THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

TODAY, LET’S GIVE HONOR TO THOSE WHO GAVE ALL, SO THAT WE COULD ENJOY THEIR GIFT TO US…..FREEDOM…..

In the Old Testament, God commanded His people to put down “MEMORIAL stones” as reminders of past national VICTORIES. Every time they or future generations passed by a MEMORIAL, they would remember the mighty things God had DONE and HONOR the people who gave their LIVES for others. All throughout the Scripture, we see that God BLESSES an attitude of honor. To show HONOR simply means that you give respect and RECOGNITION to others with your ATTITUDE, ACTIONS, and WORDS.

Today, we recognize MEMORIAL Day as a time when we honor all the brave men and women who have given THEIR lives in service for this COUNTRY. As we REMEMBER them, let’s HONOR the gift of FREEDOM they have given us by saying thank you with our ACTIONS and choosing to love and HONOR others. Let’s also honor all those who are SERVING in our armed forces and THEIR families who are sacrificing so much TODAY. Let’s pray for God’s PEACE, PROTECTION, and PROVISION over EVERY area of their lives.

Today’s Scripture:

Romans 13:7, NIV

Give to everyone what you owe them…if honor, then honor.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

GOD’S FAVOR WILL HELP YOU DEFY THE ODDS…..

In the Scripture, Nehemiah had a DREAM to rebuild the walls around Jerusalem. They had been torn down, and the people living there were UNPROTECTED. This dream seemed IMPOSSIBLE. Nehemiah was living in EXILE a thousand MILES from Jerusalem, working as a cupbearer to the KING. He didn’t have any INFLUENCE, CONNECTIONS, resources, or FUNDING, but when GOD gives you a dream, HE lines up EVERYTHING you need. When Nehemiah asked the king for permission to GO, for protection in his TRAVELS, and for all the SUPPLIES and MONEY for the project, the king GRANTED his request. When YOU face situations that seem impossible, do as Nehemiah did and start DECLARING, “The gracious hand of GOD is on my life.” The dreams that GOD has put in your heart, you need to speak FAVOR over them. Those problems that LOOK impossible, declare that the FAVOR of God is turning them AROUND. His favor will help you DEFY the odds. The QUESTION is, are you going to ACTIVATE this FAVOR?

Today’s Scripture:

Nehemiah 2:8, NIV

And because the gracious hand of my God was on me, the king granted my requests.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

JEALOUS PEOPLE CAN’T KEEP YOU FROM YOUR DESTINY…..

In 1 Samuel 10, after Saul was chosen to be the first king of Israel, MOST of the people were HAPPY and CONGRATULATED him. But when Saul went back HOME, SOME of the people spoke of him with contempt and DESPISED him. They said he didn’t have what it took to be KING, and they tried to push him DOWN. Saul refused to waste his TIME with these small-minded people who didn’t VALUE who he WAS or respect the TALENT and FAVOR on his life. He simply chose to IGNORE them.

If you’re going to reach your DESTINY, you have to get good at ignoring negative COMMENTS, CRITICISMS, INSULTS, and NAYSAYERS. They don’t CONTROL your destiny. They are DISTRACTIONS to try to keep you from God’s BEST. Instead of being upset over who’s NOT for you and frustrated over who’s trying to make you look BAD, IGNORE them. Jealous PEOPLE can’t keep you from your DESTINY. Small-minded people can’t stop your PURPOSE. That’s not a battle YOU have to FIGHT. Let GOD vindicate you.

Today’s Scripture:

1 Samuel 10:27, AMP

And they regarded Saul with contempt and did not bring him a gift. But he ignored the insult and kept silent.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

FIRST THING EVERY MORNING, YOU HAVE TO STIR UP YOUR HEART

God says that He is looking for PASSIONATE people, people who are full of PRAISE, people who SEEK Him with all their HEART, not HALF. He’s talking about people who worship Him in SPIRIT and TRUTH, who are EXPECTING to find Him and His favor. You can’t be indifferent, lethargic, and passive in SEEKING Him or in reaching your POTENTIAL. You have to have some FIRE in you. Don’t let what didn’t work out, the disappointments, or the bad breaks cause you to become HALF-hearted in your praise, half-hearted in your MARRIAGE, or half-hearted at WORK. That’s why you have to STIR UP your heart. You’re not going to wake UP EVERY morning excited about seeking God and reading His Word or ENTHUSIASTIC about your DREAMS. You’re going to have to do as DAVID did and say, “This is the day the LORD has made. I will REJOICE and be GLAD in it. With my whole heart I will SEEK You.” If you keep SEEKING Him like this, you’ll FIND Him at levels you never DREAMED.

Today’s Scripture:

Jeremiah 29:13, NIV

“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

GOD’S DREAM FOR YOUR LIFE IS MUCH BIGGER THAN YOURS

MOST of us believe that God wants to provide for our daily NEEDS, but HIS dream for your life is much BIGGER than your own. He has UNCOMMON blessings, unusual INCREASE, and unprecedented FAVOR for you, but you can’t just ask Him for the ORDINARY. You have to ask for dreams that look IMPOSSIBLE, for INCREASE that seems out of REACH, for FAVOR to overcome obstacles that look too BIG. If you only pray SMALL prayers, you’re going to see small RESULTS.

How many of YOUR big prayers are going unanswered because you never ASKED? You never had the BOLDNESS to say, “God, take me where I CAN’T go on my own. Open this DOOR that looks IMPOSSIBLE. HEAL me of this SICKNESS. Turn my CHILD around.” If you’re not asking for something that’s over your HEAD, that you don’t have the RESOURCES for, that the experts say there’s no WAY, you’re not believing for the far-and-beyond FAVOR that God wants to SHOW you. Go ahead. DARE to ask Him.

