THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

TODAY, RECEIVE CHRIST’S LOVE AND EXTEND IT TO OTHERS

BEYOND the Christmas lights and presents, beyond the MUSIC and great FOOD, God reminds us of the most WONDERFUL gift that has EVER been given…this gift is JESUS. The BABE in the manger. The Savior of the WORLD, who brought the promise of UNCONDITIONAL love, unending HOPE, and ETERNAL life to EVERY person who BELIEVES in Him. The apostle Paul was so OVERWHELMED at the thought of all that God has GIVEN us that instead of trying to put it all in words, he simplified it THIS way: “Thanks be to God for his SON–a gift too WONDERFUL for words” (2 Cor. 9:15).

Jesus is God’s PERFECT, INDESCRIBABLE gift. And the AMAZING thing is that not only are we personally able to RECEIVE this gift that is too wonderful for WORDS, but we are able to SHARE Him with OTHERS today and EVERY day. We need to make sure our hearts are READY, both to RECEIVE Christ’s love AND to extend it to OTHERS. This is what Christmas is ALL about.

Today’s Scripture:

John 3:16, NIV

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

THIS CHRISTMAS EVE, TAKE TIME TO REJOICE WITH THE ANGELS

On the night Jesus Christ was born, shepherds were out in a field near Bethlehem when an angel appeared to them and told them the good NEWS about His BIRTH. Then SUDDENLY, a vast HOST of angels appeared who were PRAISING God. The Scripture tells us that there are angels in HEAVEN singing God’s praises day and NIGHT. Think about THIS: When YOU praise God, you are JOINING with the angels in HEAVEN! What an AWESOME thought that we can be ONE with the HEAVENLY hosts when WE worship.

As you celebrate the birth of Jesus on this Christmas EVE, take time to REJOICE with the angels that the Son of God came to US as a BABY. Turn your thoughts toward our Lord and Savior because He is GOOD and WORTHY of ALL our praise. In the words of Psalm 95, “So come, let us WORSHIP: BOW before Him, on your knees before God, who MADE us! Oh yes, He’s OUR God, and WE’RE the people He PASTURES, the flock He FEEDS.”

Today’s Scripture:

Luke 2:13–14, NLT

Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others–the armies of heaven–praising God and saying, “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

WHEN GOD PUTS A PROMISE IN YOUR HEART, JUST AGREE WITH HIM…..

Words are POWERFUL. A teenage girl named Mary became pregnant, not by a man, but by a WORD from God. The angel Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Mary, you are highly FAVORED! You will conceive and have a baby WITHOUT knowing a man. He will be the MESSIAH, the Son of GOD.” When God wants to create, He doesn’t use MEATERIAL things; He uses WORDS. Mary could have said to the angel, “THAT’S impossible. It’s never HAPPENED before.” Instead, she said, “Be it unto ME even as you have SAID.” She got in AGREEMENT with God. She used HER words to confirm what she HEARD, not to DEBATE what she heard.

When God puts a promise in YOUR heart, just AGREE with Him. The Scripture says, “By His stripes you are HEALED.” Don’t debate it. “I don’t feel healed. My back is still sore.” Get in a HABIT of speaking FAITH-filled words. “Lord, thank You that I AM healed. Be it unto ME even as You have SAID.”

Today’s Scripture:

Luke 1:37–38, NIV

“For no word from God will ever fail. I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.”

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

FOCUS ON THE BLESSING AND NOT THE BURDEN

Mary was told SHE would give birth to the Savior of the WORLD. You can’t GET any more FAVORED than THAT. But with that blessing came a BURDEN. She was favored but MISUNDERSTOOD. FAVORED but ridiculed. Favored but CONTOVERSIAL. People whispered, “She got pregnant BEFORE her wedding.” On one hand, she’s EXCITED and can hardly believe the BLESSING. On the OTHER hand, she must tell Joseph and face having her HEART broken.

Sometimes God will ask us to DO things that are DIFFICULT. It would be much EASIER to stay in our COMFORT zone and NOT rock the boat. But God loves you too MUCH to let you miss your DESTINY. He’s SAYING, “You’ve been HIGHLY favored. I’m going to take you where you’ve never DREAMED and open doors that you couldn’t OPEN.” You can handle the BLESSING, but can you handle the BURDEN? Do as MARY did and keep the right ATTITUDE, knowing that the difficulty is part of the package. FOCUS on the blessing NOT the burden.

Today’s Scripture:

Luke 1:28, NKJV

The angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!”

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

HOPE IS THE ANCHOR OF OUR SOUL THAT PREVENTS AIMLESSLY DRIFTING

The Scripture describes HOPE as the ANCHOR of our soul. It wouldn’t say “ANCHOR” unless there was a possibility of DRIFTING. This is what happens in LIFE. If we don’t keep our ANCHOR down and stay full of HOPE, then little by little we start DRIFTING, getting negative and DISCOURAGED. “I don’t think I’ll ever get out of DEBT.” “I’ll never get WELL. It’s been so LONG.” “I’ll never meet the right PERSON.” Pretty soon we feel down and overwhelmed and have DRIFTED to a dark PLACE. The PROBLEMS is that you don’t have your anchor of HOPE down.

When you find yourself being consumed by worry, full of doubt, thinking it’s never going to work out, RECOGNIZE what’s happened and put your ANCHOR back down. Quit DWELLING on the negative thoughts. You may have HAD some bad breaks, but that doesn’t mean you’re not going to fulfill your DESTINY. Shake OFF the self-pity, shake off the DISAPPOINTMENT. What God PROMISED you, He’s STILL going to bring to PASS.

