THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

YOU CAN’T PRAY AWAY THE WINDS, WHEN YOU’RE THE REASON FOR THE STORM

After God told the prophet Jonah to go preach to the city of Nineveh, he REFUSED and got on a ship headed in the opposite direction. So, the Lord sent a violent storm that threatened to break the ship APART. God knows how to get our ATTENTION. When you know you’re going the wrong WAY, things start to fall APART. You can’t PRAY away the winds because you’re the reason for the STORM. God loves you too MUCH to let you miss your DESTINY. Fortunately, when confronted by the sailors, Jonah admitted, “I’M the cause.” Taking RESPONSIBILITY is the first step to VICTORY.

As long as you make EXCUSES for what you know is WRONG in your life, the DIFFICULTIES are going to continue year after YEAR. God asks you to DEAL with any areas of COMPROMISE. He wants to grow you UP. He has some NINEVEHS for YOU to go to, PEOPLE for you to IMPACT, and NEW levels of your DESTINY.

Today’s Scripture
Jonah 1:12, NKJV
And he said to them, “Pick me up and throw me into the sea; then the sea will become calm for you. For I know that this great tempest is because of me.”

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

BE CONTENT WHETHER YOU HAVE A LOT, OR NOT

After David had been anointed to be the next king of Israel, he spent YEARS taking care of his father’s sheep. David could have thought, God, what am I doing stuck with a bunch of SHEEP? But David knew that GOD was in control, so he just kept going to work with a good attitude, GRATEFUL for where he was. Because he was CONTENT in the shepherds’ fields, he made it to the THRONE. He passed that TEST. But if you’re NOT content in the season you’re in, even if your dreams DO come to pass, you won’t be SATISFIED. Discontentment will follow you EVERYWHERE you go.

You have to TRAIN YOUR MIND to be THANKFUL and SATISFIED with where God has you right NOW. Be CONTENT whether you have a lot or not. CONTENT whether your children are in diapers or in college. CONTENT whether you’re in maintenance or MANAGEMENT. Pass the TESTS on your way to the THRONE.

Today’s Scripture

1 Timothy 6:6, NIV

But godliness with contentment is great gain.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

WHEN YOU MAKE THE DECISION TO BE UNCOMMON, YOU’LL SEE GOD’S UNCOMMON FAVOR

We are living in a day where it’s ACCEPTABLE to compromise standards, to take the EASY way out and not have INTEGRITY, to do what everybody ELSE is doing, to go where everybody else GOES, to think like everyone else THINKS. It’s COMMON. Complainers and compromisers are a dime a dozen. It’s NORMAL. But God did NOT create you to be COMMON.

God is looking for UNCOMMON people. People who have uncommon FAITH, who BELIEVE for things that seem IMPOSSIBLE. People who have uncommon COMMITMENT, who do the RIGHT thing when it’s HARD. People who have an uncommon ATTITUDE that’s POSITIVE when everyone else is negative. People who have uncommon INTEGRITY, who do not give in to temptation but do what they know is BEST. When you make this DECISION to NOT fit in, to NOT do what everyone ELSE is doing, but to be UNCOMMON, you will see uncommon FAVOR, uncommon STRENGTH, uncommon FRIENDSHIPS, uncommon INCREASE. God REWARDS uncommon.

Today’s Scripture

1 Peter 2:9, NIV

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

ACCEPT GOD’S TIMING, EVERYTHING HE’S PROMISED WILL COME TO PASS

We live in a society that demands everything right NOW. We’re being programmed for IMMEDIACY. Don’t make us wait. But today’s Scripture says, “It’s through faith and patience that we inherit the promises.” God can see the BIG picture for our lives. He knows what’s up AHEAD. He knows WHAT we’re going to need, WHO we’re going to need, and WHEN they need to show UP. If what you are asking Him for hasn’t happened YET, instead of being uptight, here’s a great prayer to pray EVERY day: “God, give me the GRACE to accept YOUR timing.”

And while you’re waiting, don’t make the mistake of trying to figure everything OUT. That’s only going to FRUSTRATE you. Turn it over to GOD. Say with David, “God, MY times are in YOUR hands. I’m NOT going to worry about why something hasn’t happened. I know at the SET time, everything You promised me WILL come to pass.”

Today’s Scripture

Hebrews 6:12, NIV

We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

WHAT THE ENEMY MEANT FOR YOUR HARM, GOD WILL TURN TO YOUR ADVANTAGE

We all face setbacks in life that we don’t understand. When we go through loss and disappointment, it’s easy to get discouraged and think that’s the way it’s always going to be. But our God is a God of restoration. He doesn’t keep us from every challenge. But in today’s Scripture, He promises that although He allows us to go through hardships, He will pay us back for the wrongs and restore what was taken away. The suffering is a setup, not to make you miserable but to restore you to greater honor. God never brings you out the same. He makes the enemy pay for bringing the trouble.

When you’re in tough times, remind yourself that the loneliness, the bad break, or the anxiety is not how your story ends. Greater is coming–greater joy, greater strength, greater relationships. The setback in your finances didn’t stop your purpose. Greater opportunities are coming. Greater favor. Greater influence. The enemy meant it for your harm; God is turning it to your advantage.

