THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

THE CLOSEST THING TO THE HEART OF GOD IS HELPING HURTING PEOPLE

In Luke 10, Jesus told a parable about a priest who didn’t stop to help an injured man. After all, he might get his white robe “UNCLEAN” and have it interfere with his religious DUTIES. He had all kinds of EXCUSES. But TRUE RELIGION gets dirty. True RELIGION doesn’t hide behind stained glass or fancy clothes. It goes to where the NEEDS are.

When you get down LOW to lift somebody UP, in GOD’S eyes, you can’t get any HIGHER. The closest thing to the heart of GOD is helping HURTING people. Don’t be a passerby who’s too busy in your career. Don’t just be someone who feels SORRY for others. God is COUNTING on us. When you take time to restore the BROKEN, ENCOURAGE them, wipe away their TEARS, let them know that there are new BEGINNINGS—that’s the RELIGION Jesus talked about. True RELIGION doesn’t judge people to see if they deserve our HELP.

Today’s Scripture

James 1:27, NIV

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

DON’T WASTE YOUR TIME LOOKING BACK…..

In the Scripture, Joseph was betrayed and sold into slavery by his own BROTHERS, then falsely accused and put in PRISON. He could have used excuse after EXCUSE to be bitter and angry, but he had a “NO excuses” MENTALITY. He kept doing the RIGHT thing when the WRONG thing was happening. And in the end, he came out VINDICATED, PROMOTED, and in a place of INFLUENCE and RESPECT.

People may have said things about YOU and DONE things to you that hurt and OFFENDED. Don’t waste your time looking BACK, nursing your wounds. RELIVING what they did, thinking about what DIDN’T work out are DISTRACTIONS. Let it GO and GOD will be your VINDICATOR. Life is TOO short for you to waste another DAY in self-PITY. It’s not always EASY to get over it and move forward, but here’s the KEY: the pain of letting it GO is less than the pain of holding on and missing your DESTINY.

Today’s Scripture

Leviticus 19:18, TLB

“Don’t seek vengeance. Don’t bear a grudge; but love your neighbor as yourself, for I am Jehovah.”

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

GOD WILL PUSH YOU INTO THE FULLNESS OF YOUR DESTINY

The prophet Elijah had just gone from one of the greatest VICTORIES of his life to running away in DEFEAT at the death threat of Queen Jezebel. He was sitting under a tree so DEPRESSED that he didn’t want to LIVE. He said, “God, I’m DONE. It’s OVER.” He’d just seen a great MIRACLE, but now he was TIRED of standing strong in faith.

Maybe YOU’VE been doing the right thing, PRAYING and BELIEVING, but you’ve lost your DRIVE. You may not have given UP on life but given up on your DREAMS. Here’s the GOOD news: God doesn’t condemn us or disqualify us or write us off when we get TIRED. God sent an angel to cook and FEED Elijah once, and then a SECOND time to STRENGTHEN him. That is what He’ll do for YOU. He’s going to cause BLESSINGS to chase YOU down. He’s coming a SECOND time to push you into the FULLNESS of your destiny.

Today’s Scripture

1 Kings 19:7, NIV

The angel of the LORD came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.”

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

WHEN YOU CALL OUT TO GOD, YOU’RE GOING TO SEE HIS FAVOR

Jesus was at a Pharisee’s house when an “IMMORAL woman” came in and poured a jar of expensive perfume on Jesus’ feet and began to wash them with her tears and her hair. The religious LEADERS were SHOCKED that Jesus would allow this “SINNER” to touch Him. But though she had made a MESS of her life, she loved and LONGGED to PLEASE Jesus. When she took one STEP toward God, He showed her MERCY and said, “Your sins are FORGIVEN.”

That’s the God WE serve. Maybe YOU’VE made a mess, and now you think, God will never help ME. No, God is NOT judging you based on what you’ve DONE. He looks PAST the outside, past the mistakes and failures, and He looks at your HEART. The question is, is your HEART turned toward Him? As it was with THIS lady, when you call out to God, you’re going to see His FAVOR, RESTORATION, and MERCY.

Today’s Scripture

Luke 7:47, NLT

“I tell you, her sins—and they are many—have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love.”

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

GOD WILL GIVE YOU THE POWER TO OVERCOME ANYTHING

God is NOT keeping a record of all your faults. Sometimes we think He’s in heaven, watching to CATCH us. “I SAW that failure. Let me write that down. I HEARD that comment. Gabriel, put a STAR by that one—that was REALLHY bad. I’ll have to withhold My GOODNESS.” No, God is NOT a faultfinder. He’s not an accuser. He doesn’t go around saying, “You KNEW better and STILL failed, so you’re on your OWN.” God is not waiting for you to perform PERFECTLY and then He’s going to show you His GOODNESS. He is full of MERCY. He’ll show you FAVOR that you don’t DESERVE.

When you have the right IMAGE of God, you know that He’s FOR you, that He’s not basing His goodness toward you on your PERFORMANCE but on His grace ALONE. Then all the guilt and the condemnation have to GO. God will give you the POWER to overcome ANYTHING that’s holding you BACK.

