THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

LOOK FOR WAYS TO WALK IN UNITY WITH THE PEOPLE IN YOUR LIFE

Strife is a very destructive force. It can creep into relationships by starting small, maybe through a comment or a wrong look from someone, and it can then escalate into something much bigger. But when you choose to CEASE from strife and OVERLOOK an offense, you are acting HONORABLY, and you are honoring GOD.

How do you AVOID strife? Scripture tells us that LOVE covers over many offenses. Love gives people the benefit of the doubt. Maybe someone was short with you at the office, but they may also have a loved one in the hospital. Instead of getting upset, walk in love—be PATIENT, be KIND to them. Extend GRACE.

Today, look for ways to walk in UNITY with the people in your life. When we walk in unity, there is a commanded BLESSING. Always AVOID strife and choose PEACE and watch the hand of God move MIGHTILY in your life!

Today’s Scripture:

“It is an honor for a man to cease from strife…”

Proverbs 20:3, KJV

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

TODAY IS THE DAY FOR NEW GARMENTS!

Do you need a new GARMENT today? I’m not talking about a PHYSICAL garment. I’m talking about what’s covering your MIND and EMOTIONS. When you feel that heaviness and discouragement are trying to overtake you, the first thing to do is take OFF the old coat of heaviness and put on a NEW coat of PRAISE. When you put on the garment of praise, that spirit of heaviness HAS to go. Sometimes you won’t FEEL like being grateful. That’s why God says to offer up the SACRAFICE of praise. God knew it would not always be easy. You will have to dig your heels in and say, “God, I’m tired and discouraged, but I know YOU are GOOD. You are good ALL the time, so I choose to give You PRAISE.”

Today is the day for NEW garments! Thank Him for RESTORING you, even if you don’t see it yet. As this verse says, you will be called an oak of RIGHTEOUSNESS, STRONG and SECURE, and you will display the SPLENDOR of the Lord!

Today’s Scripture:

“Provide for those who grieve…a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.”
Isaiah 61:3, NIV

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

GOD WANTS TO GIVE YOU A LIFE, EXCEEDINGLY ABUNDANTLY ABOVE ALL YOU COULD ASK OR THINK

God wants to do EXCEEDINGLY ABUNDANTLY above all you can ever ask, think or IMAGINE. In another place in scripture, it says that no person has ever seen, heard or even IMAGNINED the wonderful things that God has in store for those who love the Lord. But notice that it’s “according to the power working IN us.” God’s power works in us by our FAITH, how we BELIEVE. Do you BELIEVE that God wants to work in your life EXCEEDINGLY ABUNDANTLY above all YOU could ask or think? Do you believe He wants to OVERWHELM you with His GOODNESS and BLESSING?

The Bible says that if we have faith the size of a tiny mustard seed, we can move MOUNTAINS. And no matter how much faith we have, faith can GROW in us as we hear, study and receive the Word of God.

Today, make God’s Word a PRIORITY. Believe that He will do exceedingly abundantly above ALL you can ask or think. He is FAITHFUL to His Word, and He will be FAITHFUL to fulfill every promise He’s made to YOU!

Today’s Scripture:

“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”

Ephesians 3:20-21, NKJV

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

LOOK OUT WITH YOUR EYES OF FAITH, YOUR DELIVERER IS COMING!

God is a mighty DELIVERER! Today, you may feel afflicted, overwhelmed or burdened by the cares of life. Know this: God is working to bring you OUT of that difficult situation. It may not be in the way YOU thought, but you have to trust that God has YOUR best interest at HEART.

Afflictions can take on many forms—a sickness or hardship, a temptation, a difficult coworker or contentious family member. There are so many things that can come against us. Remember, those afflictions are only TEMPORARY. Stand in FAITH today believing that God IS on your side. It doesn’t matter what your CIRCUMSTANCES look like, why don’t you get up every morning and say, “This is the day that the LORD has made; I WILL rejoice and be GLAD in it!” You may not feel like rejoicing in the MOMENT, but if you’ll look out with your eyes of FAITH, you’ll see your DELIVERER is COMING. As you stand and trust the Lord, He will EMPOWER you to overcome ALL of those afflictions, and you’ll see His hand of BLESSING in EVERY area of your life.

Today’s Scripture:

“Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all.”

(Psalm 34:19, NKJV)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

CHOOSE TO SET YOUR DAY IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION

Did you know that every morning you have the opportunity to set the tone for your WHOLE day? When you put God FIRST and decide to go out with a grateful ATTITUDE and a POSITIVE frame of mind, not only will you FEEL better, but you’re going to draw in the GOOD things of God. You are paving the way for SUCCESS and VICTORY. But if you get up thinking, “Man, life’s a drag. Nothing good EVER happens to me. It’s going to be a lousy day,” then you are going to ATTRACT defeat, failure and mediocrity.

