THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

THE OBSTACLE ISN’T CHANGING, BUT IT’S CHANGING YOU. THAT’S GOD’S PLAN WORKING…..

The apostle Paul asked three TIMES for God to remove something that was deeply TROUBLING to him. But God’s RESPONSE to Paul was, “My GRACE is SUFFICIANT for you.” God’s grace doesn’t mean He’s going to REMOVE the challenge or that the opposition will let UP. It MEANS He’s going to increase your STRENGTH, so that what you’re UP against becomes EASIER. NOW you can handle what you COULDN’T handle before. That COWORKER who used to get on your nerves hasn’t changed, but YOU’VE changed. You don’t let him steal your JOY. The OBATACLE isn’t changing, but it’s changing YOU. That’s God’s plan WORKING.

YOU may have situations you’ve been dealing with for a long time, and you’re TIRED and DISCOURAGED. Right NOW, grace is coming on you in a NEW way. God is breathing STRENGTH into you, fresh VISION, fresh PASSION, and a second WIND, so you can stand strong and OUTLAST what’s trying to STOP you. Receive His GRACE. It’s SUFFICIENT for ALL you need.

Today’s Scripture:

2 Corinthians 12:9, NIV

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

EMBRACE THE GOOD THINGS GOD HAS IN STORE FOR YOU

In the Bible, it says that when any two of us agree, it shall be done. That’s a promise that when we stand in FAITH with another BELIEVER, God will do what He said. Well, I BELIEVE that principle is true even in reverse. When the enemy puts a thought in your mind, if you agree, then your AGREEMENT is what gives it the POWER to come to pass. But if you don’t agree, you turn it around.

The thought says, “Your children are going to get into trouble.” “No, I don’t agree. My children will be MIGHTY in the land. My children will fulfill their DESTINY.” You’ve just stopped that fear from coming to pass. The thought says, “You’d better not go out today. You’re going to have an accident.” “No, I don’t agree. God has a hedge of PROTECTION around me; a bloodline that the enemy cannot cross.”

Here’s the key: don’t come into AGREEMENT with the fear. If you don’t agree, the only way it can come to pass is if God gives it permission. And if God does, you can rest assured it’s NOT going to work against you! It’s going to work FOR you. Today, pay attention to what you’re coming into AGREEMENT with and don’t agree with fear. AGREE with His Word and EMBRACE the good things He has in store for you.

TODAYS SCRIPTURE:

Matthew 18:19

“Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done…..”

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

KEEP BELIEVING AND LOVE THEM BACK ON TRACK

You may have a CHILD who’s off course. The GOOD news is that you trained them up to know the LORD. That FAITH was deposited in their SPIRIT. The promise is that in the END, they will NOT depart from it. It doesn’t say anything about the MIDDLE. They may take some wrong TURNS. It may not look like they’re NEVER going to get back on track. Don’t get discouraged. GOD knows how to get their attention. You keep PRAYING, keep ENCOURAGING, keep believing that SOMETHING is happening. Your DECLARATION should be, “They’re coming BACK. As for me and MY house, we WILL serve the Lord.

I’ve learned that EVERYONE is on a journey. Where they are NOW is NOT where they’re going to be in ten YEARS. Give them room to change. You can’t MAKE them do what’s right. Don’t always try to CORRECT them, give them a LESSON, or THREATEN them. Sometimes you just have to LOVE them. The SCRIPTURE says, “Love NEVER fails.” You can LOVE them back on track.

Today’s Scripture:

Proverbs 22:6, NKJV

Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

GOD WILL TAKE WHAT YOU THINK INSIGNIFICANT AND TURN IT INTO SOMETHING EXTRAORDINARY

In 2 Kings 4, things were so bad for the poor widow that the creditors were coming to take her two sons as payment for her BILLS. When she said she had nothing at ALL in her house, she didn’t realize she already HAD what she needed for the miracle. The PRINCIPLE is: Your talents and resources may SEEM like not enough, but when you use what you HAVE, God will MULTIPLY it.

Notice that she SAID she had nothing “EXCEPT” a small jar of oil. God is going to use what comes AFTER the “except.” “I have nothing except this small TALENT and a little TRAINING. I have nothing except a few CONNECTIONS.” God is going to take what YOU think is insignificant and turn it into something EXTRAORDINARY. When you come to the end of what YOU can do, when you don’t have the resources and run out of OPTIONS, you’re in the perfect POSITION for God to show OUT in your life. God’s about to do something UNUSUAL, something YOU couldn’t make HAPPEN.

Today’s Scripture:

2 Kings 4:2, NIV

Elisha replied to her, “How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?” “Your servant has nothing there at all,” she said, “except a small jar of olive oil.”

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

THE MIRACLE IS ALREADY IN MOTION

Sometimes when we pray, and it doesn’t seem like anything is HAPPENING, the enemy makes a lot of NOISE, talks a lot of TRASH, but it’s JUST a roar. It’s like the enemy is MOCKING us and saying, “You’re not FREE from this addiction, you’ll NEVER get well, your KIDS will NEVER get back on track.” Just stay in FAITH, keep PRAYING, keep BELIEVING. I’ve heard it said the enemy makes the MOST noise and stirs up the most TROUBLE when he’s on the way OUT.

The SCRIPTURE says, “Hold fast the CONFESSION of your FAITH.” You have to hold fast to what GOD put in your HEART. There are forces CONSTANTLY trying to convince us that what GOD said is never going to HAPPEN. “It’s been too LONG. There’s no SIGN of it. Just ACCEPT that it’s not going to work out.” Don’t BELIEVE those lies. In the UNSEEN realm things have ALREADY changed. The MIRACLE is already in MOTION. It’s just a matter of TIME before the MANIFESTATION shows up.

