THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

FORGET THE PAST, GOD HAS A NEW BEGINNING IN STORE FOR YOU

Too often, people spend so much time and energy dwelling on the PAST, dwelling on mistakes, or dwelling on disappointments. They don’t even realize that their focus is keeping them from moving FORWARD in life. But in order to FULLY experience God’s blessings, you have to LET GO of those past hurts; you have to FORGET the former things to make room for the NEW.

God has a NEW BEGINNING in store for you, and the way you PREPARE for it is by getting rid of the old. Don’t spend time focusing on where you’ve BEEN; spend time focusing on where you’re GOING. When you “forget the FORMER things,” it means you’re not WORRIED about the past anymore. You don’t ALLOW it to dictate your FUTURE. You may remember past events, but you don’t FEEL the pain like you used to. You’ve opened your heart to receive God’s HEALING. Begin today by declaring that your past is OVER! FORGET the former things and receive the RESTORATION and VICTORY God has in store for you!

Today’s Scripture:

Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.
(Isaiah 43:18, NIV)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

GIVE GOD THE GLORY AND LET HIM ARISE IN YOUR LIFE

Let me ask you today, what are you letting ARISE in YOUR life? In other words, what are you focusing your WORDS, ENERGY and THOUGHTS on? You might say, “Oh, Mark, it’s just so hard right now. I’ve lost some money.” “My health doesn’t look good.” “Somebody walked out on me.” No, you’re focusing on the wrong THINGS. You’re letting defeat, discouragement and self- PITY rise up. Why don’t you turn that around and say, “God is STILL IN control. Somebody may have walked out on me, but I know God is going to bring me somebody BETTER.” “I may be hurting right NOW, but ‘I’ know GOD is the restorer of my SOUL.” “I may have lost money in the stock market, but I’m NOT worried. I know GOD is my provider. HE is supplying all of my needs. HE is fighting my battles.”

When you start giving GOD glory and letting HIM arise in your life, you CAN’T stay defeated. Your enemies will be SCATTERED! They’ll TREMBLE at your words of faith. Begin RIGHT NOW by declaring God’s GOODNESS in your life and let HIM arise so that you can move forward in the VICTORY HE has for you.

Today’s Scripture:

“Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered…”
(Psalm 68:1, NKJV)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

DECIDE TODAY, TO KEEP MOVING FORWARD

Did you know that God has ALREADY recorded every part of your life from the beginning to the end? He knows every disappointment, every loss, every challenge; and the good news is that with Christ, your story ends in VICTORY! God has written out a plan to BLESS and PROSPER you. When you choose HIS plan, your final chapter concludes with you fulfilling your God-given DESTINY. Here’s the key: when you go through a disappointment, when you go through a loss, don’t stop on THAT page in your life. You’ve got to DECIDE to keep moving FORWARD. There’s another chapter in front of you, but you’ve got to be willing to take the next step.

Sometimes, we get so focused on what DIDN’T work out that we stay stuck, RELIVING the disappointment. If that’s you, recognize that you’ve been on that page LONG enough. It’s time to LET IT GO and turn the page to the NEW chapter God has in store. You may not UNDERSTAND, it may not have been FAIR, but REMEMBER, the NEXT chapter is full of BLESSING, full of FAVOR, and full of VICTORY! Make the decision to LET GO of the old so you can move forward into the ABUNDANT life God has in store for you!

Today’s Scripture:

“You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.”
(Psalm 139:16, NLT)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

YOU NEVER KNOW WHO GOD IS GOING TO USE IN YOUR LIFE

There are some people that God has PLACED in your life to help you reach your DESTINY. They may not know you very well, but they may INTRODUCE you to someone or put in a good word for you WITH someone you need to be connected with. They may have WISDOM or ADVICE that will thrust you forward in life. We have to remember that these divine APPOINTMENTS have been orchestrated by God Almighty. Divine appointments aren’t always the people you would expect. In fact, oftentimes they are the people you DON’T expect—a woman at the grocery store, an intern at the office, someone who may seem to be LESS influential. But, God can give ANYONE an idea. God can use anyone to make a CONNECTION. We should always be open to receive from others. We should always treat EVERYONE we encounter with DIGNITY, HONOR and RESPECT. You never know WHO God is going to use in your life. So be OPEN, be LOVING, be KIND and sow GOOD seeds that will open the doors to His divine appointments!

Today’s Scripture:

“We can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps.”
(Proverbs 16:9, NLT)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

KEEP YOUR EYES FOCUSED ON WHAT GOD HAS FOR YOU

In scripture, King Saul had some people come against him. They were making FUN of him. He could have easily become distracted and lost his FOCUS. He could have defended himself saying, “I’m a good leader. I have what it takes.” But what did he do? He kept SILENT. One translation says, “He paid them NO mind.”

Friend, sometimes that’s what YOU have to do when people are coming against you. You have to realize that some people are just JEALOUS. Not everyone is going to HAVE your best interest at heart. But don’t let THEM control your DESTINY. Don’t let them distract you from God’s BEST. Instead of playing UP to people or trying to win over all your critics, keep your eyes focused on what GOD has for you. Spend time with people who see what GOD is doing in you. Focus on those who will CELEBRATE you. IGNORE the critics so you can be all that GOD has called you to be.

