THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

SWITCH OVER INTO PRAISE AND THANKSGIVING AND DECLARE THAT GOD IS GOOD

We all face challenges and obstacles in this life. We all have DREAMS in our hearts, and at times, it looks like they’re not going to come to pass. During these difficult SEASONS, we have a choice. We can get negative and discouraged and talk about how things are not going to work out, or we can switch over into PRAISE and THANKSGIVING which opens the door for God to move on our behalf.

A lot of times people think, “I’ll have a good attitude as soon as I get over this health issue.” “Mark, I’ll give God praise when I get through these tough times.” But that’s not how FAITH works. As long as we’re negative, discouraged and focused on our problems, it LIMITS what God can do. You’ve got to give God PRAISE FIRST, and THEN the BREAKTHROUGH will come. You’ve got to change your FOCUS FIRST, and then things will change in your FAVOR. Praise ALWAYS precedes the VICTORY.

Today, if you’ve been dwelling on the wrong things and focusing in the wrong direction, SWITCH OVER into PRAISE and THANKSGIVING. Begin to declare that God IS good. Declare that He is FAITHFUL. Declare His PRAISES and open the door to VICTORY in EVERY area of your life!

Today’s Scripture:

“Though the fig tree may not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines…yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.”

(Habakkuk 3:17-18, NKJV)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

YOUR DAYS ARE DESTINED TO SHINE BRIGHTER BECAUSE GOD IS FAITHFUL

In the Old Testament when this scripture was written, God’s people were going through a VERY dark time. They were being held captive against their will and mistreated by other nations. God sent this word to ENCOURAGE them and give them HOPE for their FUTURE. When the time came, God was FAITHFUL to His Word!

Are YOU going through a difficult time today? Let this word bring YOU encouragement, TOO. God wants to give you DOUBLE for your trouble. He is the God of RESTORATION—that means He’s not going to just repay you for every wrong done, He’s going to go above and BEYOND and make things even BETTER than they were before.

If you are facing challenges today or going through a time of adversity, remember, it’s ALWAYS darkest just before the dawn appears. Your days are DESTINED to shine brighter because God is FAITHFUL. As you stay in faith and are obedient to His Word, you’ll receive DOUBLE for your trouble and the BLESSINGS He has in store for YOU!

Today’s Scripture:

“Instead of your shame you will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace you will rejoice in your inheritance. And so you will inherit a double portion in your land, and everlasting joy will be yours.”

Isaiah 61:7, NIV

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

IF YOU DO YOUR PART, GOD WILL ALWAYS BE FAITHFULL TO DO HIS PART

The best way to ease stress in your life is to get your mind OFF the pressures by reaching out to help somebody ELSE. Sow good seeds in someone else’s life with a kind WORD or a helping HAND and you will begin to reap a harvest of BLESSING. God asks you to GIVE, but He doesn’t do it to stress you out or frustrate you. He does it to give you wonderful OPPORTUNITIES. God is trying to help you PLANT your seeds, so that you can reap the HARVEST of your labors and your work. When you serve others, you’ll feel a SATISFACTION, PEACE, a JOY, a STRENGTH, and a FULFILLMENT that only GOD can give. STRENGTH, JOY, ENERGY, PEACE, and HEALING come to those who SERVE. If you’re faithful to do YOUR part, He will be faithful to do HIS part. Don’t let the enemy deceive you into thinking that you CAN’T sow seeds of blessing in someone else’s life. Get that seed into the GROUND so it can grow into a harvest of BLESSING and VICTORY!

Today’s Scripture

“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Mark 10:45, NIV

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

WE CAN’T ALWAYS CONTROL OUR CIRCUMSTANCES, BUT WE CAN, AND SHOULD ALWAYS CONTROL OUR REACTION

Every day, we have opportunities to get upset, be frustrated, or get offended. Maybe you had plans that didn’t work out, or someone was rude to you at the office. Maybe you were doing something that should have taken one hour and it ended up taking three. Life is full of inconveniences, but even though we can’t always control our circumstances, we can control our REACTION. I heard somebody say, “Life is 10% what happens TO you, and 90% how you RESPOND.”

