THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

AS A BELIEVER, YOU WON’T BE THE VICTIM, YOU WILL BE THE VICTOR

The Scripture says, “Your Father sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” Being a person of faith doesn’t exempt you from difficulties. Jesus told a parable about a wise man who built his house on a rock. This man honored God. Another man foolishly built his house on the sand. He didn’t honor God. Then the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on the houses of both the just and the unjust. But after the storm was over, the house built on the rock was still standing. The house built on the sand was completely ruined.

You may get knocked down and go through some dark, stormy times, but that’s just a part of life. It rains on everybody. The difference is that when you honor God, when you stay in faith, you have God’s promise that when the storm clears, you won’t be the victim; you’ll be the victor. You’ll still be standing.

Today’s Scripture

Matthew 7:24, NIV
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.”

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

A SON OF THE MOST HIGH GOD DOESN’T LIVE FEELING GUILTY AND CONDEMNED

It’s easy to have the wrong image of ourselves. The Scripture says, “Now we are the children of God,” but too many times, we live as though we don’t deserve to be blessed because we’ve made too many mistakes and had too many negative things come against us. We live with a slave mentality to mediocrity, to guilt, to lack, to addictions. Stop thinking as a slave and start thinking as a son.

Stop thinking about what you’ve been through and the mistakes you’ve made, and start thinking about who you are. A son of the Most High God doesn’t live feeling guilty and condemned about past mistakes; he receives mercy and moves forward. A son or daughter has a boldness, a confidence. You’ll expect God’s favor. You’ll believe for doors to open for you that you don’t deserve. Why? Because you’re not a slave, or a hired worker, or a friend of the family. You’re a free child of Almighty God!

Today’s Scripture

1 John 3:2, NIV

“Dear friends, now we are the children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.”

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

GOD HAS GIVEN EVERYONE OF US A SPECIFIC GIFT AND PURPOSE

In today’s Scripture, a little boy had a sack lunch—five loaves of bread and two fish. Nothing much. Yet when thousands of people were hungry, Jesus took his lunch, multiplied it, and fed the whole crowd. Think about the boy’s mother who made the lunch. She was a homemaker raising a child without a title or acclaim. But titles don’t bring fulfillment. Keeping up with your neighbors doesn’t bring happiness. Trying to impress your friends will make your life miserable, but understanding your assignment and being comfortable with who God made you to be are what bring true fulfillment.

Don’t discount the gift God has given you. Are you secure enough to play the role that God has given you? Are you comfortable enough to not have to be number one, to have the title, to keep up with others? The beauty of our God is that He has given every one of us a specific gift and purpose.

Today’s Scripture

John 6:9, NIV

“Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

YOUR FAITH WILL ACTIVATE GOD’S POWER IN A NEW WAY

If God be FOR you, who DARE be against you? Quit telling yourself, “I’ll always struggle in this area. I’ll never lose this WEIGHT. I’ll never get out of DEBT.” Change your PERSPECTIVE. You are not weak, defeated, or inferior. You are full of “CAN DO” power. The same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead lives inside YOU. Tap INTO that power. Greater is He that’s in YOU than he that comes GAINST you. You are MORE than a conqueror.

Now start putting things under your feet. Think of that word TREAD in today’s Scripture. One translation says “to TRAMPLE.” God has not only put it under your FEET, but He has armed you with AUTHORITY and STRENGTH to be VICTORIOUS. He has ALREADY equipped you. If you will see these obstacles as being under your FEET, as being ALREADY defeated, a new BOLDNESS will rise up. Your FAITH will activate God’s POWER in a NEW way.

Today’s Scripture

Luke 10:19, ESV

“Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you.”

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

THE CUTTING MAY BE UNFOMFORTABLE, BUT IT’S MAKING YOU BETTER

God is the master GARDENER. He knows when and how MUCH our lives need to be PRUNED in order to grow fuller and HEALTHIER. This means all of us at times are going to experience being cut BACK. But He’s NOT going to cut anything back unless it’s the perfect time. Sometimes we think, God, why did You take this PERSON away, why did You cut back our BUSINESS, why did we go through that DISAPPOINTMENT? God knows what He’s doing. He cut you back for ONE reason—so you can bear much FRUIT. If He hadn’t cut you back, you would have been satisfied to stay where you WERE. But God doesn’t WANT you to get stuck. Remind yourself that you’re being pruned so you can see new GROWTH, new OPPORTUNITIES, new LEVELS. That cutting may be UNCOMFORTABLE, but it’s making you BETTER. God’s getting you PREPARED. You may have LOST something, but you need to get ready to gain something BETTER.

