THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

WHEN YOU DRAW NEAR TO GOD, HE WILL DRAW NEAR TO YOU

In scripture, Jesus was called by many names according to His ATTRIBUTES. In today’s verse, He is called EMMANUEL, which means God with us. He’s not far away; He’s looking down on us; He is closer than the air we breathe. That means you never have to be alone or feel afraid. You never have to wonder where God is! But, we have to do OUR part. In the natural, you can have someone sitting right next to you and never really KNOW them. It’s the same way with God. We have to take time to ACKNOWLEDGE Him as Lord and talk to Him throughout the day. When you draw NEAR to God, HE will draw near to YOU!

Today, take some time to meditate on this verse. Be aware of His PRESENCE around you. PRAISE Him and THANK Him for being Emmanuel—God WITH us!

Today’s Scripture:

“Behold, the virgin shall become pregnant and give birth to a Son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel—which, when translated, means, God with us.”

Matthew 1:23, AMP

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

WHEN A WISE PERSON SEEKS JESUS, THEY ARE FILLED WITH INDESCRIBABLE JOY

The wise men traveled a considerable distance to see the great King whose arrival the Bible foretold. They followed the bright star, and when they found Him, it says they REJOICED EXCEEDINGLY. Those men were SO happy that they COULDN’T hide it. Notice what they did next; they fell down and WORSHIPED Him.

When a WISE person seeks Jesus, they are filled with indescribable JOY. They are COMPELLED to worship Him! Let that be YOU and ME today. Let’s let the joy of the Lord fill our hearts and be reflected on our FACES during the holiday season and EVERY day of the year. Don’t allow the pressures and busyness of life STEAL your joy. Let those AROUND you see that you’ve been with JESUS. REJOICE in Him, WORSHIP Him, and WALK with Him in victory ALL the days of your life!

Today’s Scripture:

“…the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him…”

Matthew 2:9-11, NKJV

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

I KNOW GOD IS MY PROVIDER, HE WILL FIGHT MY BATTLES

Let me ask you today, what are you letting ARISE in your life? In other words, what are you focusing your WORDS, ENERGY and THOUGHTS on? You might say, “Oh, Mark, it’s just so hard right now. I’ve lost some money.” “My health doesn’t look good.” “Somebody walked out on me.” No, you’re focusing on the wrong things. You’re letting defeat, discouragement and self-pity rise up. Why don’t you turn that around and say, “God is STILL in control.

Somebody may have walked out on me, but I know God is going to bring me somebody better.” “I may be hurting right now, but I know God is the restorer of my soul.” “I may have lost money in the stock market, but I’m not worried. I know God is my PROVIDER. He is supplying ALL of my needs. HE is fighting my battles.”

When you start giving God GLORY and letting HIM arise in your life, you CAN’T stay defeated. Your enemies WILL be scattered! They’ll tremble at your words of FAITH. Begin right NOW by declaring God’s GOODNESS in your life and let Him ARISE so that you can move forward in the VICTORY He has for you.

Today’s Scripture:

“Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered…”

(Psalm 68:1, NKJV)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

WE SHOULD ALWAYS CONTROL OUR REACTIONS

Every day, we have opportunities to get upset, be frustrated, or get offended. Maybe you had plans that didn’t work out, or someone was rude to you at the office. Maybe you were doing something that should have taken one hour and it ended up taking three. Life is full of inconveniences, but even though we can’t always control our circumstances, we can control our REACTION. I heard somebody say, “Life is 10% what happens TO you, and 90% how you RESPOND.”

We should always go out each day with a POSITIVE ATTITUDE, full of HOPE and expecting God’s FAVOR. But at the same time, we should RECOGNIZE that most days are not going to go exactly as we plan. Remember, we were created to live in PEACE. Peace is our position of POWER. If you get stressed because you got off schedule or upset because your child wouldn’t eat his breakfast, or frustrated because somebody offended you, what you’re doing is giving away your POWER. Instead, make the DECISION to release those offenses and disappointments so you can live in PEACE and enjoy the day as the BLESSING God prepared for you!

Today’s Scripture:

“Good sense makes a man restrain his anger, and it is his glory to overlook a transgression or an offense.”

(Proverbs 19:11, AMPC)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

CONTENTMENT IS AN ATTITUDE GOD CAN WORK WITH

It’s easy to be tempted to go through life COMPETING with everyone around us when we see someone who’s more TALENTED, BETTER LOOKING or has more GIFTS. Instead of running OUR race and being comfortable with who WE are, oftentimes, we feel inferior and think, “I’ve got to catch up to THEM.” The problem with this unhealthy COMPETITION is that it’s a NEVER-ENDING CYCLE.

There will ALWAYS be someone ahead of us. But, it’s a very freeing thing when you realize, “I’m not competing with YOU. I don’t have to have as big a HOUSE as my neighbor to feel good about MYSELF. I don’t have to keep up with my CO-WORKER. I don’t have to be a certain SIZE. I don’t have to have as many CHRISTMAS LIGHTS outside. No, I understand that I’m NOT in competition with my FRIEND, my NEIGHBOR or my CO-WORKER. Instead, I’m going to be the best ME that I can possibly BE.”

