THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

YOU MAY NOT HAVE WHAT SOMEONE ELSE HAS, BUT GOD HAS PUT GREATNESS IN YOU

In the parable of the talents that Jesus told in Matthew 25, the owner gave one man ONE talent, another man TWO talents, and another man FIVE talents. It SEEMS like if God was FAIR, He would’ve given them all the SAME number, but God is SOVEREIGN. He might give you FIVE talents and give ME TWO talents. He’s GOD. I can COMPLAIN about the TWO, try to COMPETE with you and OUTPERFORM you, but you STILL have five and I have TWO. A BETTER approach is to say, “God, I’m not going to try to be someone who I’m NOT. I’m going to take these TWO talents and be the BEST I CAN BE.”

Don’t discount the GIFT God has put in YOU. Compared to others, it may FEEL insignificant to YOU, but there is NOTHING ordinary about you. You may not have what someone ELSE has, but God has put GREATNESS in you. If you faithfully develop the gift you HAVE, that gift will open doors to places you’ve never DREAMED.

Today’s Scripture:

Matthew 25:23, NLT

The master said, “Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!”

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

BE GOOD TO SOMEONE WHO DOESN’T DESERVE IT

Naaman was the commander of the Syrian army that had captured a young Israelite girl and brought her back as his wife’s maid. You can imagine how her life was turned upside down. Taken from her family and friends into a foreign country, she barely understood the language. Her hopes and dreams were SHATTERED, and it’s all because of NAAMAN. You would THINK she HATED him. But whenever he came home and took off his ARMOR, hidden underneath was the LEPORASY, eating away his body. She COULD have thought, “I hope you DIE. You wrecked my LIFE.” But INSTEAD, she was full of MERCY and offered the remedy through which he was completely HEALED. All because she showed KINDNESS to someone who had done her wrong.

It’s EASY to hold a grudge, try to pay someone BACK, IGNORE them, and make them SUFFER, but all THAT does is hold YOU down. JESUS says, “God BLESSES those who are MERCIFUL, for THEY will be shown mercy.” Be GOOD to someone who doesn’t DESERVE it.

Today’s Scripture:

2 Kings 5:2–3, MSG

It so happened that Aram, on one of its raiding expeditions against Israel, captured a young girl who became a maid to Naaman’s wife. One day she said to her mistress, “Oh, if only my master could meet the prophet of Samaria, he would be healed of his skin disease.”

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

WHAT YOU HAVEN’T SEEN OR IMAGINED IS ON THE WAY

God’s DREAM for your life is so much BIGGER than your own. What He has in your future is going to BOGGLE your mind. You can’t IMAGINE the PLACES He’s going to TAKE you, the people you’re going to MEET, the LEVELS you’re going to reach. Today’s Scripture says that if you think you’ve reached your limits, you better think AGAIN. God is about to take you into OVERFLOW, into ABUNDANCE, into MORE than enough. WHATEVER level you’re at, get READY, another level is COMING. What you haven’t seen or IMAGINED is on the way.

Circumstances may be against you, but the Most High GOD is FOR you. He’s working BEHIND the scenes. Things are happening that you can’t SEE. Keep being FAITHFUL. Keep doing the right THING. Keep going to work with a GOOD attitude. GOD is your source. I can ASSURE you HE’S keeping the records. Your time IS coming. It’s GOD taking pleasure in PROSPERING you. It’s God shining His FAVOR on you.

Today’s Scripture:

1 Corinthians 2:9, TLB

That is what is meant by Scriptures which say that no mere man has ever seen, heard, or even imagined what wonderful things God has ready for those who love the Lord.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

MAINTAINING YOUR PEACE IS EASIER THAT MAKING PEACE….

