THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

TRUST HIM

In John 11, Mary and Martha sent word to Jesus that their brother, Lazarus, was very sick. They thought He would come right away and HEAL Lazarus. But days passed, and Lazarus died. When Jesus showed up, Mary and Martha were so upset. They said, “Jesus, if You had been here, our brother would still be alive.” Against all apparent odds, Jesus went to the tomb and raised Lazarus from the dead.

Sometimes God will WAIT on purpose till the odds look way against you. You’re ready to BURY that dream or promise. You don’t see ANY way it could work out. But God’s ways are not OUR ways. Mary and Martha prayed for a healing, but God had a resurrection in mind. Maybe God’s not going to answer your prayers the way YOU thought. Maybe He has something better than you EVER dreamed. Trust HIM. Odds don’t DETERMINE what He can and cannot do.

Today’s Scripture

Then Jesus said, Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?

John 11:40, NIV

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

WHEN YOU DILIGENTLY SEEK GOD, HE PROMISES THAT A REWARD IS COMING..

When God is first place in your life, and you make pleasing Him your highest PRIORITY, then you can fully expect to live a BLESSED, FULFILLED life! In today’s verse, notice who God rewards. It’s not people who half-heartedly seek Him. It doesn’t say “people who only think about Him when they’re having a problem;” or “people who will only come to church when something special is going on.” No, God rewards people who EARNESTLY seek after Him. That means we are DETERMINED. We get up EVERY morning and thank Him for His goodness. We go through the day MEDITATING on His promises. We give Him PRAISE in the good times AND the tough times. We are constantly STRETCHING, GROWING, LEARNING and STRIVING to KNOW Him better.

Today, remember, when you DILIGENTLY seek God, He PROMISES that a reward is coming. He promises He will give you STRENGTH, WISDOM, FAVOR, good BREAKS, PROMOTION, HEALING and RESTORATION. When you seek Him with your WHOLE heart, you will FIND Him, and you won’t be able to OUTRUN His goodness and blessing!

Today’s Scripture:

“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him”

(Hebrews 11:6, NIV)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

YOU ARE AN ORIGINAL MASTERPIECE, LET YOUR GIFTS SHINE TODAY, AND EVERY DAY

When God created you, He put IN you EVERYTHING you need to fulfill your DESTINY. God is PRECISE. He’s intentional down to the SMALLEST detail, and when He laid out the plan for your life, He studied it CAREFULLY. He thought about what you would need, and what it would take to get you there, then He matched you with your world. He gave you the TALENT you need, the CREATIVITY, the STRENGTH. You’re the right SIZE, and you have the right LOOKS, the right PERSONALITY, and the right FAMILY.

Now don’t go around feeling shortchanged, as though somehow you’re LACKING, you didn’t get enough, or you can’t do what OTHERS can do. You are fully loaded and completely EQUIPPED for the race that’s been DESIGNED for you. Be who GOD created you to be. You have something to offer the world that NOBODY else has. Let your gifts SHINE. YOU are an original MASTERPIECE.

Today’s Scripture

For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

Ephesians 2:10, NLT

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

PUT GOD FIRST, AND GOOD THINGS WILL HAPPEN

Sometimes we get up in the morning and think, I don’t FEEL like reading my Bible today. I’m too tired to pray. But once you develop the HABIT and see the BENEFIT of how you feel REFRESHED and RESTORED, make better decisions, and have God’s FAVOR, you’ll think, I can’t afford NOT to do this. Spending time with GOD is that VITAL to living a victorious LIFE.

The Scripture says that in God’s presence there is fullness of JOY, fullness of PEACE, fullness of VICTORY. That’s where you’re REFRESHED and RESTORED. Take time to invest in your SPIRITUAL well-being by sitting quietly in God’s presence, praying and reading your Bible. When you get alone with God, the rest of your day will go much BETTER. All through the day, meditate on God’s PROMISES. Put on some good PRAISE music. Put GOD first and you won’t be able to CONTAIN all the good things He will bring across your path.

Today’s Scripture

You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Psalm 16:11, NKJV

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

GOD LOVES YOU RIGHT NOW, WITH A GREAT LOVE.

A lot of people live with an “I THINK God loves me” mentality because they base it on their PERFORMANCE. They think things like: “I went to church last weekend. I was kind to my neighbor. I think He loves me.” Sometimes we’re trying to clean ourselves up, trying hard to be GOOD enough, and THEN we’ll believe that God really loves us. The problem with this approach is that when we make mistakes, when we get off course, when we don’t PERFORM perfectly, we think God changes His mind about us.

Take the pressure OFF. God loves you right NOW with a GREAT love. It isn’t an “I think” love or a conditional love. The apostle Paul says that NOTHING can separate us from the love of God. Nothing you’ve DONE has changed God’s love. There’s nothing you can DO to make God love you any MORE or any LESS. It’s a GIFT. Just RECEIVE it by FAITH.

Today’s Scripture

God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.

