THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

GOD HAS GIVEN US SELF CONTROL, USE IT TO TAKE CONTROL OVER YOUR EMOTIONS……

When you let your FEELINGS control you–anger, impatience, lust, a negative attitude–your walls of defense are DOWN. The enemy can come in and run your LIFE. God has given us SELF-CONTROL. Quit saying, “I CAN’T stop it. It’s too HARD.” You HAE the ability, but self-control is like a MUSCLE. If you never DISCIPLINE yourself to walk away when you feel like taking the EASY way out, then your self-control MUSCLE is very WEAK. You have to start EXERCISING it by saying NO to your flesh. You have a DESTINY to fulfill. But as long as you are controlled by these ordinary IMPULSES, God can’t release the AMAZING things He has in store for your FUTURE. SPIRITUAL maturity has NOTHING to do with how many years you’ve been in church or how long you’ve known the Lord. It has EVERYTHING to do with what kind of FRUIT you are displaying. Are YOU ruling over YOUR emotions?

Today’s Scripture

Proverbs 25:28, NKJV

Whoever has no rule over his own spirit is like a city broken down, without walls.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

AS A BELIEVER, YOU’RE IN A PLACE OF PROTECTION. NO WEAPON FORMED AGAINST YOU WILL PROSPER

In the last plague that God sent on Egypt in order to get the Pharaoh to let the people of Israel go free, God told Moses that the Israelites should mark their doorposts with a lamb’s blood so that the death angel could “PASS OVER” their houses and SPARE them from the death of all the firstborn of Egypt. You can imagine how CAREFUL they were to follow the EXACT instructions. Today, have YOU put the blood of the Lamb of God over YOUR house, so to speak? When you say, “As for me and my house, we WILL serve the Lord,” in effect you’re putting that blood over your doorpost. God says NO harm will come NEAR your dwelling. When you’ve accepted the sacrifice of Christ’s SALVATION, you’re in a place of PROTECTION. No weapon formed against YOU will prosper. Because of the blood of the Son of the living God, there’s a blood line that the enemy CANNOT cross.

Today’s Scripture

Exodus 12:13, NIV

“The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are, and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt.”

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

DON’T HIDE YOUR SCARS, SHOW THEM TO INSPIRE SOMEONE ELSE….

After Jesus’ resurrection, Thomas had declared that he wouldn’t believe UNLESS he felt the WOUNDS in Jesus’ hands and side. When Jesus appeared to Thomas, He held out His hands and said, “Touch My SCARS.” Thomas fell down and said, “Lord, I BELIEVE!” Maybe somebody needs to touch YOUR scars to believe. Maybe they need to hear your STORY of how God brought YOU through the sickness, through the divorce, through the mistake or loss. Don’t HIDE your scars; SHOW your scars. Your scars can INSPIRE someone ELSE to believe. There’s HEALING in your scars. When you see other people who are wounded, do like Jesus did and TELL them, “TOUCH my scars.” Let them KNOW that what God did for YOU, He can do for THEM. When they hear how God HEALED you, RESTORED you, and BLESSED you, that will breathe new life into THEIR spirit. God didn’t show you mercy just for YOUR sake; those SCARS are for somebody ELSE.

Today’s Scripture

John 20:27–28, NLT

Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!” “My Lord and my God!” Thomas exclaimed.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

YOU ARE GOING TO SEE WHAT GOD PROMISED. WHAT HAS YOUR NAME ON IT IS ON THE WAY

In the Scripture, Daniel prayed and asked God for something, but NOTHING happened. Day after DAY went by, no sign of it. Three weeks LATER, an angel showed up with the answer and said, “From the moment you PRAYED, God sent me with the ANSWER, but there were forces in my way that STOPPED me.” God had to send ANOTHER angel to fight through the forces of darkness. There are BLESSINGS that have YOUR NAME on them–PROMOTION, BUSINESSES, a HOUSE, HEALING, a SPOUSE, a BABY, RESTORATION–that you’ve been BELIEVING for. There are FORCES trying to hold BACK what you’ve been PRAYING for. God is about to RELEASE what’s been held up. Stay ENCOURAGED; it IS on the way. Just IMAGINE God breaking the way WIDE open through those forces that are holding it back. You ARE going to see what God PROMISED. What has your name on it IS on the way. All the forces of darkness can NOT stop it.

Today’s Scripture

Daniel 10:12–13, NLT

“Don’t be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day you began to pray for understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your request has been heard in heaven. I have come in answer to your prayer. But for twenty-one days the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia blocked my way.”

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

DON’T LET THE CONTRADICITIONS OF LIFE CAUSE YOU TO GIVE UP ON YOUR DREAMS

ALL of us have secret frustrations–things that we KNOW God could CHANGE. We KNOW He could open the door, or remove the temptation, or give us the HEALING, but it’s not HAPPENING. It’s easy to get stuck with the “why” questions. When you have a secret frustration, don’t FOCUS on it. Rather, you have to REALIZE that God is SOVEREIGN. You’re not going to UNDERSTAND why everything happens or doesn’t happen. God doesn’t REMOVE some things. He waits a long time to change some SITUATIONS. You have to TRUST that He knows what’s BEST for you. His ways are BETTER than our ways. His thoughts are HIGHER than our thoughts. If you keep the right ATTITUDE, all those frustrating SITUATIONS that are not changing won’t work AGAINST you, but INSTEAD will work FOR you. Don’t let the CONTRADICTIONS of life cause you to get sour and give up on your DREAMS.

