THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

YOU MAY BE A PRODUCT OF YOUR PAST, BUT YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE A PRISONER OF IT

If you’re always thinking about something negative that happened yesterday, last month, last year, there’s no FREEDOM there. That’s where the Spirit of the Lord WAS. This is a NEW day. Quit living in what WAS and come over into what IS. Right now there is freedom, joy, peace, and restoration for you. Right now there are new beginnings. Remaining upset and offended about what happened yesterday doesn’t bring FREEDOM. Living in regret of what you should have done or what could have been doesn’t do anything PRODUCTIVE. It’s time to drop it and move FORWARD. You may be a PRODUCT of your past, but you don’t have to be a PRISONER OF your past. God already knew every hurt, every loss, and every mistake you would go through. The GOOD news is that for every setback, He’s already arranged a COMEBACK; for every disappointment, a NEW beginning; for every failure, RESTORATION; for all the ashes, He has BEAUTY. Live in FREEDOM.

Today’s Scripture

2 Corinthians 3:17, NIV

Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

DON’T GIVE UP, STAY COMMITTED AND GOD WILL OPEN DOORS THAT NO MAN CAN SHUT

At any point in His ministry, and especially as He approached the cross, Jesus could have said, “I’ve loved these people, healed them, and served them, but they treat me badly. I’ve had enough. I’m done.” But Jesus stayed committed when it was hard, when it wasn’t fair, when He had every right to quit. He was unyielding when it came to fulfilling His destiny, even at the cost of His own life.

Is there something you’ve been tempted to give up on, to take the easy way out, to slack off—a dream, a relationship, a job? You may have a good reason to walk away, to back off, to not be your best, but God is saying, “Stay committed, stay determined, keep doing the right thing.” If you’ll stay committed to your dreams, to your marriage, to your friends, to your job, God is going to open doors no man can shut and take you to the fullness of your destiny.

Today’s Scripture

Proverbs 3:3–4, MSG

Don’t lose your grip on Love and Loyalty. Tie them around your neck; carve their initials on your heart. Earn a reputation for living well in God’s eyes and the eyes of the people.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

WHATEVER GOD HAS PLACED IN YOUR HEART, IT NEEDS TO GET INTO YOUR CONVERSATION

Notice the connection in today’s Scripture between I will say and He will do. It doesn’t say, “I BELIEVE He is my refuge.” The psalmist went around declaring it, speaking it out: “The Lord IS my refuge.” Notice what happened. God became his refuge and STRENGTH. God was saying in effect, “If you’re bold enough to SPEAK it, I’m bold enough to DO it.”

Have you ever declared that your dreams ARE coming to pass? Have you ever said, “I WILL pay off my house?” “I will start my own BUSINESS.” “I will get my DEGREE.” “I WILL lose this weight.” Whatever God has put in your heart, it needs to get in your CONVERSATION. TALK like it’s going to happen. Talk like it’s ALREADY on the way: “WHEN I get married…, when I graduate from COLLEGE…, when I see my FAMILY restored.” Not IF it’s going to happen, but WHEN it’s going to happen. That’s your FAITH being RELEASED.

Today’s Scripture

Psalm 91:2–3, ESV

I will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

EVERLASTING RELEASE FROM OUR SINS

I imagine that when Satan and the forces of darkness saw Jesus BLOOD dripping down the cross, they said, Finally, we got rid of Him, and His blood is our PROOF. But as they were celebrating, the RESURRECTED Christ came toward them. Revelation tells us His eyes are blazing fire, His hair is as white as snow, and His face is radiating like the sun. Jesus said, Put the party on hold. I was dead, but now I am ALIVE forevermore, then He not only DEFEATED the enemy, but He took away the keys of death and hell. The Scripture says He rendered the enemy POWERLESS. They would never have had Jesus crucified if they had known the power of His BLOOD. Hebrews 9 says Jesus went into the Holy of Holies with His own blood to secure an EVERLASTING release from our SINS. Now we can live with the CONFIDENCE that all our sins past, present, and FUTURE have been WASHED away. That’s the POWER of the BLOOD.

Today’s Scripture

Revelation 1:18, NIV

I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

WHAT WE SEE AS A SETBACK, IS A SETUP FOR GOD TO DO SOMETHING GREAT

Late on the night before Jesus was crucified, He was praying in the Garden of Gethsemane. He was under so much PRESSURE from what He was about to do that His sweat was like BLOOD dropping to the ground. We CELEBRATE what Christ did on the cross, which is the foundation of our FAITH, but the real BATTLE took place in the Garden. That’s where He made the DECISION to drink the bitter cup of the cross, knowing that out of this INJUSTICE would come His RESURRECTION and OUR REDEMPTION from our sins. There are times when life is not FAIR and we don’t understand it. That’s when you have to do what JESUS did and say, Father, even though this isn’t FAIR and doesn’t make SENSE, I TRUST You. I know that YOU’RE in control, and You will take this thing and work through it for my GOOD. Don’t get discouraged. What we think is a setback is really a SETUP for God to do something GREAT.

