THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

IF GOD ALLOWED IT, HE KNOWS HOW TO BRING GOOD OUT OF IT

We’d love to NOT have any pain, suffering, bad breaks, betrayals, or loss, but that’s not REALITY. Difficulties WILL come, and pain is a part of LIFE, so keep the right PERSPECTIVE: there is PORPOSE in your pain. If everything were ALWAYS easy, we wouldn’t be prepared for our DESTINY. In the tough, dark times, God is getting you PREPARED. He knows exactly what you NEED and WHEN you need it. Every struggle is making you STRONGER. Every difficulty is growing you UP. You may not like it, but every painful SEASON is developing something in you that can be developed ONLY in the tough times. That difficulty is an OPPORTUNITY to develop CHARACTER, to gain a greater TRUST in God. If God ALLOWED it, He knows how to bring good OUT of it. Don’t just GO through it; GROW through it and keep a good ATTITUDE. Count it all JOY, knowing that this pain is going to LEAD to your GAIN.

Today’s Scripture

James 1:2–3, NKJV

Count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

IF YOU’RE READING THIS, IT’S NO ACCIDENT. THERE’S AN UNEXPECTED SHIFT, IN YOUR FUTURE

I know a man who had been out of work for over three years. He’s in construction management. For 25 years, he had a very good position at a successful company. But a few years ago when the economy went down, they had to let him go. He ended up taking a much lower level position in a small city and had to travel a couple of hours every day to work. It was taking a toll on his health, his marriage and his savings.

It looked like things would never change. But about six months ago, his former boss called and said, “Hey, are you ready to go back to work?” That company landed the largest contract in their history. He not only got his job back, but all of his benefits were restored. Plus, they increased his salary significantly. What happened? He came into a SHIFT. Suddenly, things changed in his FAVOR. One phone CALL. One CONTRACT. One good BREAK. He went from barely getting by to having MORE than enough. Now, GET READY because these SHIFTS are in YOUR future!

Today’s Scripture:

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”

(Ephesians 3:20-21, NIV)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

KEEP MEDITATING ON GOD’S GOODNESS AND CONTINUAL JOY WILL KEEP POURING IN…..

Do you ever wonder how much MORE we would ENJOY life, how much longer and HEALTHIER we would LIVE if we chose a lifestyle of being THANKFUL, constantly thinking about what God has DONE, all the GOOD things He has in store for us? Even in difficult times, we’re thanking Him because He’s BIGGER than our problems. Every time you DO that, God is pouring STRENGTH, PEACE, and JOY back into YOU. It’s easy to think about what’s wrong in life and leak out your JOY. You have to develop this PRINCIPLE of always being THANKFUL in ALL circumstances by PURPOSEFULLY finding things to be GRATEFUL for. It’s NOT complicated. When you’re brushing your teeth, say, “Lord, thank You for this DAY.” When you’re getting dressed, say, “Lord, thank You for my HEALTH.” When you’re driving to work, say, “Lord, thank You for my JOB.” In your THOUGHTS, always keep MEDITATING on God’s GOODNESS and continual JOY will keep pouring IN.

Today’s Scripture

1 Thessalonians 5:16–18, NLT

Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

TAKE THAT CIRCUMSTANCE OFF THE THRONE AND PUT GOD BACK ON IT

Whatever you constantly THINK about is what you’re putting on the THRONE of your LIFE. The key is to keep God ON your throne. It’s easy to put the medical report, or what somebody said, or the situation at work on the THRONE. Some people put the hurt, the rejection, the disappointment on the THRONE. As long as you’re focused on your CIRCUMSTANCES, you’re going to be worried, upset, and discouraged. You need to put GOD back on the THRONE. Today’s Scripture says that when you have GOD on the throne, HE’LL take care of your enemies and you’re at PEACE. You KNOW He’s in CONTROL. He’s your HEALER, your DELIVERER, your PROVIDER, your WAY maker.

Why don’t you take what somebody SAID, take the DISAPPOINTMENT, take the SICKNESS OFF the throne and put God back up ON the throne? You will see things turn around if you simply take that circumstance OFF the throne and put GOD back ON it.

Today’s Scripture

Psalm 68:1, NKJV

Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

REAL HEALING BEGINS WHEN YOU GET HONEST…..

It’s easy to hide things in our lives and let people see only what we want them to see. All the heroes of faith in the Scripture had their weaknesses and failures. Everyone has issues. If you’re still struggling in an area today, there is no shame in asking for help. Sometimes we think we’re supposed to be perfect, so we can’t let anybody know we have a bad habit, an addiction, or a struggle. We would be embarrassed if others knew. Today’s Scripture tells you to not let shame keep you isolated. Real healing begins when we get honest. There are some things that you can’t overcome on your own. You need to find somebody to stand in faith with you, a person of integrity whom you can trust to walk with you through it. There’s something about getting it out in the open. Don’t let the fear of what other people think keep you from your miracle.

Today’s Scripture

James 5:16, TLB

Admit your faults to one another and pray for each other so that you may be healed.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

IF YOU’LL USE WHAT YOU HAVE, GOD WILL GIVE YOU MORE…..

