THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

IT’S YOUR CHOICE WHETHER TO DWELL ON IT OR DELETE IT

The Scripture tells us to guard our MIND. YOU control the doorway to what you allow in. You can dwell on every negative thought and every derogatory comment, or you can choose to DELETE it and dwell on what GOD says about you. If you let negative thoughts play over and over in your mind, they will CONTAMINATE your confidence, self-esteem, and future.

Why don’t you start hitting the DELETE button? Quit DWELLING on every negative thought that comes to your mind. That’s the enemy trying to contaminate your MIND. If he can control your thinking, he can control your whole LIFE—you’ll go around with low self-esteem, you won’t BELIEVE your dreams will come to pass, and you won’t EXPECT problems to turn around. If the thought is NEGATIVE, discouraging, or pushing you down, do NOT dwell on it. DELETE it. If you’re going to reach your highest potential, you have to get GOOD at hitting the DELETE button.

Today’s Scripture

Philippians 4:6–7, NIV

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

ONE DAY YOU’LL LOOK BACK AND SAY, IT WAS ALL GOOD

If you’re fighting everything you don’t like, you need to have this new perspective: it’s all good. Whether it’s a grouchy boss, an illness you’re dealing with, or a dream that’s taking forever to be fulfilled, you can say, “I don’t like how this has gone, but God is on the throne. He promised that He would use what has come against me to my advantage.” All things work together for your good. They may not be good at the time we go through them. It’s painful to go through a loss. It hurts when people do us wrong. It’s discouraging when a dream doesn’t work out. By themselves, they may not be good, but the problem is that you’re isolating these single events. God promises He’s going to bring it all together. What looked like a setback was a setup for God to show out in your life. One day you’ll look back and say that it was all good.

Today’s Scripture

Romans 8:28, NKJV

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

GOD IS ABOUT TO DO SOMETHING UNUSUAL, SOMETHING MORE THAN YOU’VE DREAMED

There are times when things aren’t going your way, business is down, the medical report isn’t good. It’s not your season. The good news is that God specializes in doing things out of season. He doesn’t wait for the perfect circumstances to line up, for you to have the training, for the right people to believe in you. He does things unexpectedly. He’ll make water pour out in your dry places and cause you to blossom out of season. What happened? God blessed you out of season.

Do you feel out of season as though you’re stuck in some area? Stay encouraged. God has you in the palms of His hands. Get ready for an “out of season” blessing, for an “it’s beyond my imagination” healing, for an “it doesn’t make sense” promotion. God is about to do something unusual, something that’s bigger than you’ve dreamed, where you’re going to say, “Wow, God! I didn’t see that coming!”

Today’s Scripture

Isaiah 35:6, NIV

Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

GOD REQUIRES TRUTH IN OUR INNER PARTS

Psalm 51 is a prayer of REPENTANCE in which David acknowledged a sin he had covered up. His first step was to accept RESPONSIBILITY. You can’t overcome what you don’t CONFRONT—a hidden addiction, a failure, a hurt. When you hide things, it’s going to eat away at you like a poison. David went on to say that God requires truth in our INNER parts. You can’t pretend and have God’s blessing at the same time.

If you’re covering things up, it’s not going to magically go away. When you come to God and ask for His FORGIVENESS and MERCY, He’ll begin to restore and put you back on the path to your DESTINY. David says, “Create in me a clean heart, O God. Restore to me the joy of my salvation.” He got it out in the open and asked for FORGIVENESS—that was the turning point. God forgave and RESTORED him, and David went on to do GREAT things.

Today’s Scripture

Psalm 51:3, 6, NKJV

For I acknowledge my transgression. Behold, You desire truth in the inward part.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

OUR TONGUE IS LIKE A FLAME AND ONE WORD CAN START A MAJOR FIRE

We need to realize that God hears what we SAY every day. He hears us when we BLESS people, when we COMPLIMENT and ENCOURAGE them, and when we PUSH them forward. He ALSO hears when we criticize and stir up trouble. The prophet Isaiah said that we will eat the fruit of our words. If you sow disrespect, sarcasm, discord, and judgment, you’re going to REAP those things. But when you sow KINDNESS, ENCOURAGEMENT, and MERCY, that’s what you’re going to REAP.

James said that our tongue is like a FLAME OF FIRE, and it only takes one tiny spark to set a whole forest ABLAZE. ONE WORD can start a major problem or a major BLESSING. You can start some GOOD fires. Ignite DREAMS, ignite HOPE, ignite PASSION. Your words can put people on their feet, breathe new life into their DREAMS. Don’t be a part of the problem, be a part of the SOLUTION. Be a LIFTER, be an ENCOURAGER, be a HEALER.

Today’s Scripture

James 3:5–6, TLB

The tongue is a small thing, but what enormous damage it can do. A great forest can be set on fire by one tiny spark. And the tongue is a flame of fire.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

THE WINDS MAY BELOW, BUT YOU’RE STILL STANDING

When the ground is saturated, even a big sturdy oak tree with an extensive root system that extends beyond its canopy can be blown over by high winds. That’s because most of its roots are less than twelve inches deep and don’t have anything to anchor to.