Today’s Scripture:

Hebrews 2:1, NIV

We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

WHEN YOU KISS THE PAST GOODBYE, IT RELEASES YOU INTO YOUR FUTURE…….

We get EXCITED about new BEGINNINGS. We talk a LOT about God being the ALPHA and doing NEW things, but we don’t hear much about how He, the OMEGA, brings things to an END. It COULD be a relationship, a broken DREAM, a BUSINESS that didn’t MAKE it, or a loved one who passes away. This is HARD for us because an ending can feel like a SETBACK, and often it FEELS like a failure. But just as God OPENS a door, He closes doors and brings things to an END. The reason He CLOSES a door is because He has something BETTER. Instead of being sour and losing your JOY, the best thing you can do is to just say GOODBYE to the hurt, the QUESTIONS, the DISAPPOINTMENT, and the self-PITY. QUIT beating yourself up; quit bringing failures from yesterday into TODAY. Accept it as part of God’s PLAN, be at PEACE with what’s behind you, and move ON. When you kiss the past GOODBYE, it RELEASES you into your FUTURE.

Today’s Scripture:

Revelation 1:8, NLT

“I am the Alpha and the Omega–the beginning and the end,” says the Lord God.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

SPEAK LIFE, FAITH, FAVOR AND HEATH AND YOU’LL SEE GREAT THINGS COMING TOGETHER…

God gave the prophet Ezekiel a vision of a valley filled with BONES, which represented the people of Israel who were in exile in other countries. Ezekiel could have said, “There’s no way POSSIBLE those bones can live.” Instead he looked AWAY from his CIRCUMSTANCES and looked toward his GOD. He said, “Sovereign Lord, You alone know.” He was saying, “God, You’re the giver of LIFE, the SOVEREIGN One. I may not see a way, but YOU have a way.” GOD said, “All right, Ezekiel, that’s what I’m LOOKING for–not somebody who’s going to tell me all the reasons why it’s NOT going to happen. PROPHESY to those dead bones and watch it all come together.”

Whatever looks dead in YOUR life, you need to prophesy VICTORY, prophesy WHOLENESS, prophesy ABUNDANCE. When you speak LIFE and FAITH and FAVOR and HEALTH, you’re going to see a great coming TOGETHER. Suddenly, you get the BREAK you need, your BUSINESS turns around, and your health IMPROVES.

Today’s Scripture:

Ezekiel 37:3, NIV

He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” I said, “Sovereign LORD, you alone know.”

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

DON’T WRITE THEM OFF, COVER THEM WITH MERCY, AND LOVE THEM

We all have loved ones we’re hoping will CHANGE. We’re praying and BELIEVING, but it’s easy to get frustrated and think it’s not making any DIFFERENCE. But if they’re going to reach their DESTINY, they need someone who will stand in the GAP and cover them with MERCY–NOT judge them, not CONDEMN them, but will help LOVE them into WHOLENESS.

We write people OFF too easily. Don’t judge them by the PRESENT. Before the apostle Paul was a follower of Christ, he was the biggest PERSECUTER of the church. WE would have thought he didn’t have a CHANCE of changing. Yet God told Ananias to go PRAY for Saul. Some of the people WE’RE tempted to write off are chosen VESSELS to do GREAT things. They need someone to BE there for them, to send them a text and tell them that they’re PRAYING for them, to invite them to LUNCH and tell them that they LOVE them–NOT to condemn them or try to straighten them OUT.

Today’s Scripture:

Acts 9:15, NIV

But the Lord said to Ananias, Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

AS A BELIEVER, YOU CAN NOT BE DEFEATED BECAUSE YOU HAVE THE FAVOR OF GOD

The king of Aram was so angry with the prophet Elisha that he sent an army to CAPTURE him. Elisha was only one MAN against an ARMY, but he knew how to pray BOLD prayers. He had seen God OPEN blind eyes, and now he prayed for the REVERSE. Not only were the soldiers struck BLIND, but Elisha led them into Samaria where the king of Israel captured THEM before their eyes were reopened.

When you know that God is WITH you, you’ll see God do AMAZING things. He can PROTECT you, GUIDE you, and make things happen that you could NEVER make happen. Don’t go around feeling weak, intimidated, and afraid of what you’re UP against. Just as with Elisha, you are so POWERFUL and full of FAVOR that even when the enemy does his best to defeat YOU, his best will NEVER be enough. You cannot be defeated because you have the FAVOR of God.

Today’s Scripture:

2 Kings 6:18, NIV

As the enemy came down toward him, Elisha prayed to the LORD, “Strike this army with blindness.” So he struck them with blindness, as Elisha had asked.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

OVER TIME, YOU’LL SEE HOW GOD CONNECTS THE DOTS…..

God doesn’t always take us in a straight LINE. We make our plans going from A to B to C. But SOMETIMES He’ll take you from A to B, then to R, then back to D, then to S. Sometimes it’s going to LOOK like you’re going BACKWARD. You have to TRUST Him when you don’t understand. You have to know that GOD makes the final DETERMINATION about your steps. If He ALLOWS a sickness or a loss, it’s because it’s NECESSARY to move you into your PURPOSE. The TEST is for you to stay in FAITH, BELIEVING that God IS still in control, that He’s working behind the SCENES, that what He started He will FINISH.

Some of the challenges you’re facing NOW don’t even have anything to DO with today; THEY’RE positioning you for something in your FUTURE. If you stay in faith when things don’t make SENSE over time you’re going to see how God connects the DOTS, how it was ALL a part of His plan, strategically orchestrated.

Today’s Scripture:

Proverbs 16:9, NLT

We can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps.