THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

GOD LONGS TO PROTECT AND DEFEND US AND GIVE US HIS STRENGTH

Where do you take refuge when the storms of LIFE come? Where do you go for COMFORT and SAFETY? Some people find it easy to turn to their friends, their job, or even a bowl of ice cream. There’s nothing wrong with any of those things, but God wants us to turn to HIM first. He wants us to take REFUGE in Him. He longs to PROTECT us, DEFEND us and give us His STRENGTH. We serve a GOOD God, and when we take refuge in HIM, He will pour out His abundant BLESSING in our lives.

Taste and see that the Lord is GOOD, and His PROMISES are good. When you turn to God, the Bible PROMISES that you will find rest and refuge for your SOUL. No matter what you may be facing today, come to the Father. He will give you His PEACE and STRENGTH as you take REFUGE in Him.

Today’s Scripture:

“Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!”

(Psalm 34:8, ESV)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

WHEN YOU WALK AND TALK LIKE YOU’RE BLESSED, THEN YOU’LL LIVE LIKE YOU’RE BLESSED

Your words have tremendous POWER. No matter what you may be facing today, the words of your mouth can help set the course for VICTORY or defeat. When you wake up with an attitude of FAITH and EXPECTANCY and declare that GOD is your refuge, you will be strengthened and empowered by His SPIRIT. When you TALK like you are blessed, when you WALK like you are blessed, then you will LIVE like you are blessed!

Understand that your WORDS are like seeds. When you DECLARE favor and blessing, you are SOWING favor and blessing, and you will reap a HARVEST of favor and blessing in return. That’s why its so important to take inventory of what you are SAYING on a regular basis. Even when challenges and obstacles arise, you have to rise up and say, “If God is FOR me, who can be AGAINST me?” EVERY DAY, let go of the weeds of unforgiveness and bitterness. Water YOUR seed with the Word of GOD so you can move FORWARD into the ABUNDANT life He has in store for you!

Today’s Scripture:

“I will say of the LORD, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust [with great confidence, and on whom I rely]!'”

(Psalm 91:2, AMP)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

AS BELIEVERS, WE ARE EMPOWERED BY THE SAME SPIRIT THAT RAISED CHRIST FROM THE DEAD

When you REFLECT something, you are exhibiting its LIKENESS. You are displaying its CHARACTERISTICS. Like a mirror, the Bible tells us that we should reflect the character and LIKENESS of Jesus. We should have His same ATTITUDE.

That may sound like a pretty tall order; after all, Jesus was the Son of GOD. But remember, when we accept Him as our Lord and Savior, WE become sons and daughters of God, TOO. We become EMPOWERED by the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead. That means we have the same POWER, the same spirit of HUMILITY, the same STRENGTH, and the same LOVE on the inside. We are EQUIPPED to follow His example and do what HE did. What did He do? Scripture says that Jesus went around doing GOOD and bringing HEALING to others; physically, spiritually AND emotionally.

Notice that today’s verse starts by saying, “LET…” In other words, WE have to open the door for God to work in our lives. We have to be the ones to humbly invite HIM in. Let that be your goal today—open your HEART to Him so you can REFLECT HIM in your attitude and actions!

Today’s Scripture:

“Have this same attitude in yourselves which was in Christ Jesus [look to Him as your example in selfless humility].”

(Philippians 2:5, AMP)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

YOUR BODY IS GOD’S TEMPLE, HONOR HIM WITH THE CARE YOU TAKE OF IT

There is no doubt that being in shape SPIRITUALLY is the most important kind of FITNESS. But being in shape PHYSICALLY is very important as well. Some people know the BIBLE well – they pray often and know what TO do, but they don’t have the physical ENERGY to do anything at ALL. All THREE parts of your being – physical, emotional and spiritual – should be HEALTHY and in SYNC for you to function most productively. Your body is the TEMPLE of the Most High God, and you must HONOR Him with the care you take of it. Seek a balance, and try to be HEALTHY and God-honoring in EVERY part of life.

Today’s Scripture:

“For God has bought you with a great price. So use every part of your body to give glory back to God because he owns it.”

(1 Corinthians 6:20, TLB)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

GOD LOVES YOU, AND IS WORKING THINGS TOGETHER FOR YOUR GOOD

God has a PLAN to take every adversity and every hardship you go through and USE it. He’s NOT going to beat you down and make your life miserable. No, God’s DREAM is to take that difficulty and SUPERNATURALLY turn it around and use it to bring you GOOD. He will use those tough times to bring you out STRONGER, more MATURE and prepared for PROMOTION! GOODNESS, MERCY and unfailing LOVE are God’s plan for you!

You may not understand everything that’s going on in your life right now, but I encourage you to keep your head held HIGH. Know that God IS working in your life. Keep being FAITHFUL. Keep doing the right thing, knowing that in the end God is going to turn things around in your favor. If God is FOR you, who can be AGAINST you? NO ONE. Greater is the One who is IN you than ANYONE who can be against you. No matter what’s going on AROUND you today, you can put your shoulders back and put a smile on your face because God IS working things together for your GOOD because He LOVES you!

