don’t have to live with bitter roots. Ask God to show you what’s causing you to be bitter and help you release it. You can’t do it on your own. Ask Him to help you forgive the person who hurt you. That’s the first step to getting rid of a bitter root.

Today’s Scripture

Hebrews 12:15, ESV

See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

YOU HAVE THE POWER TO KEEP YOUR JOY

We all have opportunities to get upset and go around frustrated. Life is full of inconveniences, delays, people that don’t do right. You’re never going to stop these things from happening; the key is how we handle them. Today’s Scripture says no one can take your joy. That means you control your joy. Nothing can take it from you; you have to give it away.

Life is too short to live frustrated, upset about things that many times we have no control over. People have a right to have their opinion, but you have a right to ignore it. People have a right to be rude, but you have a right to stay happy. Quit letting insignificant things—your grouchy boss, the person talking behind your back, your child getting on your nerves—steal your joy. Make this decision every morning, “I will be joyful today.” When you’re tempted to get upset, remind yourself that you have the power to keep your joy.

Today’s Scripture

John 16:22, NLT

So you have sorrow now, but I will see you again; then you will rejoice, and no one can rob you of that joy.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

GOD HAS SOME “SUDDENLIES” IN YOUR FUTURE…..

In the Scripture when God did something significant, many times it happened suddenly, such as when the angel appeared in Peter’s prison cell. There wasn’t any sign of things changing on that dark night, but suddenly everything changed. God can turn things around without any warning. He can increase you when you don’t see any sign of it happening. It was unexpected, out of the ordinary. You were just doing the right thing, not complaining about the difficulty, and then suddenly, your business took off, suddenly your health turned around. It may not be a gradual process. One touch of God’s favor will thrust you to a new level.

When you understand that God has some “suddenlies,” then even when it’s taking a long time, you’ll still have an expectancy knowing that any minute your suddenly could show up. One phone call, one good break, meeting one right person, and you’ll come out of the waiting period into your season of blessing.

Today’s Scripture

Acts 12:7, NIV

Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared, and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. “Quick, get up!” he said, and the chains fell off Peter’s wrists.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

PUT GOD FIRST IN YOUR LIFE, THEN NOTHING CAN STOP YOU

I heard somebody say, “Don’t let your heredity stop your destiny.” In other words, don’t let the way somebody treated you, or what they did or didn’t give you keep you from pressing forward and becoming all that God has created you to be.

The people who raised you may have had addictions, but that doesn’t have to be YOUR future. You can be the one to BREAK that negative cycle. Your parents may have had anger issues or never amounted to much, but you don’t have to keep letting that curse be passed from generation to generation. You can be the one to say, “NO MORE. This is a NEW day! I may have had an unfair PAST, but I’m NOT going to have an unfair FUTURE. I know God put a blessing on me BEFORE anybody could put a curse, and I’m NOT going to let my heredity stop my DESTINY.”

Today, know that God is FOR you! Seek Him with a humble heart and BREAK FREE from the bondages of the past. When you choose to put Him FIRST in your life, then NOTHING can stop your destiny!

Today’s Scripture:

…If God is for us, who can be against us?

Romans 8:31, NIV

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

AS A BELIEVER YOU ARE HEAVY WITH FAVOR, WEIGHTED DOWN WITH GOD’S GOODNESS

King David said that God’s “FAVOR surrounds us like a SHIELD.” That means everywhere you go, you have an ADVANTAGE, a divine EMPOWERMENT, opening of doors, causing things to fall into place. But Isaiah took it one step further in today’s Scripture. The word GLORY in the original language implies that God’s favor is HEAVY upon you. There’s an emphasis on the weight. Isaiah was saying you didn’t just get a little favor, enough to get by or scrape through life. No, you are HEAVY with favor, weighted DOWN with God’s GOODNESS.

When you know you’re heavy with FAVOR, you’ll pray BOLD prayers, believe for the EXTRAORDINARY, and EXPECT doors to open that you could NOT open. You’ll expect to ACCOMPLISH your dreams, to BREAK that addiction, and to pay your house OFF. When you know you are heavy with FAVOR, you’ll ARISE, and God will cause you to SHINE. That’s when you’ll step into the FULLNESS of your DESTINY.

Today’s Scripture

Isaiah 60:1, NKJV

“Arise, shine; for your light has come! And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you.”

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

TRUST GOD’S TIMING. HE KNOWS WHAT HE’S DOING

The Israelites were surrounded by a huge army and greatly outnumbered. They were so worried and stressed out. Just before they went to battle, they decided to pray. Notice God’s answer. If you will be STILL and remain at REST, God will turn it to VICTORY. He is WITH you. He will VINDICATE you.

When YOU feel OVERWHELMED and you’re tempted to take everything into YOUR own hands, you have to make yourself be STILL. The battle is not YOURS. The battle is the LORD’S. As long as YOU’RE fighting it, God is going to step back and let YOU do it on your OWN. But when you put it back in HIS hands, God WILL fight your BATTLES. Now do YOUR part and REST. Trust God’s TIMING. He knows what He is doing. YOU may not understand why something is taking so long, but sometimes God will delay an ANSWER so He can show His power in a GREATER way.

Today’s Scripture

2 Chronicles 20:17, NLT

But you will not even need to fight. Take your positions; then stand still and watch the LORD’s victory. He is with you, O people of Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid or discouraged. Go out against them tomorrow, for the LORD is with you!

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

WITH A SINGLE WORD, YOU HAVE THE ABILITY TO STIR UP SOMEONE’S DREAMS

The word encourage means “to urge forward.” Every one of us should have someone we believe in, someone we’re urging forward, someone we’re helping to achieve goals and dreams. How do you encourage someone? You study that person and identify what he or she does well. What excites him? What are her strengths? An encourager sees things in others that they often can’t see in themselves. A simple compliment, a single word of encouragement can give a person the confidence he or she needs to take that step of faith. You have the ability to stir up someone’s dreams by giving them permission to succeed. You can light a fire on the inside that glows joyfully for a lifetime. When you take time to believe in someone, and you speak faith into the heart of another, your words can become the seed God nourishes. You never know the impact a small note or a kind word of encouragement can have. Be a people builder.

Today’s Scripture

1 Thessalonians 5:11, NIV

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

AS A BELIEVER, YOU’RE MORE POWERFUL THAN ANY FORCE TRYING TO STOP YOU

Some people live worried and afraid because they see the enemy as a powerful force that can control them and keep them defeated. They give him power that he doesn’t have. Our heavenly Father is on the throne. He’s the Judge. He has you in the palms of His hands. Nothing can snatch you away. God is the creator; Satan is a created being, a fallen angel. When Jesus came out of the grave, He took the keys of death and hell away from the enemy. Every force of darkness was broken when Christ rose from the dead. He said, “All power in heaven and earth has been given to Me. Now I give it to you.” You’re more powerful than any force that’s trying to stop you. Don’t be afraid of the enemy. He has already been defeated; he’s afraid of you. We’re in a fixed fight. We know the outcome. God said He always causes you to triumph.

Today’s Scripture

1 John 4:4, NIV

You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.