When we allow STRIFE into our life and RELATIONSHIPS, it damages our ATTITUDES, our DREAMS, our ENERGY, and our CREATIVITY. You make BETTER decisions and are more PRODUCTIVE and SUCCESSFUL if you take steps to have PEACE in your relationships. Where there’s UNITY, God’s favor, blessing, and ANOINTING are on YOU, your HOME, your MARRIAGE, and your FINANCES. The peace you bring will have such an ANOINTING, such a FAVOR on it, that it will OVERRIDE the NEGATIVE forces that are trying to bring your family DOWN.

The SCRIPTURE says, “BLESSED are the makers and MAINTAINERS of peace.” After an argument, we apologize, forgive each other, and make PEACE. That’s important, but we need to be more aware of MAINTAINING the peace. THAT means staying on the HIGH road–biting your tongue, not arguing, not being sarcastic, doing the RIGHT thing when the wrong thing is HAPPENING. MAINTAINING your peace is much EASIER than always having to MAKE peace, and with it, God brings His PROTECTION. He’ll keep you from unnecessary TROUBLE.

Today’s Scripture:

Ephesians 4:3, NLT

Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

HEALING COMES WHEN YOU GET OUTSIDE YOURSELF AND HELP OTHERS

There are times when God will ALLOW us to go through a PAINFUL season so He can birth something NEW inside. If you go through something you don’t UNDERSTAND, God allowed this to HAPPEN because He TRUSTS you. He KNOWS He can count on you to take the SAME comfort, the same HEALING, the SAME encouragement that helped you overcome THIS trouble, and SHARE it with others. Don’t get caught up in a painful situation WONDERING, “Where does this piece of my puzzle GO? It’s UGLY, and it doesn’t make SENSE.” Keep moving FORWARD. Go out and find somebody you can HELP. HEALING comes when you get OUTSIDE yourself and help OTHERS. As long as you stay focused on YOUR pain, what you LOST, what didn’t work OUT, you’re going to get STUCK. There’s a BLESSING in that pain. When YOU’VE been through something, you’re uniquely QUALIFIED to help and comfort somebody ELSE in that situation. LOOK for OPPORTUNITIES. God is COUNTING on you to help OTHERS facing the same THING.

Today’s Scripture:

2 Corinthians 1:3–4, NKJV

…the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

NO MATTER WHAT YOU’VE DONE, GOD NEVER WRITES YOU OFF…..

In Luke 19, out of a large crowd of people, Jesus called out Zacchaeus by NAME, a dishonest and despised TAX collector, stating that He wanted to meet with him at his HOUSE. It’s INTERESTING that Jesus passed by ALL the religious people and went right to the most notorious SINNER in the crowd. It shows you the HEART of God. He was saying, “I KNOW all your weaknesses, failures, and cheating ways, and I’ve come to SAVE you.”

YOU may think you’ve made so MANY mistakes and have so much negative BAGGAGE that God won’t have anything to DO with you. NO, God is calling your NAME. He will seek out the ONE person who most people have written OFF. He looks BEYOND the mistakes, beyond the FAILURES, beyond what we PRETEND to be. No matter what you’ve DONE, He NEVER writes you off. He’ll help you CHANGE where you couldn’t change BEFORE. Salvation is COMING, breakthroughs, deliverance, restoration, healing, favor, the FULLNESS of your DESTINY.

Today’s Scripture:

Luke 19:10, NIV

For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

FAVOR IS GIVEN TO FULFILL YOUR PURPOSE AND TO ADVANCE GOD’S KINGDOM

Esther was a Jewish orphan girl who was living in exile in Persia. It didn’t LOOK as though she would ever do anything GREAT. But God raised her up to become the queen over many OTHER women who came from WEALTH, INFLUENCE, and BEAUTY. God’s FAVOR caused her to stand OUT, and it shows that FAVOR is MORE powerful than your RESUME. FAVOR took her from the back to the FRONT. Later, Esther used her position to SAVE the Jewish people from a plot to DESTROY them. I believe one REASON God gave her such PROMINENCE is that He KNEW she would use the influence to fulfill her PURPOSE.