When God told Moses to go and tell Pharaoh, “Let My people go.” Moses said, “God, I CAN’T do that. I don’t SPEAK well. I STUTTER.” Moses was saying, “God, I don’t have what it takes. You didn’t GIVE me that gift. I’m AFRAID.” He kept making excuse after EXCUSE until the Scripture says, “God became ANGRY with Moses.” He was angry because Moses saw his gift as not ENOUGH. He’s displeased when we’re not using what He’s GIVEN us, when we’re making excuses, DISCOUNTING our gifts. God said to Moses, “Who made your tongue?” He was saying, “Moses, I created the UNIVERSE. I flung STARS into space. You did NOT get shortchanged. You’re not lacking ANYTHING.

God would not ask you to do something if He hadn’t ALREADY given you what you NEED. Quit saying, “If I was as gifted or good looking as THEY are, I COULD do something great.” NO, take the talent you HAVE and DEVELOP it. If you’ll use what you HAVE, God will give you MORE.

Today’s Scripture

Exodus 4:11, NLT

Then the LORD asked Moses, “Who makes a person’s mouth?… Is it not I, the LORD?”

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

NOTHING YOU’VE DONE IN THE PAST IS TOO MUCH FOR THE MERCY OF GOD

Sometimes it’s as though we’re carrying all these heavy bags around—a bag of guilt, another bag with all the mistakes we’ve made, then we add on a bag full of regrets. We go through life carrying around all of these bags, then we wonder why life is a struggle, why we’re tired, why we can’t accomplish a dream. It’s because you weren’t created to live with guilt, condemnation, and shame. The Scripture tells us to “lay aside the weights that can easily entangle us.” It’s time to lay aside those weights of guilt and shame and regret. It’s time to get rid of that baggage. This is a new day. The accuser has held you back long enough. Nothing you’ve done in the past is too much for the mercy of God. You are redeemed. You are restored. Shake off the guilt and the accusing voices and receive the gift of righteousness in Christ Jesus and rest for your soul.

Today’s Scripture

Matthew 11:28, NLT

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

A LIFE MORE REWARDING THAN YOU’VE EVER IMAGINED

When the apostle Paul talks about “the MERCIES of God,” he doesn’t use the singular but the PLURAL. Every one of us has experienced some of these MERCIES. Perhaps some of the things you’ve DONE—the crowds you used to run with, the drugs, the alcohol, the reckless driving, the freak accidents—should have taken you out. But God showed you some of His MERCIES—not ONCE, but again and AGAIN. In fact, the reason you’re still HERE is because God has a DESTINY for you to fulfill. He has an ASSIGNMENT for you to ACCOMPLISH.

You might as well recognize you’re a marked MAN, a marked WOMAN. The Creator of the universe has His HAND on your life. The sooner you surrender your will to HIS, the better OFF you’re going to be. You’re not giving up ANYTHING. You’re GAINING PURPOSE, your DESTINY, a life that HE’S designed, a life more REWARDING than you ever IMAGINED.

Today’s Scripture

Romans 12:1, ESV

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

WHAT GOD SPOKE OVER YOUR LIFE WILL COME TO PASS

In Luke 9, when Jesus fed the five thousand, they only counted the MEN. They didn’t count the children or the women, who were regarded as second class, less than back THEN. Yet it was a small BOY, the LEAST likely among the crowd, who brought the lunch that FED the crowd. God uses people that OTHER people don’t COUNT.

Could it be that you’re not reaching your highest POTENTIAL because you feel like you’re not COUNTED, you’re lacking in some AREA, now you’re not expecting ANYTHING good, not pursuing your DREAMS? NO, you need to have a new PERSPECTIVE. You’re a PRIME candidate for God to show out in your life. You may FEEL weak, but God wants to show Himself STRONG. You may FEEL like the LEAST likely, but God wants to do something so AMAZING in your life that it will ASTOUND the people around you. You’ve been COUNTED; you’ve been QUALIFIED. What God spoke over your life WILL come to pass.

Today’s Scripture

1 Corinthians 1:27, MSG

Isn’t it obvious that God deliberately chose men and women that the culture overlooks and exploits and abuses, chose these “nobodies” to expose the hollow pretensions of the “somebodies”?

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

CHOOSE TO WALK IN LOVE, EVEN WHEN YOU DON’T FEEL LIKE IT

SPIRITUAL maturity isn’t measured by how long you’ve been a Christian, or how much you KNOW, or how often you go to CHURCH. SPIRITUAL maturity is measured by the way you TREAT OTHER PEOPLE. It’s measured by the LOVE you allow to operate THROUGH you.

First Corinthians 13 tells us about the CHARACTERISTICS of love. When we are walking in LOVE, we treat other people with COURTESY and RESPECT. Are you KIND to the person at the checkout counter that may be moving too slowly? Are you GENTLE when you are driving down the highway and someone cuts you off? Are you PATIENT with your FAMILY and COWORKERS? These are all ways we SHOW LOVE.

Scripture also tells us that love is PATIENT. It is KIND. It does NOT ENVY; it is not PROUD. It is not RUDE. Love is NOT easily ANGERED, and it keeps NO RECORD OF WRONGS. Love NEVER fails. Notice that these characteristics don’t have ANYTHING to do with FEELINGS. That’s because love is a CHOICE. You can CHOOSE to walk in love toward people even when you don’t FEEL like it–and THAT’S what being SPIRITUALLY mature is all ABOUT!

Today’s Scripture:

“Now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”

1 Corinthians 13:13, NIV