Today’s Scripture:

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

(Romans 8:28, NIV)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

THE MORE YOU SOW, THE GREATER THE HARVEST WILL BE

The Lord has crowned your year with BOUNTY and GOODNESS! That means there is an ABUNDANT supply for WHATEVER you may need spiritually, physically, emotionally AND financially. He has also set up a SYSTEM by which to BLESS you. It’s the system of seed time and harvest. If you have a need in your life, sow a SEED. For example, if you’re lonely and need FRIENDS, sow a seed by being a friend TO someone. If you have a FINANCIAL need, pray and ask the Lord where you should sow a financial SEED. The Bible says to GIVE, and it shall be given unto YOU; good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running OVER. That’s God crowning your year with BOUNTY and GOODNESS. Do you need MERCY? SOW seeds of mercy. The more you sow, the greater the harvest you will REAP. Remember, He’s ALREADY crowned your year with His goodness. Take a step of FAITH today and sow a SEED!

Today’s Scripture:

“You crown the year with Your bounty and goodness…”

(Psalm 65:11, AMPC)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

KEEP TRUSTING BECAUSE GOD IS READY TO BLESS YOU IN UNEXPECTED WAYS TODAY

Our God is a REWARDER of those who SEEK Him! When you keep God FIRST PLACE and do your best to HONOR Him, Scripture says, “His blessings will chase you down and OVERTAKE you.” That means you will come into INCREASE, PROMOTION and good breaks that you didn’t necessarily DESERVE. That’s God REWARDING you for walking in HIS ways.

We see this principle in the Old Testament with Ruth. She was out in the fields following behind the workers and gathering up the leftover wheat that they missed. She was trying to take care of her mother-in-law, Naomi, but they were barely surviving. One day, the owner of the fields told the workers to leave handfuls of wheat on purpose for Ruth. Ruth came into BLESSING that were simply dropped at her feet.

Every one of us can look back and see times where God has left us HANDFULS on purpose—something that we didn’t deserve or even ASK for. We just STUMBLED into it. That’s a “HANDFUL ON PURPOSE.” I encourage you to always keep your expectancy UP. Keep TRUSTING God and obeying His VOICE because He is ready to bless you in UNEXPECTED ways today!

Today’s Scripture:

“And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of the Lord your God.”

(Deuteronomy 28:2, ESV)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

THOSE WHO HOPE IN THE LORD, WILL NEVER BE PUT TO SHAME

Where are you dwelling in YOUR heart today? In other words, what are you expecting to HAPPEN in your life? What kind of ATTITUDE do you have? If your thoughts are stuck and you’re focused on what’s WRONG or what’s NOT working, then it’s time to make a MOVE! It’s time to pack up your belongings and move OUT of the land of discouragement. It’s time to move out of the “Not-going-to-HAPPEN” subdivision and move out of “Can’t-DO-it-ville.” It’s time to pack your bags and move into the land of HOPE, FAITH and EXPECTATION!

Every time you catch a negative thought, and instead, dwell on God’s PROMISES, it’s like you are packing your bags. Every time you declare God’s FAITHFULNESS, you are taking a step in the RIGHT direction. The Bible says that those who HOPE in the Lord will NEVER be put to shame. As you turn your focus toward HIM, you are dwelling in the Land of HOPE—a land where His PEACE, BLESSING and VICTORY reside.

Today’s Scripture:

“…my flesh also will dwell in hope.”

(Acts 2:26, ESV)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

DON’T ALLOW THE ATTITUDES OF OTHERS TO HOLD YOU BACK

One time Isaac was in a famine. There was a great drought in the land, but Isaac went out and planted crops right in the middle of that famine. It didn’t make any sense, but somehow in that same year of drought, the Scripture says, “Isaac received 100 times what he had sown because the Lord BLESSED him.”

What’s interesting is that when Isaac got blessed, the people AROUND him, the Philistines and his friends all of the sudden got jealous of him. They were fine as long as he was broke. As long as they were at the same LEVEL, it was no big deal. But when he stepped up to a NEW level, when he began to wear his blessings WELL, the Scripture says, “The Philistines HATED Isaac.”

Maybe you’ve noticed this in YOUR own life. When YOU start to do better, the people around you don’t CELEBRATE. They become JEALOUS. But you can’t allow the attitudes of others to hold YOU back and cause you to live in mediocrity. Instead, when you’re BLESSED, brag on GOD! Shake off the criticism of others and receive His BLESSING. Wear it WELL because when you honor HIM, He will continue to INCREASE and PROMOTE you all the days of your life!

Today’s Scripture:

“Isaac planted crops in that land and the same year reaped a hundredfold, because the LORD blessed him.”

(Genesis 26:12, NIV)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

GOD WANTS TO BLESS YOU ABUNDANTLY SO THAT YOU CAN BLESS OTHERS

Do you need more PEACE, JOY or PROVISION in your life? We serve a God who is MORE than enough, and He HAS more than enough!

The original Hebrew word in this verse is El Shaddai which means “the All-Sufficient One” or the God of PLENTY. In other words, our God is MORE than enough! He’s not worried about how He’s going to meet your needs. He’s not wondering how He’s going to provide for you. He’s already OVERFLOWING with EVERYTHING you need in this life, and He LONGS to bless you. Do you know why? He wants to bless you ABUNDANTLY so that you can turn around and be a blessing to OTHER people. He wants you to be His REFLECTION in the earth.

Today, keep an attitude of FAITH and EXPECTANCY. Remember, you serve the ALMIGHTY God. He promises to supply ALL of your needs because He is El Shaddai, the God of MORE than enough!

Today’s Scripture:

“…the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, ‘I am God Almighty…”

(Genesis 17:1, ESV)