Today’s Scripture:

James 4:2, NLT

Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

GOD IS THE SOURCE FOR EVERY GOOD THING IN YOUR LIFE

Are you thanking God for every good THING in your life? Are you recognizing the SOURCE? When doors opened that YOU couldn’t open, when somebody gave you a good BREAK, when you were at the right place at the right TIME, when you met that PERSON and fell in LOVE, that WASN’T a coincidence; that was the SOURCE. You weren’t being LUCKY when that person put in a good WORD for you and you got the PROMOTION. GOD SPOKE to that person, telling them to be GOOD to you. Every GOOD thing comes from your FATHER. They may not have even KNOWN it was God, thinking they just suddenly had the DESIRE to help you–to stay LATE and introduce you to that FRIEND, or to wave the POLICY and put the LOAN through.

Don’t get so caught up in the RESOURCES God uses that you forget HE is the SOURCE who is making it happen. There are NO lucky breaks or coincidences. The Most High GOD is the One who PUT them there.

Today’s Scripture:

2 Corinthians 9:8, NIV

And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

LIFE IS TOO SHORT TO LIVE SOUR…..

What direction is your ATTITUDE taking YOU? In your marriage, are you KIND, LOVING, and fun to be AROUND? If you’re always finding FAULT, CRITICAL of your spouse, focused on what’s not working OUT, you need a fresh new ATTITUDE. Don’t wait until something BIG happens, until a relationship ENDS. In your CAREER, are you POSITIVE, being your BEST, HELPING others? Or, do you need to make an adjustment before your company says they don’t NEED you, till the team says you’re not helping them move FORWARD. Make the change NOW. Get RID of anything that’s weighing you DOWN and causing you to be SARCASTIC, CONDESENDING, or finding FAULT.

Life is too short for you to live it SOUR, discouraged, letting your CIRCUMSTANCES dictate your ATTITUDE. Every morning, you have to make the DECISION, “This is the day the LORD has made, I’m going to put on my NEW nature in CHRIST. I’m going to be POSITIVE; I’m going to see the GOOD, and I’m going to make the MOST of this day.”

Today’s Scripture:

Colossians 3:10, NLT

Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

DON’T DWELL ON WHAT ‘SEEMS’ IMPOSSIBLE…..

When we say that God is SOVEREIGN, that means He reigns over EVERYTHING you face. Not only does He reign over the UNIVERSE, but He reigns over your LIFE, your FINANCES, your CAREER, your MARRIAGE, and your CHILDREN. He has the final word over it ALL. You may be dealing with a bad MEDICAL report, but the God who REIGNS says, “I’m restoring HEALTH to you.” Keep HIM on the throne. When thoughts tell you that you’re never going to get WELL, just say, “NO, thanks. MY God has the final SAY over my health. It may not have happened YET, but healing IS coming.”

Are you spending more time thinking about PROBLEMS or God’s PROMISES? Are you talking more about how big the challenge IS or how big your GOD is? Don’t dwell on what SEEMS impossible. God OVERRIDES whatever is trying to stop you. Now stay in FAITH. When you get in agreement with GOD, He’ll make things happen that you could never MAKE happen. GOD has the final SAY.

Today’s Scripture:

Mark 10:27, NLT

Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But not with God. Everything is possible with God.”

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

BECAUSE GOD DESIGNED YOU, YOU’RE STRONGER THAN YOU THINK

When David praised God that He had made him WONDERFULLY, he wasn’t just talking about his looks or his personality and talents. He was talking about our INFRASTRUCTURE, the way God designed things in you that you CAN’T see. It’s about how He planned for the CHALLENGES we would face, things you think would OVERWHELM you, but out of NOWHERE a STRENGTH rises up, a BOLDNESS comes on you, with faith to OVERCOME it and a determination to stand STRONG and OUTLAST the opposition. Because GOD designed you, you’re STRONGER than you think. You have more ENDURCANCE, more STAMINA, and more capacity for GRACE and FORGIVENESS than you can IMAGINE.

Don’t complain when something feels OVERWHELMING–a loss, a setback, a disappointment. That’s when you discover what’s IN you. You’ll discover PERSERVERANCE, COURAGE, and FAITH like you’ve never SEEN. If you keep the right ATTITUDE, the pressure will DEVELOPE you rather than BREAK you. You’ll grow and MATURE so you can go HIGHER, to see new levels of INFLUENCE and FAVOR.

Today’s Scripture:

Psalm 139:14, NIV

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

WHEN YOU GIVE GOD THE CREDIT, HE’LL TAKE YOU FURTHER…..

In Daniel 4, King Nebuchadnezzar looked out over his magnificent city and said, “Is not this the great Babylon ‘I’ have built as the royal residence, by MY mighty POWER and for the glory of MY majesty?” HIS attitude was, “Look at ME. It is MY power, MY might, MY majesty.” The PROBLEM is that we aren’t CREATED to take the glory; we’re CREATED to give GOD the glory. God will show you His FAVOR as long as you’re letting His glory flow THROUGH you up to HIM. But the moment you start KEEPING the glory, it will LEAVE, which is EXACTLY what happened to Nebuchadnezzar.

Be careful to give GOD the glory for your accomplishments. God OPPOSES the proud. Always be HUMBLE and say, “God, it was YOUR goodness that got me to where I am, that DELIVERED me from the mistakes I made, that kept the opposition from DEFEATING me, and that opened the doors of OPPORTUNITY. Thank YOU.” When you give GOD the CREDIT, He’ll take you further than you ever DREAMED.

Today’s Scripture:

1 Peter 5:5, NIV

All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”