It’s the same principle in life. We all have things that come against us—a medical issue, a business downturn, a child gets in trouble. What’s going to determine whether or not you stand STRONG and outlast these storms is the DEPTH of your ROOTS. The reason some people are always upset, offended, and discouraged is that they only have SURFACE roots. They’re moved by what somebody said or did or something unfair. They’re always being tossed to and fro. But when you have DEEP roots, when you know that GOD is in control, you’re NOT moved by what doesn’t go your way. The winds may BLOW, but you’re still STANDING.

Today’s Scripture

Proverbs 12:3, MSG

You can’t find firm footing in a swamp, but life rooted in God stands firm.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

BE A PEACEMAKER, SHAKE IT OFF AND MOVE ON

It’s easy think, If my coworker wasn’t so disrespectful, I wouldn’t argue. No, you have to be the bigger PERSON. Just because they’re doing wrong doesn’t mean YOU have to engage. That’s the enemy baiting you, saying, “Argue, fight, set the record straight, prove you’re right.” Do NOT take the bait. It takes a mature person to overlook an insult and say, “NO, I’m staying in PEACE.”

Jesus didn’t say, “Blessed are those who are right.” For the sake of peace, sometimes you have to let the other person think they’re right, even when you know they’re wrong. We think, I’m right, and I’m going to prove it and win this fight. Can we tell you that being RIGHT is overrated? You can win EVERY battle, prove your points, but your relationships are being DAMAGED. Put your EGO down and let them be right even though you think YOU’RE right. Be a peacemaker and learn to SHAKE IT OFF and move on.

Today’s Scripture

Matthew 5:9, NIV
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

OUR GOD IS THE SUPREME COURT ALL BY HIMSELF AND HE’S ABOUT TO RULE IN YOUR FAVOR

In the legal system, a court will rule on a case and give their verdict, but that verdict can be appealed to a higher court that has more AUTHORITY and can overrule what the lower court decided. Finally, the SUPREME Court has the HIGHEST authority, and it can overrule ANY lower court decision.

In today’s Scripture, the psalmist is saying that the enemies that come against YOU —the fear, the lack, the sickness, the addiction—are NOT permanent. Our God is called the MOST HIGH God. He IS the Supreme Court all by HIMSELF. God is about to rule in your favor. He’s about to OVERRULE some things. You’re about to get a NEW verdict. God’s about to turn some things AROUND. You’re going to see a BREAKTHROUGH in your health. Doors are going to open BIGGER than you’ve IMAGINED. God’s going to bring divine CONNECTIONS, the right PEOPLE. He’s going to THRUST you to a NEW level of your destiny.

Today’s Scripture

Psalm 9:3–4, NLT

My enemies retreated For you have judged in my favor; from your throne you have judged with fairness.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

OUR GOD IS A MORE THAN ENOUGH GOD. DARE TO ASK BIG

When God laid out the plan for your life, He didn’t just put into it what you need to get BY and ENDURE until the END. He put MORE than enough in it. He’s a God of ABUNDANCE. We see this all through the Scripture. David says, “My cup runs over.” He had an ABUNDANCE, more than he NEEDED. Yes, we should thank God that our needs are supplied, but don’t SETTLE there. He is a more-than-enough God. He wants you to have an ABUNDANCE so you can be a blessing to those around you.

Are you asking for the abundant, overflowing, MORE-than-enough life that God has for you? God says you are to REIGN in life, that whatever you touch will PROSPER and SUCCEED. Don’t pray to just get by. Dare to ASK BIG. Ask for what God has PROMISED you. Ask Him for NEW levels. Ask Him for EXPLOSIVE blessings. Ask Him to propel you into your PURPOSE.

Today’s Scripture

Matthew 21:22, NKJV

And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

BE PROUD OF WHO GOD MADE YOU TO BE

Jesus said that if you don’t love yourself in a HEALTHY way, you will never be able to love OTHERS in the way that you should. This is why some people don’t have good RELATIONSHIPS. If you don’t get along with yourself, you’ll NEVER get along with others. We all have weaknesses, shortcomings, and things that we wish were different. But if you see YOURSELF as less than, not talented, and not valuable, you will become exactly THAT. If you feel unattractive on the INSIDE, you will convey feelings of unattractiveness. That’s going to push people away. You carry yourself the way you SEE yourself.

PEOPLE see you the way you see YOURSELF. Perhaps if you quit focusing on your FLAWS and start LOVING yourself in a HEALTHY way, being PROUD of who God made you to be, then as you send out these DIFFERENT messages, it’s going to bring new OPPORTUNITIES, new RELATIONSHIPS, and NEW levels of God’s FAVOR.

Today’s Scripture

Matthew 22:39, NIV

Love your neighbor as yourself.