THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

NO MATTER WHAT YOU MAY BE FACING TODAY, GOD WANTS TO BRING YOU COMFORT

Oftentimes when people face challenges, their natural tendency is to seek COMFORT in things that are FAMILIAR. It may be work, an activity or relationships; and of course, we all know about “comfort food.” But, those things only bring TEMPORARY comfort. TRUE comfort is only found in a relationship with JESUS.

According to Webster’s dictionary, COMFORT means to give STRENGTH and HOPE; to ease grief or trouble. No matter what difficulty YOU may be facing today, God wants to bring you COMFORT. Like a mother cares for her child, He longs to give you STRENGTH, HOPE and CONFIDENCE. Turn to HIM. Receive His LOVE. Let go of things that would hold you back. Let Him HEAL your heart and give you STRENGTH for the FUTURE. Let Him EMPOWER you to rise up and overcome EVERY obstacle in Jesus’ name!

Today’s Scripture:

“As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you…”

(Isaiah 66:13, NIV)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

WHEN WE ARE FAITHFUL WITH THE LITTLE, GOD WILL MAKE US RULER OVER MUCH

In the book of Genesis, we see that God established a system of SOWING and REAPING in the earth. When we are FAITHFUL with what God HAS placed in our hands, we position ourselves for INCREASE. Many people pray, “God bless me!” But God is saying, “Are YOU being faithful with what I have ALREADY given you?” Scripture tells us that when we are faithful with the LITTLE, God will make us ruler over MUCH.

Remember, you can’t reap a harvest without first PLANTING some SEEDS. God has given each of us SEEDS to sow, so don’t hold on to them! Be faithful to GIVE, be faithful to PRAY, be faithful to SPEAK LIFE over your FUTURE. Develop faithfulness in the SMALL things. Develop faithfulness in your CHARACTER. Be on TIME. Keep your WORD. Be DEPENDABLE. As you develop FAITHFULNESS, God WILL see your good works, and He’ll make you RULER over MUCH!

Today’s Scripture:

“…Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!”

(Matthew 25:23, NIV)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

LIKE AN ARROW, YOUR FAITH POINTS TO THE TARGET OF HOPE

So many people today are depressed and discouraged simply because they only focus on their PRESENT circumstances. They’re constantly DWELLING on their PROBLEMS, what they DON’T have, and what’s WRONG with them. They don’t realize it, but they’re allowing the enemy to steal their HOPE. This negative frame of mind is what keeps people from moving FORWARD in life.

Understand today that FAITH is CONFIDENCE and ASSURANCE about the things we HOPE for according to the PROMISES of God. Like an arrow, your faith points to the TARGET of HOPE. If you don’t have hope, that arrow of faith will just drop to the ground. It won’t ACCOMPLISH anything. But when you keep your hopes UP, when you keep EXPECTING and BELIEVING, it’s as if that target gets larger and LARGER–EASIER to hit!

Choose today to live with an attitude of EXPECTANCY. Get your HOPES up! Start by taking captive ANY negative thoughts you may have one at a time. As you FOCUS on God’s GOODNESS and FAITHFULNESS, you’ll feel that hope inside you GROWING. You’ll give your faith a TARGET, and you’ll move CONFIDENTLY into the BLESSINGS and PEACE the Lord has in store for YOU!

Today’s Scripture:

“Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see.”

(Hebrews 11:1, NLT)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

GOD IS NOT ONLY ABLE TO, BUT HE WANTS TO MEET YOUR NEEDS

When you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you have access to EVERYTHING He is: PEACE, PROVISION, PROTECTION and more. That means no matter what is happening in the world today, as you obey God’s Word, your needs WILL be met. No matter what is going on with the economy, gas prices or housing market, God is STILL your Source; and if your SOURCE is okay, then YOU are okay, TOO. Rest assured, there is NO lack in heaven!

Not only is God ABLE to meet your needs, He WANTS to meet your needs. It gives Him great PLEASURE to bless and prosper you. EXPECT that God is working behind the scenes on your behalf. Look for His hand of PROVISION in your life and PRAISE Him for His FAITHFULNESS. Do WHATEVER He says to do and watch Him open the windows of heaven!

Today’s Scripture:

“And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”

(Philippians 4:19, NASB)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

IN YOUR FUTURE, GOD HAS PLANS TO BRING YOU TO A FLOURISHING FINISH

Everyone goes through seasons of disappointment or difficulty. We all have unexpected setbacks. Maybe you’re going through something right now that you don’t understand. Here’s the good news: that disappointment is NOT the final chapter. God NEVER ends in a negative. If you will keep moving forward with your life, God promises that He will bring you to a FLOURISHING finish. Not a defeated finish, a bankrupt finish, a betrayed finish, or a barely-get-by finish. No, in YOUR future, God has a VICTORIOUS finish.

That setback, disappointment or betrayal that seems like it’s working AGAINST you, God knows how to turn it around and cause it to work FOR you. The key is that when you’re in difficult times, do NOT settle where you are. Don’t put your roots down and think that things are never going to CHANGE. No, for EVERY setback, God has already lined up a COMEBACK. For every injustice, He has VINDICATION. For every disappointment, He has RESTORATION.

Right now, just begin to THANK Him for what He’s GOING to do. PRAISE Him for His FAITHFULNESS. REJOICE today because He has a plan to bring YOU into a FLOURISHING finish!

Today’s Scripture:

“Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

(Philippians 1:6, NIV)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

START CELEBRATING WHAT GOD IS ‘GOING-TO-DO’ IN YOUR LIFE

God PROMISES to always lead us into VICTORY! That means, no matter what you are facing, no matter what’s going on in the world AROUND you, no matter what anybody SAYS, you should always be thanking God because victory is on the way!

You don’t have to wait for everything to be perfect before you decide to CELEBRATE what God is GOING to do in your life. Put some ACTION behind your FAITH. In the middle of that adversity or tough time, start making a list of who you’re going to invite to your VICTORY CELEBRATION. That means if you’re in the hospital, start planning what you’re going to do when you get out. If you lost some money when the stock market went down, start planning your coming-out-of-debt party. When things don’t look good in the natural, remember, we serve a SUPERNATURAL God. With God leading you into VICTORY, you can always plan for INCREASE. You can plan for RESTORATION. You can plan for a COMEBACK that will make you STRONGER AND BETTER than you ever were before!

Today’s Scripture:

“Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ…”

2 Corinthians 2:14, NKJV

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

I’M NOT PERFECT BUT I’M FORGIVEN, AND YOU CAN BE TOO!

GRACE is God’s unmerited FAVOR. It’s KINDNESS from Him that we do NOT deserve. Grace EMPOWERS us and STRENGTHENS us. No matter what has happened in your past, you can receive God’s grace and start fresh TODAY. You can hold your head up high because HIS grace is enough. You may not be perfect, but YOU are forgiven and empowered to live in VICTORY.

Today, RECEIVE His grace. Don’t hold on to PAST mistakes. Jesus has already PAID for them. All you have to do is receive His grace and THANK Him. Take it one step further and extend that grace to OTHERS. Don’t try to punish people for their past mistakes; instead, give them FAVOR to START OVER. As you allow God’s grace to flow through YOU, you’ll see YOURSELF rise higher, and you will enjoy God’s blessing ALL the days of your life!

Today’s Scripture:

“My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness…”

2 Corinthians 12:9, NKJV

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

CHOOSE TO BELIEVE THAT SOMETHING GOOD IS GOING TO HAPPEN TODAY

This morning when you woke up, what was the first thing that went through your mind? Maybe you have a deadline to meet or a big appointment at work. Maybe you are facing a challenge or going through a difficulty in a relationship that seems to consume your thoughts. Today, I want to ENCOURAGE you; instead of focusing on what your CIRCUMSTANCES have to offer, focus on what GOD has to offer you. His MERCIES are new every morning, and His COMPASSION never fails. He has VICTORY in store for you today; He has PROVISION in store for you today; He has JOY in store for you today, and He has PEACE in store for you today. He daily loads you with BLESSING!

The key to ACCESSING these daily benefits is setting your FOCUS in the right direction. You can’t WAIT to see how you feel, what kind of mood your spouse is in, what the traffic is like, or what the stock market is doing. No, you have to CHOOSE to set your focus by saying, “This is going to be a GREAT day. I am BLESSED and cannot be cursed! I know GOD is directing my steps; something GOOD IS going to happen to me today!

Today’s Scripture:

“Blessed be the Lord, who daily loads us with benefits…”

(Psalm 68:19, NKJV)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

GOD INVITES YOU TO COME TO HIM

So many people today are living uptight, worried and anxious about the future, filled with frustration and concern. In the natural there may be good reason, but understand, that is NOT God’s BEST. God doesn’t WANT us to live in anxiety and frustration; He wants us to live in PEACE. You can find rest in Him knowing that no matter what is happening AROUND you, GOD ALMIGHTY has His HAND on you.

The next time you’re tempted to worry or be anxious about something, remember this verse. God invites us to COME to Him. In fact, the Bible says He is a REWARDER of those who diligently SEEK Him. But notice, we can’t just come to Him any old way. He wants us to come to Him with a heart of GRATITUDE and THANKSGIVING. Begin by simply saying, “Father in heaven, thank You for the PRIVILEGE to come before You. Thank You for HEARING my prayers.” As you come to Him with an OPEN and HUMBLE heart, He will hear you and fill you with His peace and joy ALL the days of your life.

Today’s Scripture:

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”

(Philippians 4:6, NASB)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

WE CAN LIVE IN VICTORY IN THIS LIFE AND IN ETERNITY

Jesus went before us and paved the way for VICTORY. Because HE lives, WE can live in VICTORY in this life AND in ETERNITY. Not only can we live in VICTORY, we can help OTHERS live in victory, TOO. We can help the people AROUND us, and we can help the people who are coming AFTER us. We can store up MERCY, PEACE and BLESSIINGS for FUTURE generations.

The life we live should make it EASIER for the people AFTER us. By living a life of EXCELLENCE, we are leaving a mark for FUTURE generations. And really, that’s what matters most in ETERNITY. It’s good to leave an inheritance, but the most VALUABLE thing you can leave on this earth is a legacy of FAITH.

Today’s Scripture:

“Therefore know that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments.”

(Deuteronomy 7:9, NKJV)