Today’s Scripture

Psalm 71:20–21, NLT

You have allowed me to suffer much hardship, but…You will restore me to even greater honor and comfort me once again.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

DON’T FIGHT THE SILENCE, YOUR APPOINTED TIME IS ON THE WAY

In 1 Kings 17, after the prophet Elijah had spoken the word of the Lord to wicked King Ahab, God told him to go hide by the Brook Cherith. Elijah wanted to continue to speak to the nation, but for the next three and half years, he experienced a season of SILENCE and WAITING before going on to perform many MIRACLES.

We all have times when we’re praying, but our prayers aren’t being answered. We’re being our best, but not getting good breaks, the problem isn’t turning around. It seems as though God is on vacation. But the SILENCE is not a sign that God is not WORKING. He may not be changing the CIRCUMSTANCES, but He IS changing US. God uses the seasons of SILENCE to PREPARE us, to develop our CHARACTER. You’re gaining EXPERIENCE, MATURITY, and STRENGTH that you’ll NEED for where God is TAKING you. Don’t FIGHT the silence. Keep being FAITHFUL, for your appointed time IS on the WAY!

Today’s Scripture

Psalm 22:2, NKJV

O My God, I cry in the daytime, but You do not hear; and in the night season, and am not silent.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

ADVERSITY MEANS THE PROMOTION, THE HEALING, THE NEW LEVEL IS ON THE WAY

How do you respond when unfair situations come against you and people do you WRONG? It’s easy to get discouraged and think that because it’s not working out, it’s not meant to BE. But just because you have OPPOSITION doesn’t mean you’re not in God’s WILL. The apostle Paul described HIS work in the city of Ephesus as a wide-open door of OPPORTUNITY with MANY in opposition. Anytime you have OPPORTUNITY, anytime you’re about to move FORWARD to the next LEVEL, there will be OPPOSITION, people trying to DISCOURAGE you, things you don’t understand. The people who reach their DESTINY aren’t MOVED by what’s not working out, and they don’t give up because they had a setback or because somebody did them WRONG. They know GOD is in control, that HE’s directing their steps. They know that the setback is really a setUP for God to do something GREATER. The ADVERSITY means the PROMOTION, the HEALING, the new LEVEL is on the way.

Today’s Scripture

1 Corinthians 16:9, NLT

There is a wide-open door for a great work here, although many oppose me.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

GET FOCUSED AND MAKE A DECISION TO REDEEM THE TIME

Time is one of the most VALUABLE commodities we have. It’s more valuable than MONEY. You can make more money, but you can’t make more TIME. To “REDEEM the time” means don’t WASTE it. We have a RESPONSIBILITY to use our time WISELY. Paul said in effect that if you’re going to reach your highest potential, you have to be an “on PURPOSE” person and INVEST your life in what’s BEST for you. You KNOW where you’re going. You’re not vague, distracted, waiting to see what happens. You’re FOCUSED. You’re making the most of each OPPORTUNITY.

God has given you a present. It’s called “TODAY.” Are you living it to the FULL? With purpose and PASSION? Pursuing your DREAMS? Or are you distracted? Indifferent? Just doing whatever comes along? Make this DECISION that you’re going to REDEEM the time. Get focused. Get organized. Set your goals. Make your plans. Once this day is over, you can NEVER get it back.

Today’s Scripture

Ephesians 5:15–16, NIV

Be very careful, then, how you live — not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

DO THE RIGHT THING EVEN WHEN IT’S HARD

It can feel good to give into the temptation to watch something you shouldn’t, to gossip about a friend, to be lazy, to tell someone off. The flesh likes the easy way. The reason some people don’t grow is because they’re not disciplined to do the right thing when it’s hard. You have to be consistent. The flesh is not going to go away. The apostle Paul said, “I die daily.” Every day we have to say no to things. “No, I’m not going to watch that. I won’t be sarcastic. I’m not going to hang out with that friend. I’m not going to eat whatever I feel like.”

Remember that every time you give into that temptation, become impatient, or get offended, you’re feeding and growing the flesh. If you’ll start to not give in to the temptation, the temper, the bad attitude, you’re going to step into a new season of freedom, of growth, of favor.

Today’s Scripture

Hebrews 12:11, NIV

“No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.”

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

LOOK AGAIN. YOU’RE ABOUT TO COME INTO YOUR SEVENTH TIME

After three and a half years of severe drought, the prophet Elijah was CERTAIN that God was going to send rain. He climbed to the top of Mount Carmel and began to pray. He told his assistant to go look on the other side of the mountain and see if there was any sign of rain. After the seventh “go and look again,” the cloud appeared, and rain CAME.

You may feel like YOU’VE been in a drought. You’ve been looking for a long TIME. You’ve been FAITHFUL, doing the right thing but nothing is CHANGING. It doesn’t LOOK like it’s doing any good but get ready. Look again. Like Elijah, you’re about to come into your SEVENTH time. You’re going to see a sign of what God is DOING. Don’t let the little cloud fool you. That small cloud is going to turn into a huge DOWNPOUR. Suddenly, there is an ABUNDANCE of favor, an abundance of HEALING, an abundance of good BREAKS.

Today’s Scripture

1 Kings 18:43–44, NLT

Seven times Elijah told him to go and look. Finally the seventh time, his servant told him, “I saw a little cloud about the size of a man’s hand rising from the sea.”