THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

WHEN GOD TELLS YOU TO DO SOMETHING, JUST DO IT

When ten lepers saw Jesus walking through their village, they called out for Him to have mercy and HEAL them. Leprosy was a dreaded infectious skin disease that caused disfigurement of the skin and bones, twisting of the limbs, and curling of the fingers. Jesus told them to go show themselves to the priests, which they would NOMALLY do after they were HEALED. They COULD have thought, Once I SEE my healing, THEN I’ll go. But as they OBEYED Jesus’ word, parts of their bodies that had been dismembered and deformed were RESTORED to NORMAL. By the time they got to the priests, they were PERFECTLY well. When God tells YOU to do something, don’t DEBATE it, don’t try to figure it OUT, just DO it. When you OBEY, a blessing will ALWAYS follow. God has some of these UNUSUAL miracles for YOU—unusual FAVOR, unusual HEALING, unusual PROMOTION, unusual RESTORATION. NOTHING is too difficult for our GOD.

Today’s Scripture

Luke 17:14, NLT

He looked at them and said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed of their leprosy.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

KEEP BEING YOUR BEST WITH WHAT YOU HAVE

Sometimes when we’re being tested by discouragement, it seems God is SILENT. We pray and don’t HEAR anything. We read the Scripture and STILL come away feeling as though God is a MILLION miles away. It’s easy to think something must be wrong. But remember, this is a TEST. You have to pass the test of being FAITHFUL where you ARE. Keep STRETCHING, PRAYING, and BELIEVING. The next step IS coming—an INCREASE step, a FAVOR step, a HEALING step, a BREAKTHROUGH step. When God is SILENT, don’t assume He’s LEFT you or is MAD at you. He is right there WITH you during the test. His silence is a sign that He has great CONFIDENCE in you and He has PREPARED you, and now He is watching to see if you have LEARNED. He knows you will come through the test VICTORIOUSLY or He would not have PERMITTED you to be TESTED. Keep being your BEST with what you HAVE.

Today’s Scripture

James 1:3, NLT

For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

GOD’S GOING TO CAUSE YOU TO SHINE

In today’s Scripture Leah and her sister, Rachel, were both married to Jacob. Rachel was more BEAUTIFUL, so Jacob didn’t give Leah much time and ATTENTION. I’m sure she felt like she was INFERIOR, at a disadvantage, not GOOD enough. That doesn’t go unnoticed. God sees EVERY injustice, every WRONG, every TEAR. Leah went on to have four sons before Rachel had ONE. Having a son in those days was a big DEAL. God was saying, “Leah, I’m giving you sons who’ll cause Jacob to NOTICE you.” You may feel like someone else got all the good BREAKS, good CHILDHOOD, good LOOKS, good PERSONALITY. Don’t worry, your time is COMING. God has some ADVANTAGES for you that will cause YOU to stand out. You’re not going to ALWAYS live in the shadow of somebody more TALENTED, more BEAUTIFUL, more SUCCESSFUL. God’s going to cause you to SHINE. You’re going to EXCEL, you’re going to be KNOWN, you’re going to leave your MARK.

Today’s Scripture

Genesis 29:31, NIV

When the LORD saw that Leah was not loved, he enabled her to conceive, but Rachel remained childless.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

TAKE OFF THE MASK AND GET HONEST WITH YOURSELF

Facing the TRUTH about ourselves can be uncomfortable. It’s hard to ADMIT that the real reason we were so NICE to someone was because we wanted to get something FROM them. Or, that we may be smiling and congratulating a coworker for their PROMOTION, but on the INSIDE we think we deserve it MORE than they do. If you pull back the mask and get honest with yourself, THAT’S when you can deal with the HIDDEN issues that hold you BACK—the MOTIVES, the PRIDE, the JEALOUSY, the INSECURITY.

Are YOU wearing masks today? The apostle Paul says our lives should be open BOOKS. We’re NOT wearing masks, thinking one thing and saying ANOTHER. We’re not PERFECT, but we’re dealing with the ISSUES. We’re not PRETENDING. We’re REAL. What you see is what you GET. When you live OPENLY and HONESTLY, God will MAKE you and MOLD you into a vessel of HONOR and use you for His highest PURPOSES.

Today’s Scripture

2 Corinthians 4:2, MSG

We refuse to wear masks and play games. We don’t maneuver and manipulate behind the scenes…. Rather, we keep everything we do and say out in the open.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

GOD’S FACE SHINING DOWN ON YOU WILL CAUSE YOU TO STAND OUT

Joseph was betrayed by his brothers, taken to Egypt, and sold as a slave to Potiphar. DESPITE all the hardships, he kept his hope in the Lord and kept rising to the TOP. Joseph was so EXCELLENT in what he did that Potiphar saw the DISTINCTION and put him in charge of his whole HOUSEHOLD. Not only THAT, but Potiphar’s whole household was suddenly being blessed through Joseph BEING there. God wants to bless you in SUCH a way through His PRESENCE in your life that people NOTICE. When you get to work, He wants His distinctive FAVOR to show out in your life. When you show up, FAVOR shows up. Because of YOU, your FRIENDS will be blessed. The DISTINCTION God puts on your life is MORE powerful than a POSITION, than TITLES, than EDUCATION. God’s face shining down on you will not only cause YOU to stand OUT but it will also make the people AROUND you better.

Today’s Scripture

Genesis 39:3–5, NLT

Potiphar…realized that the LORD was with Joseph, giving him success in everything he did…. From the day Joseph was put in charge of his master’s household and property, the LORD began to bless Potiphar’s household for Joseph’s sake.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

BELIEVE TO SEE THE GOODNESS OF GOD AND HE’LL GIVE YOU SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT…..

