THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

NO MATTER WHERE YOU ARE TODAY, GOD WANTS TO GIVE YOU A NEW, BETTER FUTURE

Isn’t it interesting that the Bible says we should be PRISONERS of HOPE? Prisoner of hope means that you can’t get away from it. You’re HELD by hope. A prisoner of hope is someone who has an attitude of FAITH and EXPECTANCY even when things are bad because God has promised to RESTORE what was lost . . . and far MORE. That’s a great word of HOPE you can hold ON to! It means your HEALTH, your JOB situation, and your FINANCES may not be what you WANT them to be today, but they are all subject to CHANGE! God wants to RESTORE these things to you—not just the way they were BEFORE—but with MORE so that you are better off than when you began. No matter where you are TODAY or what happened to you YESTERDAY, God wants to give you a NEW future filled with JOY, FULFILLMENT and ABUNDANCE.

Today’s Scripture:

“Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope; today I declare that I will restore to you double.”

Zechariah 9:12, ESV

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

AS A BELIEVER, YOU WON’T BE THE VICTIM, YOU WILL BE THE VICTOR

The Scripture says, “Your Father sends rain on the just AND on the unjust.” Being a person of faith doesn’t EXEMPT you from difficulties. Jesus told a parable about a wise man who built his house on a rock. This man HONORED God. Another man foolishly built his house on the sand. He DIDN’T honor God. Then the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on the houses of both the just AND the unjust. But after the storm was OVER, the house built on the ROCK was still STANDING. The house built on the SAND was completely ruined.

You may get knocked down and go through some dark, stormy times, but that’s just a part of LIFE. It rains on EVERYBODY. The DIFFERENCE is that when you honor GOD, when you stay in FAITH, you have God’s PROMISE that when the storm CLEARS, you WON’T be the victim; you’ll be the VICTOR. You’ll still be STANDING.

Today’s Scripture

Matthew 7:24, NIV
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.”

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

A SON OF THE MOST HIGH GOD DOESN’T LIVE FEELING GUILTY AND CONDEMNED

It’s easy to have the wrong image of ourselves. The Scripture says, “Now we are the children of God,” but too many times, we live as though we don’t deserve to be blessed because we’ve made too many mistakes and had too many negative things come against us. We live with a slave mentality to mediocrity, to guilt, to lack, to addictions. Stop thinking as a slave and start thinking as a son.

Stop thinking about what you’ve been through and the mistakes you’ve made, and start thinking about who you are. A son of the Most High God doesn’t live feeling guilty and condemned about past mistakes; he receives mercy and moves forward. A son or daughter has a boldness, a confidence. You’ll expect God’s favor. You’ll believe for doors to open for you that you don’t deserve. Why? Because you’re not a slave, or a hired worker, or a friend of the family. You’re a free child of Almighty God!

Today’s Scripture

1 John 3:2, NIV

“Dear friends, now we are the children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.”

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

GOD HAS GIVEN EVERYONE OF US A SPECIFIC GIFT AND PURPOSE

In today’s Scripture, a little boy had a sack lunch—five loaves of bread and two fish. Nothing much. Yet when thousands of people were hungry, Jesus took his lunch, multiplied it, and fed the whole crowd. Think about the boy’s mother who made the lunch. She was a homemaker raising a child without a title or acclaim. But titles don’t bring fulfillment. Keeping up with your neighbors doesn’t bring happiness. Trying to impress your friends will make your life miserable, but understanding your assignment and being comfortable with who God made you to be are what bring true fulfillment.

Don’t discount the gift God has given you. Are you secure enough to play the role that God has given you? Are you comfortable enough to not have to be number one, to have the title, to keep up with others? The beauty of our God is that He has given every one of us a specific gift and purpose.

Today’s Scripture

John 6:9, NIV

“Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

YOUR FAITH WILL ACTIVATE GOD’S POWER IN A NEW WAY

If God be FOR you, who DARE be against you? Quit telling yourself, “I’ll always struggle in this area. I’ll never lose this WEIGHT. I’ll never get out of DEBT.” Change your PERSPECTIVE. You are not weak, defeated, or inferior. You are full of “CAN DO” power. The same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead lives inside YOU. Tap INTO that power. Greater is He that’s in YOU than he that comes GAINST you. You are MORE than a conqueror.

Now start putting things under your feet. Think of that word TREAD in today’s Scripture. One translation says “to TRAMPLE.” God has not only put it under your FEET, but He has armed you with AUTHORITY and STRENGTH to be VICTORIOUS. He has ALREADY equipped you. If you will see these obstacles as being under your FEET, as being ALREADY defeated, a new BOLDNESS will rise up. Your FAITH will activate God’s POWER in a NEW way.

Today’s Scripture

Luke 10:19, ESV

“Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you.”