Today, CHOOSE to set your day in the right direction. Find something to THANK God for. If you have to, make a list of all the GOOD things in your life and post it on your bathroom mirror. As you continually CHOOSE to set your mind on HIM first thing in the morning, you’ll pave the way to VICTORY and enjoy the GOOD things He has in store for YOU!

Today’s Scripture:

“In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.”

Psalm 5:3, NIV

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

GO OUT TODAY AND EVERY DAY, EXPECTING GOOD THINGS

Everyone goes through seasons of WAITING. A lot of times, people just sit back and wait for God to do EVERYTHING. But, you have to remember to do YOUR part and make PREPARATIONS. You have to TALK like it’s going to happen and ACT like it’s going to happen. Some people might say, “Well, Mark, what if I do this and it DOESN’T happen?” But I say what if you do and it DOES happen? And even if things don’t turn out the way YOU had hoped, you’d still be better off living your life POSITIVE and HOPEFUL than you would to go around down and discouraged.

I love what David said in the Bible, “God, my times are in YOUR hands.” He was saying, “God, I don’t know when it’s going to happen, but I know You know what’s BEST for me.” I’m going to go out today EXPECTING good things. And even if it doesn’t happen, I’m not going to go to bed all disappointed. I’m going to go to bed knowing that I’m one day CLOSER to seeing my DREAMS and DESIRES come to pass!

Today’s Scripture:

“…Prepare the way for the Lord…”

(Isaiah 40:3, NIV)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

WHEN YOU’RE WAITING THE CORRECT WAY, YOU’RE ON THE LOOKOUT

Are you waiting for God to do something in your life? One thing I’ve learned is that waiting should NOT be a passive thing. When we’re waiting the CORRECT way, we’re on the LOOKOUT. We TALK like what we are believing for is going to happen. We ACT like it’s going to happen. We’re making PREPARATIONS.

It’s just like when you’re expecting someone for dinner; you don’t wait until they show up before you decide to start cooking. Most likely you start early in the day. You make sure the house is clean, you go to the grocery store, and maybe buy some flowers for the table. You make PREPARATIONS because you’re EXPECTING someone. Well, that’s the attitude we need to have while we’re waiting for God’s PROMISES to come to pass. As you put ACTIONS behind your PRAYERS, your faith comes ALIVE and opens the door for God to move MIGHTILY on your behalf.

Today’s Scripture:

“…faith without works is dead.”

James 2:20, NKJV

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

SET YOUR MIND ON THINGS ABOVE

Sometimes when people look toward the FUTURE, they don’t see how they will EVER rise higher or fulfill their DESTINY. That’s because they are looking at things in the earthly, NATURAL realm. But if we’ll set our minds HIGHER, if we’ll set our minds on things ABOVE, we will have a DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE.

We walk by FAITH and NOT by sight. In other words, we have to BELIEVE it before we’re ever going to SEE it. If we walk only by what we see in the NATURAL realm, we can easily allow circumstances and FEAR to keep us from moving forward. But when we set our minds HIGHER, we are walking by FAITH, and we can see things GOD’S way.

Make the DECISION to set your mind on things ABOVE. Focus on the GOOD things God has in store. Be DETERMINED to close the door on fear and doubt and choose to listen to that INNER prompting of the Holy Spirit. WALK and LIVE by FAITH and set your mind on HIGHER things!

Today’s Scripture:

“Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”

Colossians 3:2, NIV

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

OUR GOD IS GREATER THAN ANY STRUGGLE WE FACE

We all go through seasons of difficulty and face storms in life. But during those times, we have to REMEMBER that Almighty God is GREATER than any struggle we face! He’ll take those challenges and use them to STRENGTHEN us, but we have to do OUR part and take a step of FAITH toward the VICTORY.

Think about the caterpillar before it becomes a butterfly. When it’s wrapped in its dark cocoon on the backside of some tree, it doesn’t look like it has many OPTIONS. But inside that cocoon as it becomes a butterfly, it doesn’t just sit and wait for someone to come and let it out. No, that butterfly knows that it has to make a MOVE if it’s going to be set FREE to fly. In the same way, we have to DO something to get out of the confining places WE are in. We have to PRAY, we have to BELIEVE, and we have to PRESS THROUGH to victory.

Today, no matter what YOU may be facing, remember HIS GRACE is sufficient for you. His STRENGTH is made perfect IN you. He has given you EVERYTHING you need to OVERCOME in this life. NOW is the time to break free and RISE to NEW levels because He has VICTORY and BLESSING prepared for you!

Today’s Scripture:

“And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness’…”

(2 Corinthians 12:9a, NKJV)