THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

TAKE OFF THE MASK AND GET HONEST WITH YOURSELF

Facing the TRUTH about ourselves can be uncomfortable. It’s hard to ADMIT that the real reason we were so NICE to someone was because we wanted to get something FROM them. Or, that we may be smiling and congratulating a coworker for their PROMOTION, but on the INSIDE we think we deserve it MORE than they do. If you pull back the mask and get honest with yourself, THAT’S when you can deal with the HIDDEN issues that hold you BACK—the MOTIVES, the PRIDE, the JEALOUSY, the INSECURITY.

Are YOU wearing masks today? The apostle Paul says our lives should be open BOOKS. We’re NOT wearing masks, thinking one thing and saying ANOTHER. We’re not PERFECT, but we’re dealing with the ISSUES. We’re not PRETENDING. We’re REAL. What you see is what you GET. When you live OPENLY and HONESTLY, God will MAKE you and MOLD you into a vessel of HONOR and use you for His highest PURPOSES.

Today’s Scripture

2 Corinthians 4:2, MSG

We refuse to wear masks and play games. We don’t maneuver and manipulate behind the scenes…. Rather, we keep everything we do and say out in the open.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

GOD’S FACE SHINING DOWN ON YOU WILL CAUSE YOU TO STAND OUT

Joseph was betrayed by his brothers, taken to Egypt, and sold as a slave to Potiphar. DESPITE all the hardships, he kept his hope in the Lord and kept rising to the TOP. Joseph was so EXCELLENT in what he did that Potiphar saw the DISTINCTION and put him in charge of his whole HOUSEHOLD. Not only THAT, but Potiphar’s whole household was suddenly being blessed through Joseph BEING there. God wants to bless you in SUCH a way through His PRESENCE in your life that people NOTICE. When you get to work, He wants His distinctive FAVOR to show out in your life. When you show up, FAVOR shows up. Because of YOU, your FRIENDS will be blessed. The DISTINCTION God puts on your life is MORE powerful than a POSITION, than TITLES, than EDUCATION. God’s face shining down on you will not only cause YOU to stand OUT but it will also make the people AROUND you better.

Today’s Scripture

Genesis 39:3–5, NLT

Potiphar…realized that the LORD was with Joseph, giving him success in everything he did…. From the day Joseph was put in charge of his master’s household and property, the LORD began to bless Potiphar’s household for Joseph’s sake.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

BELIEVE TO SEE THE GOODNESS OF GOD AND HE’LL GIVE YOU SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT…..

King David said, “What would have happened to me if I had not BELIEVED to see the goodness of God?” I wonder how many blessings WE’RE missing out on, how much FAVOR, how much INCREASE we’re not seeing simply because we’re not EXPECTING it. We’re not releasing our FAITH. Right NOW there are BLESSINGS that have your name on them. There is PROMOTION stored up, HEALING stored up, VINDICATION stored up, a HOUSE stored up. God has already DESTINED them to be yours. But if you think, I’ll NEVER get married. I’ll never pay my HOUSE off. I’ve made TOO many mistakes. God would never bless ME, that is going to keep you from God’s BEST. Why don’t you try a different APPROACH and say, “God, I BELIEVE You have some SURPRISES in my future. I believe I’ll see Your goodness in a NEW way.” When you live with this EXPECTANCY, that’s when God will give you something to TALK about.

Today’s Scripture

Psalm 31:19, NLT

How great is the goodness you have stored up for those who fear you. You lavish it on those who come to you for protection, blessing them before the watching world.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

GOD WOULDN’T ALLOW IT IF HE COULDN’T BRING GOOD OUT OF IT

Sometimes it’s best to leave things alone. As long as you’re probing around your hurts and disappointments, trying to figure out why something happened, you’re NEVER going to heal. You have to LET IT GO and say, “God, I don’t UNDERSTAND it, but I’m NOT going to keep trying to figure it OUT. I know that You wouldn’t ALLOW it if You couldn’t bring GOOD out of it, so I’m going to leave it with YOU.” We should have a file in our THINKING called “I Don’t Understand It.” When things come up that don’t make sense and you can’t find an ANSWER, instead of trying to figure it out, getting confused and FRUSTRATED, just put it in your “I Don’t Understand It” file and move FORWARD. If you make the mistake of going through life trying to figure out why something BAD happened, why something DIDN’T work out, why your prayer WASN’T answered, that’s going to POISON your LIFE.

Today’s Scripture

Proverbs 3:5, MSG

Trust GOD from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

WHEN YOU DON’T SEE A WAY OUT, TALK ABOUT GOD’S GREATNESS

Many people spend a lot of time talking about and RELIVING their past mistakes and hurts. Here’s the problem. You’re remembering the wrong THINGS. NOwhere in the Scripture are we told to remember our defeats, failures, or bad breaks. It’s time to quit THINKING and TALKING about it. All that it’s doing is DEPRESSING you. David says in Psalm 34, “Let all who are discouraged take HEART.” He goes on to tell us HOW to do it. “Come, let’s talk about God’s GREATNESS. I prayed and the Lord ANSWERED me.” He was saying, “When you’re discouraged, when you don’t see a way out, talk about God’s GREATNESS—NOT about your problems, not about what DIDN’T work out. Talk about your ANSWERED prayers, the times God HEALED you, PROMOTED you, STOPPED the accidents, and turned the problems AROUND. Talk about the Red Seas that have been PARTED.” When you’re remembering your VICTORIES, you’re going to move forward in FAITH.

Today’s Scripture

1 Chronicles 29:11, NLT

“Yours, O LORD, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty. Everything in the heavens and on earth is yours, O LORD, and this is your kingdom. We adore you as the one who is over all things.”