FAVOR is not about having a bigger house, a better car, or more STUFF. That’s NOT why God is going to FAVOR you. FAVOR is given to fulfill your PURPOSE. It’s to advance His KINGDOM. When your dreams are tied to helping OTHERS, to making the world a better PLACE, to LIFTING the fallen, you will come into some of those “such a time as this” MOMENTS.

Today’s Scripture

Esther 4:14, NLT

Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

IF YOU STAY IN FAITH, AT THE RIGHT TIME YOU’LL SEE IT COME TOGETHER

In today’s Scripture, God put such an emphasis on His FAITHFULNESS because He KNEW how easy it is to give up on our DREAMS, to let our CIRCUMSTANCES and how LONG it’s been taking to talk us OUT of His best. YOU may be facing a situation that looks impossible today. The odds are AGAINST you, and you’ve had some SETBACKS. Let me ENCOURAGE you, it’s coming TOGETHER. God is NOT going to fail you. The breakthrough is ALREADY in your future. Maybe you THINK you can never get out of debt, never live in a NICE house, never be SUCCESSFUL in your career. You’ve gone as FAR as your education allows. NO, don’t talk yourself OUT of it. It’s coming together. PROMOTION, ABUNDANCE, and new LEVELS are headed your WAY.

When you go through the day with this EXPECTANCY, knowing that God IS working behind the scenes bringing it TOGETHER, that’s what allows God to do GREAT things. If you stay in FAITH, at the right TIME you WILL see it come TOGETHER.

Today’s Scripture:

Hebrews 13:5, TLB

For God has said, “I will never, never fail you nor forsake you.”

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

YOU’VE BEEN CHOSEN TO LIVE A DISTINCTIVELY FAVORED LIFE….

David says that even in a DOWN time, even in a time of FAMINE, the righteous will see INCREASE and FAVOR. Here’s the key: As long as you stay close to GOD, as long as you keep Him first PLACE, you are connected to a supply line that will NEVER run dry. Even in a SLOW economy, God will cause clients to find YOU. Even when the medical report says no WAY, you are connected to a supply line filled with HEALTH, WHOLENESS, and RESTORATION. When YOU don’t see how you can accomplish your DREAMS, don’t get discouraged. You have a supply line connected with good BREAKS, the right PEOPLE, IDEAS, and CREATIVITY.

God’s face is shining down on you right NOW. You’ve been called OUT, set APART, and CHOSEN to live a DISTINCTIVELY favored LIFE. Now do YOUR part. Pray BOLD prayers. Take the limits OFF of God. BELIEVE for your DREAMS. If you DO this, I BELIEVE and DECLARE that God is going to show OUT in your life in AMAZING ways.

Today’s Scripture:

Psalm 37:19, NLT

They will not be disgraced in hard times; even in famine they will have more than enough.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

DON’T LET WORRY ROB YOU…..

In the Scripture, when God told Ananias to go pray for SAUL, Ananias didn’t want to GO. Saul was the biggest persecutor of the CHURCH. But Ananias didn’t KNOW that Saul’s life had been CHANGED on the road to Damascus. He was WORRIED and started telling God all the reasons why he SHOULDN’T go. He didn’t REALIZE that God had already taken CARE of what WORRIED him. When he went and PRAYED for Saul, instead of finding an ENEMY, he found an ALLY.

Some of the things we WORRY about, God has already CHANGED. He’s already set the MIRACLE into MOTION. He’s already spoken to the right PEOPLE, lined up the HEALING or BREAKTHROUGH. It’s just a matter of TIME before you EXPERIENCE it. There’s no REASON to be WORRIED over that situation at WORKor that negative MEDICAL report. The THREAT has already been taken CARE of, and the SOLUTION is en ROUTE. Stay in PEACE, and as Ananias did, you’ll come into what God has already DONE. Don’t let WORRY rob you.

Today’s Scripture:

Acts 9:13, NLT

“But Lord,” exclaimed Ananias, “I’ve heard many people talk about the terrible things this man has done to the believers in Jerusalem!”