King David said, “What would have happened to me if I had not BELIEVED to see the goodness of God?” I wonder how many blessings WE’RE missing out on, how much FAVOR, how much INCREASE we’re not seeing simply because we’re not EXPECTING it. We’re not releasing our FAITH. Right NOW there are BLESSINGS that have your name on them. There is PROMOTION stored up, HEALING stored up, VINDICATION stored up, a HOUSE stored up. God has already DESTINED them to be yours. But if you think, I’ll NEVER get married. I’ll never pay my HOUSE off. I’ve made TOO many mistakes. God would never bless ME, that is going to keep you from God’s BEST. Why don’t you try a different APPROACH and say, “God, I BELIEVE You have some SURPRISES in my future. I believe I’ll see Your goodness in a NEW way.” When you live with this EXPECTANCY, that’s when God will give you something to TALK about.

Today’s Scripture

Psalm 31:19, NLT

How great is the goodness you have stored up for those who fear you. You lavish it on those who come to you for protection, blessing them before the watching world.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

GOD WOULDN’T ALLOW IT IF HE COULDN’T BRING GOOD OUT OF IT

Sometimes it’s best to leave things alone. As long as you’re probing around your hurts and disappointments, trying to figure out why something happened, you’re NEVER going to heal. You have to LET IT GO and say, “God, I don’t UNDERSTAND it, but I’m NOT going to keep trying to figure it OUT. I know that You wouldn’t ALLOW it if You couldn’t bring GOOD out of it, so I’m going to leave it with YOU.” We should have a file in our THINKING called “I Don’t Understand It.” When things come up that don’t make sense and you can’t find an ANSWER, instead of trying to figure it out, getting confused and FRUSTRATED, just put it in your “I Don’t Understand It” file and move FORWARD. If you make the mistake of going through life trying to figure out why something BAD happened, why something DIDN’T work out, why your prayer WASN’T answered, that’s going to POISON your LIFE.

Today’s Scripture

Proverbs 3:5, MSG

Trust GOD from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

WHEN YOU DON’T SEE A WAY OUT, TALK ABOUT GOD’S GREATNESS

Many people spend a lot of time talking about and RELIVING their past mistakes and hurts. Here’s the problem. You’re remembering the wrong THINGS. NOwhere in the Scripture are we told to remember our defeats, failures, or bad breaks. It’s time to quit THINKING and TALKING about it. All that it’s doing is DEPRESSING you. David says in Psalm 34, “Let all who are discouraged take HEART.” He goes on to tell us HOW to do it. “Come, let’s talk about God’s GREATNESS. I prayed and the Lord ANSWERED me.” He was saying, “When you’re discouraged, when you don’t see a way out, talk about God’s GREATNESS—NOT about your problems, not about what DIDN’T work out. Talk about your ANSWERED prayers, the times God HEALED you, PROMOTED you, STOPPED the accidents, and turned the problems AROUND. Talk about the Red Seas that have been PARTED.” When you’re remembering your VICTORIES, you’re going to move forward in FAITH.

Today’s Scripture

1 Chronicles 29:11, NLT

“Yours, O LORD, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty. Everything in the heavens and on earth is yours, O LORD, and this is your kingdom. We adore you as the one who is over all things.”

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

THE MOMENT GOD SAID IT, HE RELEASED IT

A government official had come to Jesus BEGGING Him to come heal his son who was close to death. Jesus didn’t pray or take a lot of time, but matter-of-factly DECLARED that the boy was HEALED and he should go home. The whole time walking back home, the man COULD have thought, I don’t know if it’s going to happen, He didn’t even pray. But he simply took God at His word and later found that his son HAD been healed at the exact time Jesus said to him, “Your son lives.” Like this man, there are promises God has spoken to YOU, things in your heart that you KNOW are going happen—HEALING, PROMOTION, divine CONNECTIONS. Make the decision you’re NOT going to worry, you’re NOT going to go around DOUBTING, thinking it’s never going to happen. Stay in faith KNOWING that the moment God SAID it, He RELEASED it. It’s ALREADY in your future and is headed your WAY.

Today’s Scripture

John 4:50–51, MSG

Jesus simply replied, “Go home. Your son lives.” The man believed the bare word Jesus spoke and headed home. On his way back, his servants intercepted him and announced, “Your son lives!”

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

GOD HAS A HEDGE OF PROTECTION, MERCY AND FAVOR AROUND YOU THAT THE ENEMY CANNOT CROSS

Today’s Scripture doesn’t say that we WON’T have difficulties. That’s not reality. It says, “The problem may FORM, people may TALK, you may get a negative medical REPORT, but you can stay in peace, knowing it’s NOT going to PROSPER against you.” Because you’re God’s CHILD, because you’re in the SECRET place of the Most High, God has a hedge of PROTECTION, MERCY, and FAVOR around you that the enemy cannot CROSS. NO person, no SICKNESS, no TROUBLE, and no force of DARKNESS can stop GOD’S plan for your life. When YOU face these challenges and you’re tempted to worry, tell yourself: “This problem may have FORMED, they may be trying to make me LOOK bad, but I’m NOT worried. This medical report may not look good, but I have a promise from Almighty God that it is NOT going to PROSPER. He has me in the palms of His HANDS. I’m staying in PEACE. God and I are a MAJORITY.”

Today’s Scripture

Isaiah 54:17, NLT

“No weapon turned against you will succeed. You will silence every voice raised up to accuse you. These benefits are enjoyed by the servants of the LORD.”