THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

WE HAVE TO LEAVE SOME THINGS BEHIND IN ORDER TO EMBRACE THE NEW LIFE GOD HAS IN STORE FOR US

So many people today are looking for ways to be RIGHTEOUS or to be in “RIGHT STANDING” with God. The Bible simply says that when we BELIEVE God, that’s RIGHTEOUSNESS.

The PROOF, or EVIDENCE, of our faith in Him is found in our ACTIONS. Faith WITHOUT works is dead. That means when we really BELIEVE something, our actions will SUPPORT what we believe. Because ABRAHAM believed God, he obeyed His word and left his father’s land even when he didn’t know where he was GOING. In the same way, when WE believe God, we have to leave some things behind in order to embrace the NEW LIFE He has in store. As you let go of the old and, by faith, EMBRACE God’s promises, know that He is leading you down paths of righteousness for His name’s sake! Keep BELIEVING and keep stepping OUT, knowing that your best days are AHEAD of you!

Today’s Scripture:

“Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness.”

(Genesis 15:6, NIV)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

NO MATTER HOW UNCERTAIN THINGS MAY SEEM, GOD STILL HAS HIS EYE ON YOU

Do you need to know which way to go? Maybe you are facing an important decision in your JOB, at HOME or in your RELATIONSHIPS. Know this: God HIMSELF will teach you what you should do. He PROMISES to show you the path you should take. He’s watching over you and giving you ADVICE every step of the way.

God’s not just concerned with the goal or end RESULT. It’s NOT just about getting you from point “A” to point “B.” He is with you EVERY step of the way during the ENTIRE process. He wants to see your CHARACTER develop and mature. Most times, our growth in life happens when circumstances seem to be the MOST uncertain. Those uncertain times cause us to rely MORE on God.

No matter how uncertain things may SEEM, God STILL has His eye on you. He’s making sure that you make the right CHOICES. He’s working with you to shape your CHARACTER and ATTITUDE. Remember, He’s promised to NEVER leave you NOR forsake you. YOU may not always know the answer right away, but He’s ALWAYS teaching you and LEADING you into BLESSING all the days of your life!

Today’s Scripture:

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.”

(Psalm 32:8, ESV)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

IN ORDER TO HAVE A BRIGHT FUTURE, YOU MUST FIRST LET GO OF THE PAST

The Bible tells us that EVERY person, no matter HOW much FAITH they have, no matter how GOOD they are, will face disappointments. It may be something simple like not getting the PROMITION you hoped for, or not closing a BUSINESS deal you worked so hard on. Maybe you didn’t qualify for a HOUSE you really wanted, or maybe something MORE serious happened like a RELATIONSHIP not working out, the death of a LOVED one, or some kind of ILLNESS in your body. Whatever it may be, the REALITY is that we’re ALL going to suffer some setbacks. I believe one of the main keys to OVERCOMING disappointments is learning to let GO of the past.

If you feel “stuck” today, you may want to examine what you’re holding ON to. Be willing let GO of past disappointments by choosing FORGIVENESS. Who hurt you? Who wronged you? RELEASE it to GOD. Do you need to forgive YOURSELF? Do you need to receive GOD’S forgiveness? Make the choice today to FORGIVE. LET GO of the past so you can OVERCOME disappointments and experience the bright FUTURE God has in store for you!

Today’s Scripture:

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.”

(Isaiah 43:18, NIV)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

YOU AND GOD ARE A MAJORITY. STAY IN STEP WITH HIM

Do you wake up every morning expecting FAVOR and BLESSING on EVERYTHING you do? Do you PLAN for what is good? When we plan for what is GOOD, Scripture tells us that we find LOVE. Ultimately, GOD is love which means when you plan for what is GOOD, you will find GOD in the midst of your plans.

Don’t let the negative voices of the world get you focused in the wrong direction. It doesn’t matter what is happening in the economy or the stock market, God’s plan is ALWAYS for your good. Set your mind on GOOD things and stay in agreement with GOD.

You and God are a MAJORITY. Stay in STEP with Him, plan for what is GOOD, and move forward into the life of VICTORY He has in store for YOU!

Today’s Scripture:

“…those who plan what is good find love and faithfulness.”

(Proverbs 14:22, NIV)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

BE OPEN TO THE NEW THINGS GOD HAS IN STORE FOR YOU

CHANGE is one of the most difficult things for people to face; however, change is INEVITABLE. In fact, Mark Twain once said, “The only person who LIKES change is a wet baby.” One reason people don’t like CHANGE is because they get comfortable with where they ARE in life. They get used to their friends, job or the place they live. And even if it’s not perfect, they accept it simply because it’s FAMILIAR. However, when we are not willing to change, we get STUCK in life holding on to what God did in the past instead of GROWING and moving FORWARD into what God wants to do in the FUTURE.

Today, I encourage YOU to be open to the NEW things God has in store for you. Always remember that just because God has blessed you where you ARE doesn’t mean you can just sit back and SETTLE there. God wants to do something new IN you and THROUGH you. He wants to see you GROW, PROSPER and FLOURISH. Get ready and keep your heart focused on HIM. EMBRACE change and see the BLESSING God has in store for YOU!

Today’s Scripture:

“See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.”

