THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

HONOR THE LORD WITH YOUR BODY

Scripture says that your body is a TEMPLE of the Holy Spirit, and we are to honor the Lord with our BODIES. How do you do that? You take CARE of it. You RESPECT it. You treat it as VALUABLE. You use your body to bring Him GLORY. When you stand strong against temptation, you are HONORING the Lord with your body. When you take care of yourself by eating properly and getting enough sleep, you are honoring the Lord with your body. You are saying, “Lord, thank You for this gift of LIFE. I am choosing to take care of myself so that I can SERVE You with my whole HEART, MIND and STRENGTH.”

As we enter into the new year, many people make new GOALS about their health. Let this be an ENCOURAGEMENT to you to stay on track with GOOD habits. As you honor the Lord with your body, you will be STRENGTHENED and EMPOWERED by His peace. You’ll be able to stand against temptation and embrace the GOOD things He has in store for you!

Today’s Scripture:

“You were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.”
(1 Corinthians 6:20, NLT)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

GOD LOVES YOU AND MADE A WAY FOR YOU TO HAVE ETERNAL LIFE

There’s a story in scripture about a time when the children wanted to RUN to Jesus, but the adults, thinking they were helping, kept them away from Him. When Jesus saw what was going on, He said, “Let them come to me!” Jesus LOVES children. He says that children are the example of FAITH and TRUST that we should FOLLOW. Like the children, WE should always run to Him. We should always TRUST Him. We should always find SAFETY in His loving arms.

It’s interesting that the scripture says “the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to THEM.” This tells me that little children are always welcome in heaven, TOO. Those young ones who leave the earth before they are old enough to have an understanding of what it means to be SAVED are received with OPEN arms.

Today, if you aren’t sure where you would spend eternity if this were your last day on earth, I want you to know that God LOVES you and made a way for you to have eternal LIFE.

Today’s Scripture:

“Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”
(Matthew 19:14, NIV)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

GOD’S NOT MAD AT YOU, HE’S MADLY IN LOVE WITH YOU

In the natural, when we’ve WRONGED someone, sometimes it’s easier to avoid them than to face the discomfort or potential rejection. Oftentimes, people have this same approach to GOD. Have you ever heard someone say, “If I walk into church, the ROOF will cave in?” They think they should keep their distance because of the wrong they’ve done. But nothing could be further from the TRUTH! God’s not MAD at you; He’s madly in LOVE with you! He’s waiting for you with open ARMS. It doesn’t matter who you ARE or what you’ve DONE; know that His goodness is what’s DRAWING you to Him.

Today, don’t let condemnation keep you from going to God. Trust His KINDNESS. He wants you to experience His GOODNESS. He wants to show you His FAITHFULNESS. He’s promised He’ll NEVER leave you nor forsake you. Turn to Him today and let Him pour His loving KINDNESS out on you and EMPOWER you to live the GOOD life that He has planned for you!

Today’s Scripture:

“…the goodness of God leads you to repentance.”
(Romans 2:4, NKJV)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

GOD IS A REWARDER OF THOSE WHO DILIGENTLY SEEK AFTER HIM

After Jesus was born, the Bible tells us in Matthew chapter two that Wise Men came from the East to bow before Him and worship Him. They went to great lengths just to get a glimpse of the Child and traveled a long distance for many months, following the star. When they saw Him, they were so OVERWHELMED. The scripture says they fell on their faces to HONOR and WORSHIP Him.

The FEAR of the Lord is the beginning of WISDOM. That means that we should have a reverential HONOR and RESPECT for Him—just like the Wise Men did. We are WISE when we set everything else in life aside in order to seek Him. We are wise when we WORSHIP Him and give Him EVERYTHING that we are. We are wise when we take time to HONOR Him. Remember, God is a REWARDER of the people who DILIGENTLY seek after Him. As you continue to put Him FIRST in all you do, you’ll increase in WISDOM and DISCERNMENT, and you’ll move forward into the life of BLESSING He has in store for you.

Today’s Scripture:

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”
(Proverbs 9:10, NIV)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

WHEN WE GIVE JESUS OUR ABSOLUTE BEST, IT IS TRULY AN ACT OF WORSHIP

Can you imagine what it must have been like for the Wise Men when they saw Jesus? He was just a child in a stable surrounded by animals, but these Wise Men recognized that He was the King of kings and the Lord of lords; the Savior of the world. Immediately, they fell on their faces to worship Him, but notice what they did next—they presented Him gifts as part of their worship. And they didn’t just give any old thing they had; they gave Him their absolute best—costly gold, frankincense and myrrh.

When we give Jesus our ABSOLUTE best—our TIME, TALENT and RESOURCES, it is truly an act of WORSHIP. We are saying with our actions, “God, You mean more to me than anything. Because You are SO awesome, I want to give You EVERYTHING that I am.” It pleases Him when we come to Him with this attitude. When we draw NEAR to Him with an open and HUMBLE heart, He draws near to US. Remember, when you give Him your BEST, He gives you HIS best in return.