Today’s Scripture:

1 Peter 5:8, NIV

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

THE MOMENT YOU ASKED GOD TO FORGIVE YOU, HE FORGAVE YOU

When you need God’s MERCY, go BOLDLY to His throne. Don’t go weakly, telling Him how you don’t measure up. Go with CONFIDENCE, knowing you’re FORGIVEN, knowing He’s FOR you. Yes, you may have blown it, but He doesn’t LISTEN when you keep telling Him everything you’ve done WRONG. The moment you asked God to FORGIVE you, He FORGAVE you. God listens to the language of FAITH.

The enemy would LOVE for you to live feeling CONDEMNED. He’ll remind you of all the times you haven’t measured UP, even for SMALL things. There’s ALWAYS some reason to feel BAD about what you’ve done. If you give IN to those lies, you’ll go through life trying to pay God back for your MISTAKES. God’s mercy has covered EVERYTHING you’ve done wrong. All your sins–PAST, PRESENT, and FUTURE–have been taken CARE of by Jesus on the CROSS. REST in the fact that the spotless, sinless blood of the Lamb of God has paid the price in FULL. RECEIVE God’s MERCY.

Today’s Scripture:

Hebrews 4:16, NLT

So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

GOD SPECIALIZES IN SPEEDING THINGS UP, SO GET READY!

After God delivered the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, they were headed toward the PROMISED Land. But as the Israelites headed into a dead end at the Red Sea, they saw Pharaoh’s army coming after them at FULL force. They had nowhere to GO. It LOOKED as though they would certainly be recaptured or KILLED. But THEN Moses held up his rod, the Red Sea parted, and the Israelites went through on dry GROUND. When Pharaoh’s men came CHASING them, the waters closed back UP and they were all drowned. The psalmist gives us INSIGHT into what HAPPENED: “The Red Sea saw the Israelites COMING and hurried out of their WAY!”

YOU may have obstacles that LOOK permanent in your life, but God is about to have them hurry out of YOUR way. That ADDITCION, that DEPRESSION, the LACK, the ANXIETY–it’s about to hurry out of your WAY. SUDDENLY the waters PART, suddenly your HEALTH turns around, suddenly the door OPENS. Get READY. God SPECIALIZES in speeding things UP.

Today’s Scripture:

Psalm 114:3, NLT

The Red Sea saw them coming and hurried out of their way!

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

WHAT BEING SUCCESSFUL IS REALLY ALL ABOUT…..

There are a lot of people who are SUCCESSFUL in this world. They’ve ACCOMPLISHED their goals in the public eye. But being successful isn’t just about what you make happen for YOURSELF, it’s about what you make happen for OTHERS. It’s when you REALIZE, “God has blessed me not to just sit on my throne and let everybody see my ACCOMPLISHMENTS; God has blessed me to be a blessing to OTHERS. God has helped me to WIN so I can help somebody ELSE win.” In other words, it’s when you realize, “God helped me overcome this ADDICTION, now I’m going to find somebody and help THEM overcome.” Or, “God has blessed me with a happy FAMILY. I’m going to go find a family who is struggling and help THEM get back on track.” THAT’S what being SUCCESSFUL is really all about.

Today, look for ways to help others SUCCEED. Reach back and give FREELY of the TALENTS and ABILITIES you’ve been given. As you do, YOU’LL rise up higher and live in the fullness of the blessing God has prepared for YOU!

Today’s Scripture:

“…Freely you have received; freely give.”

Matthew 10:8, NIV

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

YOU HAVE ALMIGHT GOD’S APROVAL, YOU DON’T NEED APPROVAL FROM ANYONE ELSE…..

Jesus says to overcome evil with GOOD and to BLESS our enemies, but He ALSO says to not cast your pearls among SWINE. By “your PEARLS,” He meant to not keep trying to convince those who refuse to believe the GOSPEL, but it also includes YOU. Some people won’t value the CALLING on your life, the GIFT God has given you, or your ANOINTING. They will REJECT and trample over the GOSPEL and who God made you to BE, and they’ll not RESPECT what you have to OFFER. Your time is too valuable to WASTE it with people who discount your PEARLS. Don’t hang around people who try to LESSEN you, who make you feel like you have to PROVE to them who you ARE. You don’t NEED their approval; you have Almighty GOD’S approval. He created you in His own IMAGE. He calls you a MASTERPIECE. Hang around people who RECOGNIZE your gifts, who INSPIRE you to go FURTHER, who bring out the BEST in you, and who cause your pearls to SHINE.

Today’s Scripture:

Matthew 7:6, NLT

Don’t throw your pearls to pigs! They will trample the pearls, then turn and attack you.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

FORGIVE OTHERS SO YOU CAN BE FREE BECAUSE ONLY GOD CAN TRULY PAY YOU BACK

When God talks about debts, He’s talking about the times when people HURT you and do you WRONG. It’s a debt because human NATURE says, “I was wronged. Now I want JUSTICE. YOU have to pay me back.” But the mistake MANY people make is in trying to collect a debt that only GOD can pay. Your PARENTS can’t pay you back for not providing a loving CHILDHOOD. Your FRIEND can’t pay you back for the PAIN they caused by something they SAID or DID. Only GOD can TRULY pay you back.

If you spend your life trying to get from OTHERS what only GOD can give, it will RUIN relationships. YOUR attitude should be, “God, I will NOT be bitter, trying to get PEOPLE to give me what they don’t HAVE. You promised YOU would settle my cases and pay me back DOUBLE for every injustice. I’m leaving it up to YOU.” When you see the person who did you wrong, stamp the account “PAID IN FULL” in your imagination. FORGIVE so you can be FREE.

Today’s Scripture:

Matthew 6:12, NKJV

And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.