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

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

IF YOU DON’T GET HAPPY WHERE YOU ARE…

YOU’LL NEVER GET TO WHERE YOU WANT TO BE….

Are you enjoying LIFE? If not, maybe it’s because you are taking for granted what you already HAVE. You may think, “Well, I can’t enjoy my life. I’ve got too many problems.” Let me encourage you not to focus on what you DON’T have and begin focusing on the GOOD things in your life. Take just a moment today and thank God for your HEALTH and STRENGTH. If you suddenly lost your health and felt miserable, you would be OVERJOYED to be in the same position you are today. Thank God for your JOB—it may be difficult at times, but it’s one source of God’s PROVISION for your needs. Thank God for the BLESSINGS you have right NOW. Nothing will hinder your relationship with the Lord and stop you from going to the next level more than having an ungrateful ATTITUDE.

The apostle Paul said he had to “LEARN” to be CONTENT. It’s a CHOICE we have to make. This mighty man of God discovered the secret of TRUE happiness—ENJOY life REGARDLESS of your circumstances. If you don’t get happy where you ARE, you will NEVER get to where you want to be. Learn to enjoy EVERY stage of life’s journey. Have a GRATEFUL attitude and be CONTENT no matter WHERE you are. If you DO, God will take you to VICTORY, and you’ll live the abundant, JOY-filled life He has in store for you.

Today’s Scripture

…I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.

Philippians 4:11, NASB

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

YOUR DESTINY STANDS BEFORE YOU, DON’T PUT IT OFF

God will never ask you to do something without giving you the ability to do it. You may get passive or complacent and think, “Yes, I know I need to do that. Maybe next week.” Well, next week turns into next month. Next month turns into next year. When we put off what God has told us to do, we miss that season of GRACE. But, if you’ll DEAL with things as soon as God brings them to light, you’ll have a special GRACE, a special EMPOWERMENT. You’ll feel God’s ENABLING power HELPING you to do it.

Today, is there something you’re putting off? Something you know in heart that you are supposed to do? Don’t let the season of GRACE pass. Don’t let complacency destroy you. Your DESTINY stands before you. God has something AMAZING in your future. Be BOLD, be STRONG. Step out in FAITH, be OBEDIENT, and EMBRACE the good things God has in store for you!

Today’s Scripture:

“For the turning away of the simple will slay them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them.”

(Proverbs 1:32, NKJV)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

WHEN WE HAVE GOD’S FAVOR, WE HAVE EVERYTHING

Friends, SUCCESS in this life isn’t necessarily about how popular, influential or educated someone is. SUCCESS is about living a life of EXCELLENCE in obedience to God’s Word. When we step out to do what God has called us to do, scripture says that His favor surrounds us like a SHIELD. When we have His FAVOR, we have everything, and we have an ADVANTAGE for success!

God’s FAVOR opens the right DOORS. His favor will bring good BREAKS. The favor of God will cause you to ACCOMPLISH what you could not accomplish on your own. It gives you an EDGE. Now, if you’re going to see the gracious hand of God at work in your life, you can’t go through the day feeling intimidated, thinking that you’re average, looking around and comparing yourself to everyone else. No, you have to LIVE like you have His FAVOR, THINK like you have favor, TALK like you have favor, WALK like you have favor, DRESS like you have favor! Not arrogantly. Not in a way that portrays that you’re better than somebody else, but with a quiet CONFIDENCE knowing that you have the gracious hand of God on your life! LIVE like you’ve GOT IT because you DO!

Today’s Scripture:

“…his favor lasts a lifetime…”

(Psalm 30:5, NIV)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

MAN LOOKS AT THE OUTSIDE, BUT GOD LOOKS AT THE HEART

This time of year, people often take time to reflect and set goals for the New Year. But have you ever set “PERFECTION” as a goal on your list?

Now, that may seem a little strange or unobtainable to many, but really, in God’s eyes PERFECTION isn’t about performance. In fact, it isn’t about behavior at all. What God is looking for is a heart that is perfect toward HIM. Scripture says that man looks on the outside, but God looks at the heart. That means that He is more pleased with someone who has a heart toward HIM who may mess up than He is with someone doing all the right THINGS for all the wrong REASONS.

The condition of your heart is EXTREMELY important to God. When you have a RIGHT heart, you are HUMBLE before Him. You seek HIS ways. You get up each day with a DESIRE to please Him. You submit EVERY area of your life to Him, and you are willing to make adjustments and receive CORRECTION so you can GROW and come up higher.

As you prepare for the coming year, make knowing Him your number one PRIORITY. YIELD yourself to Him and let HIM shape your character. SERVE Him with all your might and let your heart be PERFECT toward Him!

Today’s Scripture:

“…I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.”

(Psalm 101:2, NKJV)