Today’s Scripture:

“And on going into the house, they saw the Child with Mary His mother, and they fell down and worshiped Him. Then opening their treasure bags, they presented to Him gifts–gold and frankincense and myrrh.”
(Matthew 2:11 AMP)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

WHATEVER YOU NEED TODAY REMEMBER, WHEN JESUS CAME, HE MADE A WAY…..

When Jesus came to earth, He brought with Him EVERYTHING you need to be empowered to live a life of VICTORY. He came as a little baby, but He represented all authority in heaven and earth. When you choose to serve Him, you have access to ALL of His resources. You have access to His PEACE, POWER, AUTHORITY, PROVISION, JOY and STRENGTH. He brought ALL of this to us when He came to earth. Unto us a child is born…unto us VICTORY is given. Unto us, PEACE is given. Unto us, PROVISION is given. Unto us HOPE and HEALING are given. Unto us ETERNAL LIFE is given!

 

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

WE SERVE EMMANUEL, THE GOD WHO IS ALWAYS WITH US

In the Bible, Jesus has many names that identify His CHARACTER. One of those names is Emmanuel, which means “God with us.” Before Jesus came to earth, the Spirit of God resided in the temple. The people had to go through all sorts of rituals to become CLEAN enough to go near Him. Now, as BELIEVERS, we ARE the temple of the Holy Spirit. When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, HE is the one who cleanses US and actually makes His home in our HEARTS.

Isn’t it good to know that God is WITH us? He is closer than the very air that we breathe. His PEACE is always with us. His JOY is always with us. His POWER is always with us, and His VICTORY is always with us. The next time you feel alone, remember, you serve EMMANUEL—the God who is ALWAYS with you!

Today’s Scripture:

“Behold, the virgin shall become pregnant and give birth to a Son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel—which, when translated, means, God with us.”
(Matthew 1:23, AMPC)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

GOD KNOWS EXACTLY WHERE YOU ARE, AND EXACTLY HOW TO GET YOU TO WHERE YOU NEED TO BE

Have you ever felt overwhelmed or even afraid of what God has called you to do? Maybe you were pursuing a DREAM or GOAL and things didn’t turn out the way YOU planned. Joseph had planned to take Mary as his wife, but when he found out she was pregnant, he didn’t know what to think. He was afraid that he might be making a mistake because things didn’t turn out the way HE planned. But, God sent a messenger in a dream to REASSURE Joseph that he was on THE RIGHT PATH.

Today, let me reassure YOU that God knows RIGHT where you are, and He knows how to get you to where you NEED to be. Even when things don’t go the way YOU planned, His hand is on you. Do NOT be afraid, trust that God is working behind the scenes on your behalf and that He WILL lead you into the life of blessing that HE has prepared for you.

Today’s Scripture:

“…an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. ‘Joseph, son of David,’ the angel said, ‘do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit.’”
(Matthew 1:20, NLT)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

GOD CREATED YOU WITH A PURPOSE, AND FOR A PURPOSE

Are you COMFORTABLE in your own skin? In other words, do you recognize yourself as the TREASURE God made you, or are you constantly looking for approval and comparing yourself to a neighbor, co-worker or friend? Do you try to out-dress them or out-perform them? Are you always looking for ways to ONE-UP others?

Friend, it’s time to let ALL of that go. Comparison is a DISTRACTION. Comparison is a THIEF. It steals your TIME, ENERGY, FOCUS and JOY. You aren’t here to impress anybody; you don’t have to prove ANYTHING because you are God’s SPECIAL workmanship. He created you WITH a purpose FOR a purpose. You are EMPOWERED and EQUIPPED to do everything He’s CALLED you to do.

If you will choose to STAY FREE from a spirit of competition and just run your OWN race in life, not only will you enjoy your life MORE, but you’ll see your GIFTS and TALENTS come out to the full. You’ll see His BLESSING and FAVOR in a greater way, and you’ll move forward into the life of VICTORY He has in store!

Today’s Scripture:

“For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
(Ephesians 2:10, NIV)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

DON’T WASTE ANOTHER DAY SITTING IN THE ASHES.
THE PAST IS OVER…..

Everyone has experienced hurt and disappointment. We’ve all been burnt by life. But God doesn’t want us to sit in the ashes of the PAST; He wants to trade our brokenness for HEALING. He wants to give us BEAUTY for our ashes. The key is that we have to be willing to give UP the ashes in order to receive the BEAUTY. You can’t have both because the old HAS to go before the NEW can come.

Today, are you willing to TRUST Him with your past hurts? Are you willing to let go of the PAIN, to FORGIVE others AND yourself so you can move forward in FREEDOM? Don’t waste another DAY sitting in the ashes. The past is OVER, but your future REMAINS. Let God give you joy INSTEAD of mourning, and let Him make something BEAUTIFUL out of the ashes of your life today!

Today’s Scripture:

“He will give: beauty for ashes; joy instead of mourning; praise instead of heaviness.”
(Isaiah 61:3, TLB)