CONTENTMENT is an attitude God can WORK with. When you focus on being who God made YOU to be and focus on running YOUR OWN race, that’s when you’ll see things HAPPEN. That’s when you’ll rise up HIGHER and position yourself for every spiritual BLESSING He has in store for you!

Today’s Scripture:

“…let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith…”

Hebrews 12:1-2, NKJV

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

YOUR DESTINY IS TOO GREAT TO LET YOURSELF GET DISTRACTED

If you’re going to pursue GREATNESS, if you’re going to be a great BUSINESSPERSON, a great TEACHER, a great PARENT, a great LEADER, you have to understand that not EVERYONE is going to cheer you on. I’d love to tell you that your family, friends and co-workers will CELEBRATE you, but that’s not necessarily the CASE. Some people simply can’t HANDLE your success. As you GROW and INCREASE, as God pours out His FAVOR on you, someone will get jealous. Someone will start finding fault. Don’t be surprised if a relative tries to belittle or discredit you. You can’t focus on making everyone AROUND you happy or you’ll start changing and lose sight of what GOD has placed in your heart.

Remember, your destiny is too GREAT to be distracted by people who are NEVER going to affirm you. Don’t take it personally. It’s not ABOUT you. It’s THEIR problem. Shake it off, run YOUR race, and be great ANYWAY.

Having greatness in the midst of criticism begins with FORGIVENESS. Don’t hold a grudge. BLESS those who curse you; PRAY for those who spitefully USE you. As you keep doing what is RIGHT, God will HONOR you. He’ll PROMOTE you, and you’ll be GREAT in the midst of criticism!

Today’s Scripture:

“But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.”

(Matthew 5:44, NKJV)

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

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

LOOK FOR WAYS TO BRING OUT THE BEST IN OTHERS

You may have heard this verse many times before, but one translation says that “love looks for a way to be CONSTRUCTIVE.” In other words, KINDNESS isn’t just about being nice; it’s looking for ways to IMPROVE someone else’s life. It’s bringing out the BEST in others.

When you start your day, don’t just spend time thinking about yourself or how you can make your OWN life better. Think about ways you can make someone ELSE’S life better, TOO! Ask yourself, “Who can I ENCOURAGE today? Who can I BUILD UP?” You have something to offer those around you that no one else CAN give. Someone in your life needs your ENCOURAGEMENT. Someone in your life needs to know that you BELIEVE in them. We are responsible for how we TREAT the PEOPLE He’s placed in our lives. He’s COUNTING on us to bring out the best in our FAMILY and FRIENDS.

Today, ask the Lord to give you creative WAYS to ENCOURAGE those around you. As you sow seeds of encouragement and bring out the BEST in others, God will send people along your path that will build YOU up, TOO. Keep showing KINDNESS so you can move forward into the BLESSING and FREEDOM He has for you!

Today’s Scripture:

“…love is kind…”

1 Corinthians 13:4, NIV

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

GOD WILL COMPLETE THE GOOD WORK HE’S STARTED IN YOU

Something SUPERNATURAL happens when you submit your mind and heart to the Lord. First, your HEART changes; then your THOUGHTS begin to change. Your ACTIONS begin to change. Your life begins to bring forth FRUIT, or it displays the CHARACTER of God. The Bible tells us in Galatians that the fruit of God’s spirit is LOVE, JOY, PEACE, PATIENCE, KINDNESS, GOODNESS, FAITHFULNESS, GENTLENESS and self-CONTROL. These character traits are PROOF that God is at work in our lives. Do you have more LOVE than you used to? Are you more at PEACE than you used to be? Are you more GENTLE? Self-CONTROLLED? That’s because GOD is at work in your life, and it brings Him PLEASURE when you act more like Him.

If you need to grow in any of these areas today, simply open your heart and ask Him to WORK in your life. He PROMISES that He will COMPLETE the good work He’s started in you. Don’t give up! Keep praying, keep believing, keep repenting and submitting your life to Him. Put His Word as a PRIORITY in your life and you will continue to grow and bring forth His fruit and live in His abundant blessings in EVERY area of life!

Today’s Scripture:

“Bring forth fruit that is consistent with repentance [let your lives prove your change of heart]”

(Matthew 3:8, AMP)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

TODAY, GIVE THANKS AND PRAISE TO GOD FOR ALL THAT HE HAS DONE

Today, take time to REFLECT on and give THANKS to God for all of His BLESSINGS in your life. Whether you are eating turkey, playing games with your family, watching football or visiting a friend, remember to take time to focus on God’s GOODNESS. Count your BLESSINGS and notice all the GRACE, FAVOR and LOVE that God has given you. Psalm 95:2 says to “come before His presence with THANKSGIVING…shout JOYFULLY to Him with psalms.”

No matter the circumstances in your life, give THANKS and PRAISE to God for all that He has done. Remember how GOOD He is and that His love will endure FOREVER. The Bible says that you show your love for God through your actions toward OTHER people. Reach out to those AROUND you this holiday season and share His love and FORGIVENESS with them. You are BLESSED to be a blessing to OTHERS!

Today’s Scripture:

“But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

(1 Corinthians 15:57, NIV)