Today’s Scripture:

“But some scoundrels said, ‘How can this fellow save us?’ They despised him and brought him no gifts. But Saul kept silent.”
(1 Samuel 10:27, NIV)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

THE MOMENT YOU PRAYED, GOD ESTABLISHED A SET TIME TO BRING THE PROMISE TO PASS

In life, oftentimes we are WAITING for something; waiting for a DREAM to come to pass, waiting to meet the right PERSON, waiting for a problem to TURN AROUND. When things aren’t happening as fast as WE would like, it’s easy to get frustrated. But you have to realize that the moment you prayed, God established a SET TIME to bring the promise to pass.

God has a set time for your OPPORTUNITY. There is a set time for that problem to turn around, a set time for your HEALING, your PROMOTION, your BREAKTHROUGH. It may be tomorrow, or next week, or FIVE YEARS from now. But when you understand the time has ALREADY been set, it takes ALL the pressure off. You won’t live worried, wondering when this is ever going to happen. You’ll RELAX and ENJOY your life knowing that the promise has already been SCHEDULED and your answer IS on the way!

Today’s Scripture:

“My times are in your hands…”
(Psalm 31:15, NIV)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

REMEMBER, YOUR PRAISE OPENS THE DOOR THAT LEADS TO ABUNDANCE

Everyone has times in life when they feel like they are going through the fire, or perhaps, feel overwhelmed with everyday life. If that’s you today, understand that God is going to bring you through those challenges; He’s going to bring you through the fire and the flood into a place of ABUNDANCE. We serve a God of MORE than ENOUGH, and His heart is to always make sure you have whatever you need to be SUCCESSFUL in EVERY area of your life. The Bible says that Jesus came so that we can have life—ABUNDANT life! He wants you to have an abundance of RESOURCES, an abundance of WISDOM, an abundance of PEACE—EVERYTHING you need. Open your heart and thank Him for His GOODNESS. Begin to receive His promises by FAITH. Remember, your PRAISE opens the door for Him to move on your behalf, and He wants to take you to a place of ABUNDANCE in EVERY area of your life!

Today’s Scripture:

“…we went through fire and water, but you brought us to a place of abundance.”
Psalm 66:12, NIV

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

YOUR DESTINY IS TOO GREAT TO LET YOURSELF GET DISTRACTED

If you’re going to pursue GREATNESS, if you’re going to be a great BUSINESSPERSON, a great TEACHER, a great PARENT, a great LEADER, you have to understand that not EVERYONE is going to cheer you on. I’d love to tell you that your family, friends and co-workers will CELEBRATE you, but that’s not necessarily the CASE. Some people simply can’t HANDLE your success. As you GROW and INCREASE, as God pours out His FAVOR on you, someone will get jealous. Someone will start finding fault. Don’t be surprised if a relative tries to belittle or discredit you. You can’t focus on making everyone AROUND you happy or you’ll start changing and lose sight of what GOD has placed in your heart.

Remember, your destiny is too GREAT to be distracted by people who are NEVER going to affirm you. Don’t take it personally. It’s not ABOUT you. It’s THEIR problem. Shake it off, run YOUR race, and be great ANYWAY.

Having greatness in the midst of criticism begins with FORGIVENESS. Don’t hold a grudge. BLESS those who curse you; PRAY for those who spitefully USE you. As you keep doing what is RIGHT, God will HONOR you. He’ll PROMOTE you, and you’ll be GREAT in the midst of criticism!

Today’s Scripture:

“But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.”
(Matthew 5:44, NKJV)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

CELEBRATE WHAT GOD IS ‘GOING’ TO DO IN YOUR LIFE

Isn’t it wonderful to know that God promises to ALWAYS lead us into victory? That means no matter what is going on in your life TODAY, no matter what’s happening in the world AROUND you, no matter what ANYBODY says, you should always be thanking God because victory is ALWAYS on the way!

You don’t have to wait for everything to be perfect before you decide to CELEBRATE what God is GOING to do in your life. Praise is putting action behind your FAITH. In the middle of adversity or a tough time, start making a list of who you’re going to invite to your VICTORY celebration. That means if you’re in the hospital, start planning what you’re GOING to do when you get OUT. If you lost some money when the stock market went down, start planning your coming-out-of-debt party. When things don’t look good in the natural, remember, we serve a SUPERNATURAL God. With God leading you into VICTORY, you can ALWAYS plan for increase. You can plan for RESTORATION. You can plan for a COMEBACK, and you can plan for VICTORY because He is LEADING and GUIDING you in Jesus’ name!

Today’s Scripture:

“Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ…”
(2 Corinthians 2:14, NKJV)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

BE WHO GOD CREATED YOU TO BE, AND YOU’LL TRULY, FULFILL YOUR DESTINY

It’s easy to be tempted to go through life COMPETING with everyone around us. When we see someone who’s more talented, better looking or has more gifts, instead of running OUR race and being comfortable with who WE are, oftentimes we feel inferior and think, “I’ve got to catch up to them.” The problem with this unhealthy competition is that it’s a NEVER-ENDING cycle.

There will ALWAYS be someone ahead of us. But, it’s a very freeing thing when you realize, “I’m not COMPETING with you. I do NOT have to have as big a house as my neighbor to feel GOOD about myself. I don’t HAVE to keep up with my co-worker. I don’t have to be a certain SIZE. No, I understand that I’m NOT in competition with my friend, my neighbor or my co-worker. Instead, I’m going to be the best ME that I can possibly be.” Friend, that’s an attitude God can WORK with. When you focus on being who GOD made you to be, that’s when you’ll rise up HIGHER and position yourself for every spiritual BLESSING He has in store for you!

Today’s Scripture:

“…let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith…”
(Hebrews 12:1-2, NKJV)