(Isaiah 43:19, NIV)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

DON’T GET SNARED BY THE WORDS OF YOUR MOUTH

During the 1990’s, Jose Lima was the star pitcher for the Houston Astros. One season, he won 20 games and was considered one of the best pitchers in the league. When the Astros moved from the Astrodome to their new ballpark downtown, the fence in left field was much closer than the fence in the Astrodome. It favored the hitters and made it more difficult on the pitchers. The first time Jose Lima went to the new ballpark, he stood on the mound, looked at the fence, and the first words out of his mouth were, “I’ll never be able to pitch in here. The fence is way too close.” Sure enough, he went from being a 20-game WINNER to a 16-game LOSER. It was one of the biggest NEGATIVE turnarounds in the history of the Astros. What happened? He PROPHESIED his future.

Today, don’t get SNARED by the words of your mouth. When negative thoughts come, do NOT speak them out loud; instead, speak LIFE. Speak HOPE. Speak BLESSING. Speak what you SEEK! Speak the Word of God so you can move forward in the VICTORY He has prepared for you!

Today’s Scripture:

“You are snared by the words of your mouth…”

(Proverbs 6:2, NKJV)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

HUNGER FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS, AND YOU WILL BE SPIRITUALLY SATISFIED

In the NATURAL, what do you do when you’re hungry and just not sure what will SATISFY you? You may try to think of what to eat, but maybe you’re not sure what will hit the spot. SPIRITUAL hunger works the same way. You may feel a restlessness or unsettledness, but you can’t quite figure out what will SATISFY it. You may try to fill that need with other things—food, addictions, people—but ONLY God can fill that hunger.

Today’s verse tells us what will FILL that hunger in our soul—RIGHTEOUSNESS. When you hunger and thirst for righteousness, which is God’s way of doing things, you will be SPIRITUALLY satisfied. But just like you have to take time to eat in the natural, you have to take time to “eat” or partake of God’s righteousness. Every day, He has a table of BLESSING set for you. When you spend time in PRAYER, WORSHIP and reading His WORD, you are PARTAKING of His righteousness. You are filling your SOUL. The more time you spend with HIM, the more He will FILL you and SATISFY your hunger all the days of your life!

Today’s Scripture:

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”

(Matthew 5:6, NIV)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

HUNGER FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS, AND YOU WILL BE SPIRITUALLY SATISFIED

In the NATURAL, what do you do when you’re hungry and just not sure what will SATISFY you? You may try to think of what to eat, but maybe you’re not sure what will hit the spot. SPIRITUAL hunger works the same way. You may feel a restlessness or unsettledness, but you can’t quite figure out what will SATISFY it. You may try to fill that need with other things—food, addictions, people—but ONLY God can fill that hunger.

Today’s verse tells us what will FILL that hunger in our soul—RIGHTEOUSNESS. When you hunger and thirst for righteousness, which is God’s way of doing things, you will be SPIRITUALLY satisfied. But just like you have to take time to eat in the natural, you have to take time to “eat” or partake of God’s righteousness. Every day, He has a table of BLESSING set for you. When you spend time in PRAYER, WORSHIP and reading His WORD, you are PARTAKING of His righteousness. You are filling your SOUL. The more time you spend with HIM, the more He will FILL you and SATISFY your hunger all the days of your life!

Today’s Scripture:

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”

(Matthew 5:6, NIV)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

THERE IS NO CONDEMNATION FOR THOSE WHO ARE IN CHRIST JESUS

Jesus came to BREAK the curse of sin, shame and CONDEMNATION in our lives. He came so that we could see things the way GOD sees them. Do you know how God sees YOU? He sees you as VALUABLE. He sees you as STRONG. He sees you as CAPABLE, TALENTED and TRUSTWORTHY. The VOICE of condemnation says exactly the opposite. Condemnation is a loss of VALUE. It’s the accusing voice of the enemy that says, “You’re not good enough…you’ll never be good enough…you’re a failure.”

Condemnation is NEVER from God. The Bible tells us there is NO condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. When you embrace and declare God’s TRUTH in your life, you activate His power to OVERCOME the voice of condemnation. No matter how you may be FEELING, wake up every morning and DECLARE that the GREATER One lives in you. Declare that you are STRONG in the Lord and in the power of His MIGHT. Declare that He LOVES you and has called you according to His PURPOSE. Choose to see yourself as VALUABLE, the way GOD sees you. Embrace His TRUTH so that you can OVERCOME condemnation and live in VICTORY all the days of your life!

Today’s Scripture:

“There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.”

(Romans 8:1, NKJV)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

LIKE A SHIELD, GOD’S WORD PROTECTS YOU

Did you know that the Word of God has the power to PROTECT you and keep you from doing the things you KNOW you shouldn’t DO? Hebrews tells us that the Word of God is LIVING and ACTIVE; it’s POWERFUL in our lives. God communicates to us through His written Word, the Bible, and He COMMUNICATES with us through His SPOKEN Word, which can come in MANY ways. In Scripture, God spoke to people through a burning bush, a still small voice, and even a donkey. Today, He may speak to your heart through a FRIEND, a worship SONG, or something in CREATION. One thing is for sure, when He DOES speak, your spirit KNOWS it. There is CONFIRMATION in your inner man. God ALWAYS speaks truth, and TRUTH always sets you free!

God’s Word also PROTECTS you. When you hold His Word close to your heart, it acts like a SHIELD around your heart. You hold His Word close to you by MEDITATING on it, FOCUSING on it, THINKING about it and DECLARING it. As you allow His truth to sink into your SPIRIT, it will EMPOWER you and CHANGE you. It will EQUIP you to live the GOOD life He has prepared for you!

Today’s Scripture:

“Your word have I laid up in my heart, that I might not sin against You.”

(Psalm 119:11, AMPC)