Today’s Scripture

John 15:2, MSG

Every branch that is grape-bearing he prunes back so it will bear even more.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

SEE THE GOOD AND BE GRATEFUL FOR WHAT YOU HAVE

Don’t miss a great season in your life wishing you had more, complaining about what you don’t have. The real joy in life is in the simple things—making memories with your family, riding your bikes together, watching the sunset with your spouse, or staring up at the stars at night. You don’t have to have big vacations or lots of money to have fun. Learn to enjoy the simple things in life.

Could it be that you’re at the right place for the season that you’re in, but you’re not enjoying it? Maybe if you would step back and see it from a new perspective, you would realize that God has you in the palms of His hands. He knows where you are, what you like, and what you don’t like. Instead of living discontented, frustrated, always wishing you were somewhere else, embrace the place where you are. See the good. Be grateful for what you have.

Today’s Scripture

1 Timothy 6:17, NIV

…to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

YOU MAY BE A PRODUCT OF YOUR PAST, BUT YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE A PRISONER OF IT

If you’re always thinking about something negative that happened yesterday, last month, last year, there’s no FREEDOM there. That’s where the Spirit of the Lord WAS. This is a NEW day. Quit living in what WAS and come over into what IS. Right now there is freedom, joy, peace, and restoration for you. Right now there are new beginnings. Remaining upset and offended about what happened yesterday doesn’t bring FREEDOM. Living in regret of what you should have done or what could have been doesn’t do anything PRODUCTIVE. It’s time to drop it and move FORWARD. You may be a PRODUCT of your past, but you don’t have to be a PRISONER OF your past. God already knew every hurt, every loss, and every mistake you would go through. The GOOD news is that for every setback, He’s already arranged a COMEBACK; for every disappointment, a NEW beginning; for every failure, RESTORATION; for all the ashes, He has BEAUTY. Live in FREEDOM.

Today’s Scripture

2 Corinthians 3:17, NIV

Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

DON’T GIVE UP, STAY COMMITTED AND GOD WILL OPEN DOORS THAT NO MAN CAN SHUT

At any point in His ministry, and especially as He approached the cross, Jesus could have said, “I’ve loved these people, healed them, and served them, but they treat me badly. I’ve had enough. I’m done.” But Jesus stayed committed when it was hard, when it wasn’t fair, when He had every right to quit. He was unyielding when it came to fulfilling His destiny, even at the cost of His own life.

Is there something you’ve been tempted to give up on, to take the easy way out, to slack off—a dream, a relationship, a job? You may have a good reason to walk away, to back off, to not be your best, but God is saying, “Stay committed, stay determined, keep doing the right thing.” If you’ll stay committed to your dreams, to your marriage, to your friends, to your job, God is going to open doors no man can shut and take you to the fullness of your destiny.

Today’s Scripture

Proverbs 3:3–4, MSG

Don’t lose your grip on Love and Loyalty. Tie them around your neck; carve their initials on your heart. Earn a reputation for living well in God’s eyes and the eyes of the people.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

WHATEVER GOD HAS PLACED IN YOUR HEART, IT NEEDS TO GET INTO YOUR CONVERSATION

Notice the connection in today’s Scripture between I will say and He will do. It doesn’t say, “I BELIEVE He is my refuge.” The psalmist went around declaring it, speaking it out: “The Lord IS my refuge.” Notice what happened. God became his refuge and STRENGTH. God was saying in effect, “If you’re bold enough to SPEAK it, I’m bold enough to DO it.”

Have you ever declared that your dreams ARE coming to pass? Have you ever said, “I WILL pay off my house?” “I will start my own BUSINESS.” “I will get my DEGREE.” “I WILL lose this weight.” Whatever God has put in your heart, it needs to get in your CONVERSATION. TALK like it’s going to happen. Talk like it’s ALREADY on the way: “WHEN I get married…, when I graduate from COLLEGE…, when I see my FAMILY restored.” Not IF it’s going to happen, but WHEN it’s going to happen. That’s your FAITH being RELEASED.

Today’s Scripture

Psalm 91:2–3, ESV

I will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

KEEP MOVING FORWARD AND STOP LOOKING BACK

It’s easy to live discouraged because of disappointments and things we don’t UNDERSTAND. We worked hard, but we didn’t get the PROMOTION. We prayed, but our loved one didn’t make it. We did our best, but the relationship didn’t work out. Life is not always fair, but God says He will take what was meant for your harm and use it to your ADVANTAGE. He says He will pay you back DOUBLE for the unfair things that happened. He says He will give you BEAUTY for the ashes, but you have to LET GO of the ashes before you receive the BEAUTY. You can’t hold on to the old and expect to receive the NEW. The past is over and DONE. That’s why it’s called the PAST. Quit DWELLING on it, quit RELIVING it. You are NOT going to understand EVERYTHING that happens, but God has a PURPOSE for it. He knows how to bring GOOD out of it. So keep moving FORWARD and stop looking BACK!

Today’s Scripture

Isaiah 61:3, NKJV

…to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness…