THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

IT’S NOT ABOUT WHERE YOU START, IT’S ABOUT HOW YOU FINISH

There’s nothing more ENCOURAGING than to discover your PURPOSE and to walk in it! Don’t let the enemy convince you that you’ve been forgotten or left out. You were NOT made to sit on the sidelines. You have a DESTINY to fulfill!

God has entrusted everyone with different GIFTS and TALENTS. That means you ALREADY have the ABILITY, the CREATIVITY, the IDEAS you need to FLOURISH in what He has called you to do. There is something important that only YOU can accomplish for God.

Many heroes of the Bible had humble beginnings and were overlooked. David was the youngest of many sons, yet he was destined to become KING. Moses had a SPEECH impediment, but God chose him to deliver a NATION. It’s not about where you start, it’s about how you FINISH. Be bold enough to FOLLOW your God-given purpose and fulfill the DESTINY He has for YOU!

Today’s Scripture:

Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly…

Romans 12:6, NASB

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

THERE’S NOTHING TOO BIG OR TOO SMALL FOR OUR GOD

It’s easy for us to let our EMOTIONS control our decisions. Sometimes choosing the RIGHT thing doesn’t COME naturally. The GOOD news is, you don’t have to do it ALONE. The Bible says that the forces that are FOR you are greater than the forces that are AGAINST you. God can give us the COURAGE we need to do the RIGHT thing! Because we are new CREATIONS in Christ, the chains of defeated thinking and a negative mentality don’t have a hold on us ANYMORE. You can choose what you WATCH, the things you SAY, and even the PEOPLE you associate with. So often, we think God is too busy to help us with our day-to-day decisions. But you are the apple of God’s EYE. There’s NOTHING too big or too SMALL for our God to handle. Ask God today to give you the WISDOM and GUIDANCE to make the RIGHT decisions.

Today’s Scripture:

“To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.”

Proverbs 21:3, NIV

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

CHANGE YOUR FOCUS FROM HOW BIG YOUR PROBLEMS ARE TO HOW BIG YOUR GOD IS

There are three simple things you can do EACH day that will breathe new life into EVERYTHING you do. First, speak words of FAITH and VICTORY out loud. As a child of the Most High God, you should have a BOLDNESS when you declare, “I CAN do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me! My path is getting brighter and BRIGHTER.” Next, take time to write down the GOOD things that God does for you each day. When you begin to LOOK for His goodness, you will quickly DISCOVER that He IS working in your life. Finally, be THANKFUL. Take a moment every day to THANK the Lord for all He has done for you. When you develop a THANKFUL heart, you are changing your FOCUS from how big your problems are, to how big your GOD is!

Today’s Scripture:

All together now—applause for God! Sing songs to the tune of his glory…

Psalm 66:1, MSG

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

MAKE THE CHOICE TO AGGRESSIVELY PURSUE PEACE

Strife is a powerfully destructive force that the enemy uses to try to bring confusion and turmoil into our lives. It can tear apart marriages, destroy businesses, and divide lifelong friends. We all have things happen on a daily basis that can aggravate us, but the key is to NOT let those aggravations make us act rude or angry toward those around us. Instead, let me encourage you to make PEACE a priority in your life. Don’t give the enemy a FOOTHOLD. REFUSE to argue. Refuse to be sarcastic or disrespectful. DECIDE that you are going to keep PEACE in your home AND your LIFE even if it means you have to swallow your PRIDE. Make the CHOICE to AGGRESSIVELY PURSUE peace. Jesus said, “BLESSED are the peacemakers.” You can be THAT person. You can be the one to create an atmosphere of PEACE and HARMONY in your family.

Today’s Scripture:

“For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.”

James 3:16, NIV

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

TO DISCOVER YOUR PURPOSE, YOU NEED ONLY READ GOD’S WORD

One key to living an abundant life is spending time in worship. The Bible teaches us to worship the Lord throughout the day, every day. Whether you’re at home, work, the bus stop or the ball game, take time to worship God for who He is and thank Him for all the blessings He has given you.

Another key is spending time each day in the Word. Your Bible is the best tool you have for discovering your God-given purpose! It will tell you who you are, what you have, and what you can do. Remember, God has plans to prosper you, and as you walk in His plan for your life, you will experience His explosive blessings on everything you set your hand to!

Today’s Scripture:

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.

(Psalm 95:6, MSG)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

WHEN YOU MAKE JESUS THE LORD OF YOUR LIFE, YOU CAN FORGET ABOUT THE PAST, AND START FRESH

If God had a refrigerator, your picture would be on it! He could have lived anywhere in the universe, but He CHOSE to live in your HEART. You are His most PRIZED possession, and He has an AMAZING future planned for you. God wants you to be FREE today. He is asking you to FORGET the past and start fresh with HIM today. Stop beating yourself up over your past mistakes. Quit thinking that you don’t deserve anything GOOD. YOU are a child of the Most High God. Begin seeing yourself the way GOD sees you. How does God see you? He sees you as His MASTERPIECE, the apple of His EYE, His precious CHILD. Throughout the day, declare what His WORD says about you, “I am a VICTOR. I am a MASTERPIECE. I am fearfully and WONDERFULLY made.” See yourself as the CHAMPION He created you to be!

Today’s Scripture:

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Jeremiah 29:11, NIV

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

GOD WILL MAKE THINGS RIGHT AND GIVE YOU DOUBLE FOR YOUR TROUBLE

Little kids LOVE ice cream. A man told me the story about his daughter who had an ice cream cone and she was bumped by a little boy who was playing rough with the other kids; down went her cone and out came the tears when the boy laughed at her. The Father said that they usually only buy her a single scoop, but something made them say, “this time we’re going to get you a TRIPLE scoop.” Do you know that when God RESTORES what YOU have lost, He doesn’t just give you a single scoop. . . . He promises to give you MORE than you have lost! No matter WHAT has been taken away from you, no matter what you’ve lost or EXPERIENCED in the PAST, if you stay in PEACE, He WILL return to you MORE than you could ask or imagine. He’ll make things right and give you MORE than what was lost or stolen. He’ll restore DOUBLE to you!

Today’s Scripture:

“Return to the stronghold, O prisoners who have the hope; this very day I am declaring that I will restore double to you.”

(Zechariah 9:12, NASB)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

GOD PROMISES TO SUSTAIN US AND GIVE US TRUE PEACE

Jesus said in John 14:27, “I’m leaving you My PEACE. I’m GIVING it unto you.” The Amplified version says, “Now stop ALLOWING yourself to be agitated and disturbed. And do not PERMIT yourselves to become UNSETTLED.” God has done His part to give you His PEACE. As a child of God, His peace is on the INSIDE of you right NOW. You have to do YOUR part and make the DECISION to live in PEACE. When negative CIRCUMSTANCES arise and you make the CHOICE to stay in PEACE, you are showing that you TRUST God. You are saying, “God, I KNOW that You are in control. I know that NO weapon formed against me is going to prosper.” Choose to keep PEACE in your life. When you cast your burdens on HIM, He PROMISES to sustain you—that’s a place of true PEACE, a place of lasting POWER!

Today’s Scripture:

Cast your burden on the Lord [release it] and He will sustain and uphold you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken (slip, fall, fail).

(Psalm 55:22, AMP)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

WE ARE LIVING EPISTLES READ BY EVERYONE….

A pastor’s life has been described as “LIFE IN A FISHBOWL.” Everyone is watching to see how you will react in any given situation. But really, that’s true of ALL of us. Whether you realize it or not, people are WATCHING you. They watch how you DRESS, how you take care of your HOME, how you WORK, and how you TREAT other PEOPLE. The Scripture talks about believers REPRESENTING God here on the earth. We are Christ’s AMBASSADORS. If we’re to represent God PROPERLY, we should do it with JOY, with ENTHUSIASM, with a SMILE. People of FAITH are supposed to be the LIGHTS of the world. Some who LACK faith may not want to listen to what we believe, but they CERTAINLY watch how we live. We are living EPISTLES read by ALL men. Some may not read the BIBLE, but they’re reading our LIVES. As the saying goes, “Preach at ALL times; use WORDS only when necessary.”

Today’s Scripture:

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.

(Colossians 3:23, NIV)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

GIVE YOUR FAITH A VOICE, AND YOU’LL SEE GOD’S PROMISES FULFILLED IN YOUR LIFE

Every BELIEVER has been given a measure of FAITH. In order to see the promises of God come to PASS in your life, you have to give EXPRESSION to that faith through the WORDS that you SPEAK. That’s why the Scripture tells us, “Let the weak say, ‘I am STRONG”—not the opposite, “I am so tired. I am so rundown.” That’s calling in the WRONG things. Let the poor say, “I am WELL off”—not, “I am so in debt.” When you give your faith a VOICE, when you start speaking the promises of GOD, the Bible says that He watches OVER His Word to bring it to PASS in your life. The KEY is that we can’t allow words of defeat or negativity to come out of our MOUTHS. Don’t dig up your seed by speaking AGAINST His Word. Instead, WATER your seed by continuing to DECLARE the Word of GOD. As you give your FAITH a VOICE, you will see God’s PROMISES come to PASS.

Today’s Scripture:

And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, ‘I believed and therefore I spoke,’ we also believe and therefore speak.

(2 Corinthians 4:13, NKJV)