THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

GOD’S POWER WILL SET YOU FREE

A YOKE is put around the neck of oxen to help CONTROL the animal. It LIMITS its movement. If the oxen starts to get off course, the yoke is used to pull it back. Even though an oxen is very POWERFUL, this small yoke keeps it from doing what it wants to DO. Perhaps YOU’RE living with a yoke today, and you don’t REALIZE it. You wonder why you can’t get ahead or why everything is a struggle. It’s because of a YOKE that is dragging you down. Poverty, lack, and barely getting by are a YOKE. Negative words that were spoken over you BECOME a yoke when they cause you to shrink BACK. You have to declare what ISAIAH stated, “The ANOINTING on my life is breaking EVERY yoke.” Every time you say, “I am ANOINTED,” chains are broken. Fear has to LEAVE. Depression HAS to go. HEALING comes. STRENGTH comes. FAITH comes. God’s burden-moving, yoke-destroying POWER will set you FREE!

Today’s Scripture

Isaiah 10:27, KJV

And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

YOU CAN’T FEED YOUR HISTORY AND FEED YOUR DESTINY AT THE SAME TIME…

Today’s Scripture says offenses and betrayals WILL come—loss, bad breaks, things we don’t understand. It’s painful enough when it happens, but if you make the mistake of going around FEEDING the hurt, FEEDING the offense, you’re giving LIFE to bitterness, resentment, and discouragement. Don’t FEED the self-pity or what didn’t work out. Don’t RELIVE the hurts. You can’t FEED your history and FEED your destiny at the same TIME. What’s happened to you is over and DONE. Quit THINKING about how you were raised, what you didn’t get, who hurt you, who you lost—that’s history, that’s BEHIND you. You have to STARVE the doubts, starve the negative comments people have spoken over you, STARVE the guilt and condemnation. You can’t go into a NEW season if you’re always looking back at the OLD. Now do YOUR part and keep FEEDING your FAITH, your HOPES, your DREAMS, and you WILL step up to a NEW level and see those dreams come to PASS.

Today’s Scripture

Matthew 18:7, NIV

“Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come…”

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:

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”?