Romans 5:8, NLT

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

YOU’RE NOT AVERAGE, YOUR FATHER CREATED WORLDS…

A while ago there was an advertisement for DNA testing that asked the question, “Who’s the father?” They can take your DNA, and out of the billions of people on earth, the chances of your DNA matching someone who’s not your family are so small that it’s inconceivable. In a similar way, when you gave your life to Christ, the Scripture talks about how you became a new CREATION. You were born into a NEW family. Imagine that somehow they could take a sample DNA from your heavenly Father, then a sample DNA from you, and run all the tests. The GOOD news is that it would come back a PERFECT match. PROVEN beyond all doubt, you are God’s child. You have His SPIRITUAL DNA.

Don’t you dare go around thinking that you’re average. Your Father created WORLDS . You come from a ROYAL bloodline. There’s NOTHING too much for you. You can ACCOMPLISH your dreams.

Today’s Scripture

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

2 Corinthians 5:17, NIV

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

DEPEND ON GOD, THERE’S NOTHING HE CAN’T DO

The best DECISION of your life was to live your life with GOD at the center. That was the ESSENTIAL first step to living at your FULL potential. Now the key to experiencing an EXTRAORDINARY life every day is to GROW in your relationship with God. In this Scripture, Jesus talks about how life with God is like a vine and its branches. When a branch is connected to the vine, it receives nourishment and LIFE. It’s able to produce fruit. In the same way, we have to stay connected to GOD so we can receive His STRENGTH and be EMPOWERED to accomplish all that He has for us. Jesus put it this way, “Without Me you can do NOTHING.”

So how do we stay CONNECTED? First, by ACKNOWLEDGING Him. By TALKING to Him. By READING and following His Word. See, when you acknowledge God, that’s a sign of HUMILITY. You’re saying, “God, I know You created the whole universe. You flung the stars into space. You tell every raindrop where to fall. I’m NOT here by accident. You breathed Your life into ME. You made me in Your image. You crowned me with Your FAVOR. God, I can’t DO this without You. I can’t make it on my own. I NEED You in my life.” When you show that kind of DEPENDENCY on God, there is NOTHING He won’t do for you. God will move heaven and earth to get you to where you’re supposed to be.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE:

“…apart from me you can do nothing.”

John 15:5, NIV

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

THE PAST IS THE PAST, LET IT GO AND LIVE IN PEACE

We’ve all had negative things happen to us. People did us wrong, the company let us go, someone was rude to us. It’s easy to go through life carrying offenses, trapped in self-pity, blaming ourselves and others. Because we’re always looking BACK, reliving the negative, we end up carrying around emotional baggage that weighs us down. One of the best things you can learn to do is DROP IT. Whether it happened twenty years ago or twenty minutes ago, don’t carry negative baggage from yesterday into today. Now do your part and LET IT GO.

Past hurts occurred ONCE. Don’t let them CONTINUE to hurt you by always THINKING about them. As long as you’re dwelling on the past, you’re going to miss “THE NEW THINGS” God wants to do. You need to be looking forward to NEW beginnings. But God will not release new OPPORTUNITIES as long as you’re reliving old hurts and old failures. LET IT GO!

Today’s Scripture

Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.

Isaiah 43:18–19, NIV

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

THE GREATEST “NEW START” COMES THROUGH JESUS CHRIST

With the new year comes fresh STARTS, RESOLUTIONS and new BEGINNINGS. It is a time for making PLANS, setting GOALS and writing VISIONS. But, the GREATEST “new start” of all comes through Jesus Christ. Second Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore, if ANY one is in Christ, he is a NEW creation; the old has passed away, behold the NEW has come.”

If you need a new beginning this year in any area of your life, allow Christ to make you a new creation, and the old WILL pass away! He will put a new and RIGHT spirit within you when you call on His name! This year, make your relationship with Him your NUMBER ONE PRIORITY. As you develop an intimacy with Him through daily prayer and the study of His Word, you will experience the JOY of NEWNESS of life!

Today’s Scripture:

“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.”

Psalms 51:10, ESV

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

GOD HAS SO MANY BLESSINGS IN STORE FOR YOU, IF YOU KNEW THEM ALL, YOU WOULD BE OVERWHELMED

God wants your year, your life and everything about you to be SUCCESSFUL and WONDERFUL. He wants you to be PRODUCTIVE, PROSPEROUS and FULFILLED in every way. God has SO many wonderful BLESSINGS in store for you that if you could know them all, you would be OVERWHELMED with His goodness. In 1 Chronicles, a man named Jabez called out on the Lord and asked for the blessings that he KNEW God had for him — and don’t you know, God ANSWERED his prayer! If Jabez could know God’s favor , then YOU can TODAY. The answer is simple, but AMAZING: you can ask the same FAVOR from the Lord. SEEK those blessings TODAY!!

Today’s Scripture:

“Now Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, ‘Oh that You would bless me indeed and enlarge my border, and that Your hand might be with me, and that You would keep me from harm that it may not pain me!’ And God granted him what he requested.”

1 Chronicles 4:10, NASB