Today’s Scripture

Isaiah 41:10, NIV

“Do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

YOUR LIFE IS GOING TO FOLLOW YOUR THOUGHTS

In modern times, today’s Scripture would say, “Some trust in MONEY and some in their JOB. Some trust in what the ECONOMISTS say, but we trust in the GOD who created it ALL. He’s called Jehovah Jireh, ‘the Lord our PROVIDER.'” When you meditate on THAT, you WON’T have fear. You’ll have PEACE and be at REST. You KNOW God is in control, and He can give you VICTORY. But it ALL depends on what’s going on in your THOUGHT life. You can meditate on the problem, or you can meditate on the PROMISES. Meditating on the problem doesn’t make it BETTER, it makes it WORSE. If you don’t set your mind on trusting GOD, the enemy will set it FOR you. He will remind you of how BAD you have it, how many mistakes you’ve made, and all the people who have come AGAINST you, on and on. Your LIFE is going to follow your THOUGHTS.

Today’s Scripture

Psalm 20:7, NIV

Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

LOVE MAKES ALLOWENCES FOR OTHER PEOPLES WEAKNESSES

In RELATIONSHIPS, we all have disagreements, tension, and stress. When we do, we need to step back and remember that LOVE makes ALLOWENCES for other people’s weaknesses. LOVE COVERS a wrong done to it. You have to rise ABOVE these petty things that are pulling you APART. Give people room to have a bad day. When they’re rude, don’t RESPOND. Be an EAGLE and rise ABOVE it. Life is too short for you to live at odds, being contentious, arguing over things that don’t MATTER. Some people have to have the last word in every argument. Don’t be hardheaded. Let it GO. Quit wasting your ENERGY. You have a DESTINY to fulfill. You have an ASSIGNMENT to accomplish. Those are distractions trying to pull you off COURSE. Zip it UP and let the other person be RIGHT. You may KNOW they’re wrong, but it doesn’t MATTER. Don’t waste your valuable TIME on something that’s not moving you toward your PURPOSE.

Today’s Scripture

1 Peter 4:8, NLT

Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

GOD WILL GIVE YOU REST FROM YOUR ENEMIES…..

King Asa of Judah inherited a kingdom that was FILLED with idolatry. His father had passed down compromise, mediocrity, and dysfunction. But Asa UNDERSTOOD that just because something negative is passed down doesn’t mean you have to CONTINUE it and let it limit your LIFE. He smashed the pagan shrines and altars, and BECUASE of it, the Lord gave him REST from his enemies. If you want REST from that bad attitude, that addiction, or that low self-esteem that most likely was passed down to you, you have get RID of it. Be an ASA and say, “I’m NOT going to let this anger rule my LIFE. I’m going to pull that stronghold down and SMASH it. I’m not going to put UP with this anxiety and insecurity. I’m REMOVING these limitations. I’m living in PEACE. I’m going to ENJOY my LIFE.” When you make a DECISION that enough is ENOUGH, God will begin to give REST from your enemies.

Today’s Scripture:

2 Chronicles 14:3, 6, NIV

He removed the foreign altars and the high places, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles… . No one was at war with him during those years, for the LORD gave him rest.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

IF YOU EMPTY OUT THE NEGATIVE, GOD WILL HAVE ROOM TO FILL YOUR LIFE WITH GOOD THINGS

The reason some people aren’t YOUNG and STRONG in their SPIRIT and VIBRANT and PASSIONATE about LIFE is that there’s no ROOM for God to fill them with GOOD things. All the SPACE is taken up with negatives. Worry will make you WEAK. Living stressed out will make you old and take your PASSION. Being bitter, angry, and resentful will shorten your LIFE. Is God trying to fill YOU with JOY, CONFIDENCE, and CREATIVITY, but there’s no ROOM? If you empty out the negative, God will have ROOM to fill your life with GOOD things. Instead of hanging on to bitterness after someone does you wrong, say, “God, I FORGIVE them. I let it GO.” You didn’t just FORGIVE; you made ROOM for God to give you BEAUTY for ashes. When you empty out worry, you’ll have PEACE in the midst of the storm. Empty out discouragement, and He’ll fill you with JOY. He’ll fill you with GOOD things.

Today’s Scripture

Psalm 103:5, NLT

He fills my life with good things. My youth is renewed like the eagle’s!

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

THE REAL TEST OF FAITH…..

God DESTINED Joseph to become a ruler in Egypt so he could help his family and the world in a time of widespread famine. That was the END. It was ESTABLISHED. Joseph started off WELL, but his story took several unusually dark TWISTS–from being sold into slavery to being put in prison for something he hadn’t DONE. He COULD have thought, God gave me a DREAM, but it sure didn’t work out. But Joseph knew HIS end had been SET, so he just kept being his BEST. If Joseph were here TODAY, he would say, “Don’t get discouraged by life’s DETOURS and TWISTS. God knows how to weave it all together, and in the END, you”ll come out fulfilling your PURPOSE, seeing what He PROMISED.” This is the REAL test of FAITH. Will YOU keep a good attitude when you’re doing the RIGHT thing but the WRONG thing is HAPPENING, knowing that YOUR end is ESTABLISHED?

Today’s Scripture

1 Peter 1:7, ESV

…so that the tested genuineness of your faith–more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire–may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.