THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

NOW MORE THAN EVER, IT’S HIGH TIME TO GET FOCUSED

So many people today are living overwhelmed, exhausted and overburdened by the pressures of life. They’ve allowed themselves to live on autopilot, day in and day out, passive toward the things God has placed in their hearts.

If that’s YOU, now is the time to get your fire back! Let me encourage you to press past the things that would try to hold you back. God is saying, “It’s HIGH TIME to wake up.” Notice that phrasing. Not just time but HIGH time. That means it’s incredibly IMPORTANT because you are coming into a DESTINY moment! You are sitting on the launching pad. God is about to THRUST you to a NEW level! Now is not the time to be passive, sloppy or undisciplined. Now more than ever, it’s time to get FOCUSED and start moving forward!

Why is this so important? Just like the verse says, your SALVATION is nearer than it’s ever been. That means you are closer to seeing that DREAM come to pass than you’ve EVER been. You are closer to meeting the right PERSON, closer to that HEALING, closer to that BREAKTHROUGH, PROMOTION and PROVISION. You may not be able to see it, but it can see YOU! Your VICTORY is right around the corner. It’s HIGH TIME to do what God is asking you to do so you can embrace the BLESSING He has for you!

Today’s Scripture:

“…It is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed.”

(Romans 13:11, NKJV)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

LIVE THE ABUNDANT LIFE TODAY AND EVERY DAY

Are you living the ABUNDANT life Jesus came to give? I’m not talking about living in the fanciest house or driving the newest car. No, His promise of abundant LIFE goes WAY beyond material THINGS that this world offers. Abundant life means “life to the FULL.” That means no matter what is going on AROUND you, you can partake of the full BLESSINGS of God. You can have PEACE in the midst of a storm. You can have JOY when things are uncertain. You can have HOPE when CIRCUMSTANCES seem hopeless. As BELIEVERS, a lot of times it’s easy to look at that verse and think, “God is going to give me abundant life SOMEDAY.” But the TRUTH is that God wants you to have abundant life TODAY! Don’t waste another second living in mediocrity or settling for less than God’s BEST. Receive His blessings by FAITH today. Receive His HOPE, JOY, STRENGTH and FAVOR. Declare that you ARE living the abundant life TODAY and EVERY day!

Today’s Scripture:

“…I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”

(John 10:10, NKJV)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

MAKE TIME TO GET ALONE, AND GET IN THE PRESENCE OF JESUS…..

Sometimes, it’s easy to get wrapped up in taking care of the people AROUND us. You may find that you’re always GIVING, taking care of the children, working overtime at the office, or helping that friend who is struggling. And that’s ALL good. But if you’re not careful, you can end up feeling rundown. That’s why you have to take time EVERY DAY to get filled back UP. Your FIRST priority should be taking care of yourself and making time to get into the presence of JESUS. Throughout Scripture, we see that in God’s presence there is fullness of JOY, fullness of PEACE and fullness of VICTORY. In His presence, you’re REFRESHED and RESTORED. That’s why it’s so important to take time every day to read your BIBLE and meditate on His PROMISES. We have to be DILIGENT to have that QUIET TIME with Him.

Today, take time to get ALONE with God and just say, “God, I love You today. Thank You for my LIFE, for my FAMILY, for the OPPORTUNITIES You’ve given me. Lord, I know every GOOD thing comes from YOU.” When you live like THAT, with your mind filled with His Word and His THOUGHTS toward you, you’ll be REFRESHED, RESTORED, re-RE-ENERGIZED and filled UP for the JOURNEY of life!

Today’s Scripture:

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”

Matthew 5:6, TLV

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

IF YOU WILL ‘ONLY BELIEVE’, ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE

In Scripture a man came to Jesus and said, “My little daughter is very sick. She is close to death. Will You come to my home and pray for her?” Jesus agreed. But along the way He kept getting stopped, one interruption after another. Finally, word came back to Him saying, “No need to come. You’ve waited too late. The little girl has died.”

The people were upset and very distraught. But Jesus said to them in Luke 8:50 “Don’t be afraid. If you will only believe, the little girl will be well.” Notice the phrase, “Only believe.” Jesus went to the home, laid hands on the little girl, and she came back to life.

Are you facing a situation that seems impossible? In the natural, you don’t see how you can get well, or how you can overcome the addiction, or how your family can ever be restored? God is saying to you what He said to them, “If you will only believe, I will turn the situation around. If you only believe, breakthroughs are headed your way!”

Today’s Scripture:

“But when Jesus heard it, He answered him, saying, ‘Do not be afraid; only believe, and she will be made well’.”

(Luke 8:50, NKJV)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

FOCUS ON WHAT YOU HAVE, INSTEAD OF WHAT YOU DON’T HAVE

It’s easy to get stuck in the trap of thinking that if only your CIRCUMSTANCES would just change, then life would be BETTER. You might think, “If I got a new JOB, or a new HOUSE or had better FRIENDS, then I would REALLY be happy.” But I’ve learned that often times, God changes US before He changes our CIRCUMSTANCES. We are thinking, “If only my CIRCUMSTANCES would change,” when God may be thinking, “If only your ATTITUDE would change!”

Today, if you’ve been thinking, “IF ONLY,” it’s time to turn your thoughts around. Don’t allow negative thinking to direct your ATTITUDE or affect how you treat others. Instead, begin to thank God for what He has PLANNED for you. BLOOM where you are PLANTED. Tend to what God has placed in your hand. If you will focus on what you HAVE instead of focusing on what you DON’T have, then God can BLESS you and MULTIPLY you and lead you forward into the DESTINY HE has in store for you!