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

YOU’RE NOT MAKING THE BEST DECISIONS IF YOU’RE NOT CONSULTING WITH GOD

Joshua and the Israelites had just defeated Jericho miraculously. God’s favor was on them. A group of people, who lived nearby, knowing they also would be destroyed, came up with an elaborate plan to deceive Joshua into believing they were from a distant land and make a peace treaty with them, which God had forbidden. It was a persuasive deception on the surface, and it became a big headache that could have been avoided if Joshua had consulted the Lord.

That’s why you need to consult with the Lord before you get involved with people, before you sign that contract, before you put the money down. People show you one side, but God can see the whole package. You’re not going to make the best decisions if you’re not consulting with God. He will protect you from making mistakes, open the right doors, bring the right people, and take you to the fullness of your destiny.

Today’s Scripture

Joshua 9:14, NLT

The Israelites examined their food, but they did not consult the LORD.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

THE CUTTING MAY BE UNFOMFORTABLE, BUT IT’S MAKING YOU BETTER

God is the master GARDENER. He knows when and how MUCH our lives need to be PRUNED in order to grow fuller and HEALTHIER. This means all of us at times are going to experience being cut BACK. But He’s NOT going to cut anything back unless it’s the perfect time. Sometimes we think, God, why did You take this PERSON away, why did You cut back our BUSINESS, why did we go through that DISAPPOINTMENT? God knows what He’s doing. He cut you back for ONE reason—so you can bear much FRUIT. If He hadn’t cut you back, you would have been satisfied to stay where you WERE. But God doesn’t WANT you to get stuck. Remind yourself that you’re being pruned so you can see new GROWTH, new OPPORTUNITIES, new LEVELS. That cutting may be UNCOMFORTABLE, but it’s making you BETTER. God’s getting you PREPARED. You may have LOST something, but you need to get ready to gain something BETTER.

Today’s Scripture

John 15:2, MSG

Every branch that is grape-bearing he prunes back so it will bear even more.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

SEE THE GOOD AND BE GRATEFUL FOR WHAT YOU HAVE

Don’t miss a great season in your life wishing you had more, complaining about what you don’t have. The real joy in life is in the simple things—making memories with your family, riding your bikes together, watching the sunset with your spouse, or staring up at the stars at night. You don’t have to have big vacations or lots of money to have fun. Learn to enjoy the simple things in life.

Could it be that you’re at the right place for the season that you’re in, but you’re not enjoying it? Maybe if you would step back and see it from a new perspective, you would realize that God has you in the palms of His hands. He knows where you are, what you like, and what you don’t like. Instead of living discontented, frustrated, always wishing you were somewhere else, embrace the place where you are. See the good. Be grateful for what you have.

Today’s Scripture

1 Timothy 6:17, NIV

…to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

YOU WOULDN’T HAVE OPPOSITION IF YOU DIDN’T HAVE SOMETHING GREAT IN OF YOU

As a young man, God gave Joseph a dream that one day his parents and his brothers would bow down before him. Joseph should have used more wisdom and not told them about his dream. Some people can’t handle what God has put inside you. They won’t celebrate you; rather, as Joseph’s brothers did, they’ll get jealous of you and start finding fault.

When you have a dream, you’re going to have some detractors. Sometimes the people closest to you will be the least supportive. When you believe that you can overcome an illness, pay off your house, or be successful in spite of past mistakes, some people will become jealous and try to make you look bad or try to talk you out of it. Don’t try to prove who you are or convince them to believe in you. You don’t need their approval. You have Almighty God’s approval. You wouldn’t have that opposition if you didn’t have something great in you.

Today’s Scripture

Genesis 37:19, NIV

“Here comes that dreamer!” they said to each other.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

WHEN YOU’RE GRATEFUL FOR THE SMALL THINGS, THEN GOD WILL RELEASE THE BIG THINGS

The Israelites had a dream to rebuild the temple. It was a huge task. After much work and frustration, they finally finished the foundation. They hadn’t even started the walls, yet they had a huge party. They could have said, “Forget it. We’re never going to finish,” but instead, they celebrated the small victory.

We all have things in our life that are incomplete. We’ve made some progress, but the dream hasn’t come to pass, a problem hasn’t turned around. Too often we wait for the total victory to celebrate. “When I get out of debt, I’ll be grateful.” But the key to seeing it come to fulfillment is to not let its completion hold your thanksgiving hostage. Celebrate partial victories along the way. When you pay off one credit card, celebrate what God has done. When you pass the test of being grateful for the small things, He’ll release big things in your life—more favor, more healing, more strength.

Today’s Scripture

Ezra 3:10–11, TLB

When the builders completed the foundation of the Temple, the priests… blew their trumpets; and… crashed their cymbals to praise the Lord… singing this song: “He is good, and his love and mercy toward Israel will last forever.”