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

THE MOMENT GOD SAID IT, HE RELEASED IT

A government official had come to Jesus BEGGING Him to come heal his son who was close to death. Jesus didn’t pray or take a lot of time, but matter-of-factly DECLARED that the boy was HEALED and he should go home. The whole time walking back home, the man COULD have thought, I don’t know if it’s going to happen, He didn’t even pray. But he simply took God at His word and later found that his son HAD been healed at the exact time Jesus said to him, “Your son lives.” Like this man, there are promises God has spoken to YOU, things in your heart that you KNOW are going happen—HEALING, PROMOTION, divine CONNECTIONS. Make the decision you’re NOT going to worry, you’re NOT going to go around DOUBTING, thinking it’s never going to happen. Stay in faith KNOWING that the moment God SAID it, He RELEASED it. It’s ALREADY in your future and is headed your WAY.

Today’s Scripture

John 4:50–51, MSG

Jesus simply replied, “Go home. Your son lives.” The man believed the bare word Jesus spoke and headed home. On his way back, his servants intercepted him and announced, “Your son lives!”

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

GOD HAS A HEDGE OF PROTECTION, MERCY AND FAVOR AROUND YOU THAT THE ENEMY CANNOT CROSS

Today’s Scripture doesn’t say that we WON’T have difficulties. That’s not reality. It says, “The problem may FORM, people may TALK, you may get a negative medical REPORT, but you can stay in peace, knowing it’s NOT going to PROSPER against you.” Because you’re God’s CHILD, because you’re in the SECRET place of the Most High, God has a hedge of PROTECTION, MERCY, and FAVOR around you that the enemy cannot CROSS. NO person, no SICKNESS, no TROUBLE, and no force of DARKNESS can stop GOD’S plan for your life. When YOU face these challenges and you’re tempted to worry, tell yourself: “This problem may have FORMED, they may be trying to make me LOOK bad, but I’m NOT worried. This medical report may not look good, but I have a promise from Almighty God that it is NOT going to PROSPER. He has me in the palms of His HANDS. I’m staying in PEACE. God and I are a MAJORITY.”

Today’s Scripture

Isaiah 54:17, NLT

“No weapon turned against you will succeed. You will silence every voice raised up to accuse you. These benefits are enjoyed by the servants of the LORD.”

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

TRUST GOD–YOUR TIMES ARE IN HIS HANDS

As a young man, Moses KNEW he was supposed to deliver the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. He had the promise from God, but he didn’t have the PATIENCE. He got in a hurry and killed a man who was mistreating a Hebrew slave. His HEART was right, but because he was out of GOD’S timing, he had to flee for his LIFE and spent forty years waiting in the desert. It’s EASY to have faith for your dreams, but faith without PATIENCE will get you into TROUBLE. What you’re believing for may be taking LONGER than you think. Don’t try to FORCE things to happen. You should be DETERMINED, but you don’t have to PROMOTE yourself and MANIPULATE people and convince them to LIKE you. At the right TIME, things will fall into place. Now do YOUR part and TRUST God—your times are in HIS hands. Wait for the God who created the universe to unfold HIS plan for your life.

Today’s Scripture

Psalm 106:13, NIV

They soon forgot what he had done and did not wait for his plan to unfold.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

WHATEVER YOU FEED ON IS GOING TO GROW

Though we may not REALIZE it, we’re always FEEDING ourselves. What we WATCH and LISTEN to, the PEOPLE we’re around, and the THOUGHTS we’re dwelling on are feeding our INNER man. If you go to lunch with coworkers who feed you GOSSIP, JEALOUSY, and DISRESPECT, before long you’ll be gossiping, jealous, and CRITICAL. Whatever you feed on is going to GROW. If you’re always feeding on NEGATIVE thoughts, thinking, I’ll never get out of debt, or get the job I want, or meet the right person, you’re feeding doubt, fear, and mediocrity. Start feeding your FAITH, your HOPES, your DREAMS. Your diet needs to be what GOD says about you. “I am FEARFULLY and WONDERFULLY made. I am a MASTERPIECE made in the image of Almighty GOD.” When you feed on God’s VALUES, YOUR value will get STRONGER. Stay on your DIET. No more feeding doubt, fear, and offense. No more hanging around the wrong people. Keep feeding your DESTINY.

Today’s Scripture

Proverbs 1:31, NIV

…they will eat the fruit of their ways and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

YOUR WORTH COMES FROM YOUR CREATOR

SHAME is one of the enemy’s favorite tools. Starting in our childhoods, he will remind you of every mistake and every failure you’ve ever made, saying “SHAME on you” even about things that weren’t your FAULT. As adults, “Shame on you” plays over and over in our THOUGHTS. If you fell back into a bad habit, you told yourself, “SHAME on you.” If you went through a DIVORCE, the message is “SHAME on you.” Shame causes us to feel GUILTY and UNWORTHY, as though we don’t deserve to be BLESSED. But today’s Scripture speaks of how God has REMOVED our shame. Whether it was YOUR fault or somebody ELSE’S fault, you don’t have to carry the heavy load of guilt, or beat yourself up over past mistakes, or feel WRONG on the inside. When the enemy says, “Shame on YOU,” God says, “Shame OFF you. I’ve FORGIVEN you. I’ve REDEEMED you. I’ve made you VALUABLE.” Your WORTH comes from your CREATOR.

Today’s Scripture

Isaiah 54:4, NIV

Do not be afraid; you will not be put to shame. Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated. You will forget the shame of your youth and remember no more the reproach.