Today’s Scripture:

“He who tends a fig tree will eat its fruit…”

(Proverbs 27:18, NIV)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

THERE IS INCREDIBLE POWER IN WHAT YOU BELIEVE

One of the greatest abilities God has given each one of us is our ability to BELIEVE. If you believe God’s WORD, you can be SUCCESSFUL. If you believe God’s Word, you can OVERCOME mistakes of the past. If you believe God’s Word, you can fulfill your God-given DESTINY. There is incredible POWER in what you believe. What you believe is GREATER than your CIRCUMSTANCES, greater than your TRIALS, greater than your MEDICAL report, and GREATER than your bank account! When you get into agreement with God and BELIEVE what He says about you, then what you believe will SUPERSEDE any natural law. I heard about a man that came to this country with nothing but the clothes on his back. Today he runs a Fortune 500 company. AGAINST ALL ODDS, he BELIEVED he could do what God placed in his HEART.

Today, NURTURE those seeds of FAITH by DWELLING on His Word. As you get the Word of God in your heart, FAITH will come to you. Faith will GROW and STRENGTHEN in you. Faith will RISE UP in you and EMPOWER you to take hold of all the BLESSINGS God has for you!

Today’s Scripture:

“…God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.”

(Romans 12:3, NKJV)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

YOU ARE GOD’S REPRESENTATIVE, HONOR HIM IN ‘ALL’ THAT YOU DO

What do you do to HONOR God? A lot of times people think, “I go to church to honor God. I read my Bible to honor God. I sing and clap in worship to honor God.” And yes, those are ways to honor God, but did you know that you honor God just as much when you get to WORK on time? You honor God when you are PRODUCTIVE each day and honor the PEOPLE in authority over you. You honor God when you excel in your CAREER. ACTIONS speak louder than words. When you give your VERY BEST in the workplace, your WHOLE LIFE is giving PRAISE to God. Showing up with a good ATTITUDE, being FRIENDLY, ORGANIZED, just being your BEST—people will notice there’s something DIFFERENT about you. They’ll want what YOU have. As BELIEVERS, we should set the standard in ALL areas of life. People should see the depth of your CHARACTER and your spirit of EXCELLENCE and KNOW that you are a child of the Most High God. Make the decision to HONOR Him in ALL that you do because YOU are His REPRESENTATIVE in the earth today!

Today’s Scripture:

“Remind people to be submissive to [their] magistrates and authorities, to be obedient, to be prepared and willing to do any upright and honorable work.”

(Titus 3:1, AMP)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

SEARCH FOR THE GOOD THINGS GOD HAS GIVEN YOU

All around you, God’s GOODNESS is on display. The question is, do you SEE it? The Scripture talks about how God was in the midst of people, but they knew Him NOT. Too many times, God is working in our lives, showing us FAVOR, PROTECTING us, sending us HEALING, but we don’t RECOGNIZE His goodness. For example, if you weren’t the most qualified or the most talented but you got the PROMOTION, that’s the goodness of GOD. If you’re going through a difficult time and a friend stops by out of the blue and cheers you up, that’s the GOODNESS of God. It’s easy to see the negative, what we don’t have, what we didn’t get, but that won’t build our FAITH. Instead, make a decision to SEARCH for the good things God HAS given you. His MERCY is new EACH morning. Look for His GOODNESS, His FAVOR today!

Today’s Scripture:

“For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen…”

(Romans 1:20, NIV)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

BE STRONG, BE COURAGEOUS AND DREAM BOLD DREAMS

When you look out into your FUTURE, what do you see? What are the DREAMS and DESIRES that you hold close to your heart?

So many people start with BOLD dreams, but then opposition comes. Life doesn’t turn out the way THEY planned. They lose a loved one or encounter difficulty they didn’t anticipate. Today, if that’s you, I want to remind you that the Creator of the universe designed you with specific GIFTS and TALENTS that no one else has. He has you on this planet for a specific PURPOSE. When you commit your life to HIM, He PROMISES to be with you WHEREVER you go. Even though some things in life may have caught YOU by surprise, they didn’t catch GOD by surprise. His GOOD plan for your life REMAINS. You can trust HIM because He LOVES you with an EVERLASTING love, and He doesn’t want to see you settling for anything less than His very BEST.

I want to encourage you to be BOLD, be STRONG and be COURAGEOUS. Put ASIDE the past and lift up your eyes to JESUS. He is the Author and Finisher of your FAITH. Live BOLDLY and DREAM boldly so you can embrace the GOOD things He has in store for YOU!

Today’s Scripture:

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

(Joshua 1:9, NKJV)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

JESUS IS THE REMEDY FOR ALL YOUR FEARS

In this day and age, it seems that there are so many things that people are AFRAID of. I’m not just talking about phobias. Many people are afraid of the FUTURE, afraid they won’t get MARRIED, afraid they won’t find a better JOB, afraid of getting SICK. But the scripture gives us a simple REMEDY for all our fears, and that is to SEEK THE LORD. How do you seek the Lord? With a HUMBLE and OPEN heart. By setting aside time each day to COMMUNE with Him. By FOCUSING your thoughts on HIM and His GOODNESS.

Friend, no matter what fears may be plaguing YOUR mind today, God wants to DELIVER you. He PROMISES to keep us in PERFECT PEACE when we keep our minds stayed on HIM. Today, MEDITATE on His GOODNESS. Meditate on His perfect LOVE which casts out ALL fear. As you SEEK the Lord, He WILL ANSWER you. He will DELIVER you and lead you in the path of PEACE and VICTORY all the days of your LIFE!

Today’s Scripture:

“I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.”

Psalm 34:4, NIV