Today’s Scripture

James 1:5, NIV

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

WHAT GOD PROMISED YOU, HE’S STILL GOING TO BRING TO PASS

When God gave Abraham a PROMISE that he and his wife, Sarah, were going to have their “VERY OWN son” (see Genesis 15), she was seventy-five years old. It was IMPOSSIBLE. It had never HAPPENED before. Abraham COULD have thought, I must have HEARD God wrong. But Scripture says that when all human reason for HOPE was gone, Abraham HOPED on in FAITH, knowing that God is a SUPERNATURAL God. Sarah was over ninety years OLD when she gave birth to a CHILD. There were plenty of times when they were tempted to think, It’s NEVER going to happen. We’re too OLD. If they would have BELIEVED those LIES, they would have drifted into doubt and never seen the PROMISE come to pass.

There may be MANY reasons why your situation will never work out. But you have to do as Abraham did—HOPE on in FAITH. What God promised YOU, He’s STILL going to bring to PASS.

Today’s Scripture

Romans 4:18, NLT

Even when there was no reason for hope, Abraham kept hoping—believing that he would become the father of many nations.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

YOU HAVE EXACTLY WHAT YOU NEED FOR WHERE YOU ARE….

When David went out to face Goliath, he didn’t have any protective armor, and his only weapon was his SLINGSHOT. King Saul had good INTENTIONS when he tried to get David to wear HIS armor and use his SWORD. But Saul’s armor didn’t FIT David, and it would have weighed him down and HINDERED him. That’s because what God has given OTHER people is not going to WORK for you. Don’t try to be like somebody ELSE. “I wish I had their TALENT, their LOOKS, their PERSONALITY.” What THEY have wasn’t DESIGNED for you. You are UNIQUE. You are one of a KIND. The Creator of the universe has custom-MADE you. NOBODY has what you have.

You have to be CONFIDENT in who God made YOU to be. You’re the right SIZE. You have the right LOOKS. You have the right personality and GIFTS. You have EXACTLY what you need for where you are. However insignificant your sling and five stones may SEEM, they’re MORE than enough for a Goliath.

Today’s Scripture

1 Samuel 17:40, NLT

He picked up five smooth stones from a stream and put them into his shepherd’s bag. Then, armed only with his shepherd’s staff and sling, he started across the valley to fight the Philistine.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

IF YOU’RE GOING TO OVERCOME OBSTACLES, YOU HAVE TO LEARN TO REMEMBER…..

The Israelites were headed toward the Promised Land, but they were up against nations with huge armies that were STRONGER and more SKILLED in warfare. The Israelites had just come out of slavery and were just trying to SURVIVE in the desert. They were very discouraged when Moses spoke these words to them: “Don’t be afraid. Just REMEMBER what God did to Pharaoh.”

If you’re going to overcome OBSTACLES, if you’re going to reach your highest POTENTIAL, you have to learn to REMEMBER. On a regular basis, we should go back over the major VICTORIES in our life. When you face tough times and your dream looks impossible, just REMEMBER. Go back and replay your VICTORIES. Relive the times God MADE a way. When you’re constantly thinking about how He’s PROTECTED you, VINDICATED you, and PROMOTED you, not only will FAITH rise in your heart, but that ATTITUDE of EXPECTANCY will allow God to do great THINGS in your future.

Today’s Scripture

Deuteronomy 7:17–18, NIV

“You may say to yourselves, ‘These nations are stronger than we are. How can we drive them out?’ But do not be afraid of them; remember well what the LORD your God did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt.”

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

GOD WANTS TO RESTORE ALL THAT BELONGS TO YOU AS HIS CHILD

Mephibosheth was the grandson of King Saul. His father was Jonathan, David’s best friend. But when Saul and Jonathan were killed in battle, and with the enemy coming to wipe out Saul’s family, young Mephibosheth was crippled in an accident. He ended up living in exile for many years in a poor, run-down city named Lo Debar, barely SURVIVING, with no family and no way OUT. But one day King David REMEMBERED his friend Jonathan and discovered that Mephibosheth was ALIVE. He sent soldiers to LOOK for Mephibosheth, then brought him to the palace to live as ROYALTY and restored his family’s LAND.

Perhaps YOU feel stuck in your OWN Lo Debar. The GOOD news is, the KING is looking for you. He wants to RESTORE all that belongs to you as His CHILD—the FREEDOM, the JOY, the PEACE, the VICTORY, the ABUNDANCE. He wants to pay you BACK for the unfair things that have happened. There is a SEAT for YOU at the KING’S table.

Today’s Scripture

2 Samuel 9:7, NIV

“Don’t be afraid,” David said to him, “for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table.”

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

YOU OH LORD, ARE MY SHIELD…..

In today’s Scripture, David was saying, “God, my enemies are multiplying.” He not only had other ARMIES trying to stop him, but his own SON Absalom was trying to take the kingdom from him. David could have thought, I can handle people from the OUTSIDE trying to take me down, but now it’s my own SON. I’m DONE. This could have been David’s END. But after David stated the hard FACTS, he took it one step further and said, “BUT You, O Lord, are my SHIELD.” Notice that David added the “BUT.” “I’m having a lot of trouble, BUT the Lord is my SHIELD.” What’s the message?

Don’t let the enemy have the last WORD. Always add the “BUT.” “The medical report doesn’t LOOK good, but the Lord is my HEALER. “A coworker did me wrong, but GOD is fighting my battles.” “I went through a LOSS, but God has BEAUTY for ashes.” Every time something negative happens, answer back with a “BUT.”

Today’s Scripture

Psalm 3:1, 3, NKJV

LORD, how they have increased who trouble me!… But You, O LORD, are a shield for me, my glory and the One who lifts up my head.