Today’s Scripture

Luke 22:42, NIV

Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

IT GOD ALLOWED IT, HE KNOWS HOW TO USE IF FOR YOUR GOOD

When Judas BETRAYED and tried to stop Jesus, it seemed like a bad BREAK. But Jesus had known that Judas was going to betray Him, and He hadn’t tried to stop him. Jesus understood that BETRAYAL was a part of His DESTINY. Had Judas not betrayed Him, there wouldn’t have been a crucifixion, and without the cross there wouldn’t have been a RESURRECTION, and without a resurrection we wouldn’t have REDEMPTION. The man who sold Jesus out for thirty pieces of silver was CRITICAL to His DESTINY. What am I saying? Don’t COMPLAIN about that person who betrayed YOU. If they walked away, they didn’t set you back; they set you UP. If that had not happened, you wouldn’t get to where you’re supposed to be. If they tried to push you DOWN and LIED about you, it may not have been fair, but NOTHING happens by ACCIDENT. If God allowed it, He knows how to use it for your GOOD.

Today’s Scripture

Psalm 34:10, NLT

Those who trust in the LORD will lack no good thing.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

THE MOMENT YOU ASKED GOD TO FORGIVE YOU, HE FORGAVE YOU. DON’T LET GUILT POISON YOUR FUTURE

The enemy will remind you of everything you’ve ever done wrong. It’s easy to live in regret, thinking about what you did or didn’t do. Don’t go through life looking in your rearview mirror, being down on yourself, living in regret. You can’t do anything about the past, but you can do something about your future. The moment you asked God to forgive you, He forgave you. Why don’t you forgive yourself and empty out all the guilt? Turn off the accusing voices that try to deceive you into living with condemnation.

None of us deserve to be blessed. We deserve judgment. This is what God’s mercy is all about. That’s why it’s called “the good news.” Your sins have already been paid for and forgiven. You don’t have to pay God back. When the accuser says, “You blew it again!” just answer, “I’m not perfect, but I’m forgiven, and I’m moving forward.” Don’t let guilt poison your future.

Today’s Scripture

Revelation 12:10, NKJV

The accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

GOD CAN OVERRULE ANYTHING THAT’S HOLDING YOU BACK

So much happened at Calvary’s cross over two thousand years ago. Jesus Christ was mocked by soldiers, beaten, and nailed to the cross. It looked like it was over when they laid His body in the tomb. All of hell was rejoicing. They had finally defeated Him. But in the HEAVENS, God did NOT panic. He didn’t say, “What happened? My plan failed.” The earthly court said Jesus was defeated, but the JUDGE of all the EARTH said, “OVERRULED.” Jesus came out of the grave on the third day and declared, “I am He who LIVES. I was dead, but I am ALIVE FOREVERMORE.”

If God can overrule DEATH and the forces of DARKENSS, don’t you think He can overrule anything that’s holding YOU back? No matter what bondage or stronghold has held you captive, when you acknowledge Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, you receive His POWER that will set you FREE. BELIEVE in Him, receive His LIFE, and CELEBRATE true, eternal VICTORY!

Today’s Scripture

Revelation 1:18, NKJV

I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

JESUS PAID THE PRICE SO WE CAN BE FREE, IT IS FINISHED!

We ALL have things that are trying to hold us back, whether it’s GUILT from past mistakes, TEMPTATIONS that we can’t seem to overcome, or a DYSFUNCTION that’s been passed DOWN to us. When Jesus hung on the cross, before He took His final breath, He said, “It is FINISHED.” He wasn’t JUST talking about His life and how He had finished His PURPOSE. He was putting an end to all the negative things that could keep us from our DESTINY. He was saying, in effect, “The GUILT is finished. The DEPRESSION is finished. The low self-esteem is FINISHED. The MEDIOCRATY is finished. It is ALL finished.”

Are there things you’re living with to which you need to say, “It is FINISHED”? Whatever that negative thing IS, ANNOUNCE to it, “It is FINISHED. The price has been PAID. I am FREE,” and in the UNSEEN realm, strongholds are BROKEN, chains are LOOSED, and FAVOR is RELEASED.

Today’s Scripture

John 19:30, NIV

When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

YOU HAVE TO FORGIVE OTHERS SO THAT YOU YOURSELF CAN BE FREE OF THE POISON

As Jesus was hanging on the cross, having been BETRAYED by one of His disciples, falsely ACCUSED by the religious authorities, MOCKED by soldiers, and about to breathe His LAST breath, He did something SIGNIFICANT. He said, “Father, FORGIVE them, for they know NOT what they do.” They didn’t ASK for or DESERVE forgiveness. But Jesus was showing us by EXAMPLE to release the TOXIN of unforgiveness so that NOTHING will hold us back.

When somebody does US wrong, human nature wants to hold ON to the hurt and anger, to carry around a bitter GRUDGE. We think, I’m not going to forgive THEM. They don’t DESERVE it. But you’re not forgiving for THEIR sake; you’re forgiving for YOUR sake. Unforgiveness is a TOXIN that will contaminate your LIFE. When you forgive, as Jesus did, you’re not excusing THEIR behavior. You’re simply getting the poison out of YOU. You have to FORGIVE so that you can be FREE.

Today’s Scripture

Luke 23:34, NIV

Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”