We should always go out each day with a POSITIVE ATTITUDE, full of HOPE and expecting God’s FAVOR. But at the same time, we should RECOGNIZE that most days are not going to go exactly as we plan. Remember, we were created to live in PEACE. Peace is our position of POWER. If you get stressed because you got off schedule or upset because your child wouldn’t eat his breakfast, or frustrated because somebody offended you, what you’re doing is giving away your POWER. Instead, make the DECISION to release those offenses and disappointments so you can live in PEACE and enjoy the day as the BLESSING God prepared for you!

Today’s Scripture:

“Good sense makes a man restrain his anger, and it is his glory to overlook a transgression or an offense.”

(Proverbs 19:11, AMPC)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

LOOK FOR THE GOOD IN OTHERS AND HONOR THEM FOR WHO GOD MADE THEM TO BE

We don’t often hear the word ESTEEM used in our culture, but the Bible tells us to esteem and DELIGHT in one another. One definition of esteem is to ‘hold in high regard.’ That means we are to HONOR and VALUE one another. You may not always agree with everyone around you. THEY may not always act honorably, but we are to honor and esteem people because they are valuable in the eyes of GOD.

If you had a very costly and valuable piece of jewelry, you wouldn’t just wear it to the gym or leave it on the kitchen sink. No, you would treat it CAREFULLY. You would put it in a safe place and PROTECT it. When we see others as valuable, the way God sees them; we TREAT them carefully as well. We should watch how we TALK to other people. We should look for the GOOD in others and HONOR them for who God MADE them to be. The Bible tells us that the way we treat OTHERS is like sowing seeds, and it will come BACK to us. CHOOSE to esteem and delight in one another. Sow GOOD seeds, and you will see a harvest of blessing in your OWN life in return!

Today’s Scripture:

“And walk in love, [esteeming and delighting in one another] as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us…”

Ephesians 5:2, AMP

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

PUT YOUR FAITH AND TRUST IN GOD, AND REST

God PROMISES that there are SET TIMES in our future, but He doesn’t tell us when they will be. Your set time may be tomorrow morning at 9:47. You’ll get the phone call you’ve been waiting for. Your set time may be TWO YEARS from now. You’ll get a good break and that will THRUST you to a NEW LEVEL. My question is, “Do you TRUST God enough to believe that your set times ARE coming?” Are you willing to wait with a good ATTITUDE? Are you willing to get a new PERSPECTIVE?

Remember, that set time is ALREADY in your future. Don’t let the negative thoughts talk you out of it. The way you know that you’re really BELIEVING is that you have REST on the inside. You’re at PEACE. You know the answer IS on the way. You trust that God IS working things out.

Today put your faith and trust in HIM and enter into rest. Know that He IS good and He IS for you! YOUR set time of FAVOR IS on the way!

Today’s Scripture:

“For we who have believed do enter that rest…”

(Hebrews 4:3, NKJV)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

DETOX YOUR MIND AND FILL YOUR THOUGHTS WITH GOD’S PROMISES

When something is toxic, it’s poisonous; it can destroy you. When we go around dwelling on the wrong thoughts, thinking about what we can’t do or how we’ll never get ahead, those are toxic thoughts. Toxic thoughts left alone become like toxic waste that sinks into your heart. It will eventually contaminate your whole life. It affects your self-image, your attitude, your confidence, and ultimately, your SUCCESS. That’s why the Scripture says to GUARD your heart because the condition of your heart and mind determines the condition of your whole LIFE.

You need to go through a mental CLEANSING. Make the decision today to detox any negative, self-defeating thoughts by meditating on God’s promises INSTEAD. Make the decision to DETOX bitterness, detox low self-esteem, detox negative words that may have been spoken over you, detox condemnation. Make the decision to dwell on what GOD says about you. God says, “You are FORGIVEN.” God says, “Your BEST DAYS are in front of you.” God says, “I’ll RESTORE the years that the enemy has stolen.” As you detox your MIND and fill your thoughts with HIS promises, you’ll see His hand of BLESSING on your life. You’ll rise up HIGHER, and you’ll live the ABUNDANT life HE has for you!

Today’s Scripture

Keep and guard your heart with all vigilance and above all that you guard, for out of it flow the springs of life.

Proverbs 4:23, AMPC

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

IN DIFFICULT TIMES, KEEP YOUR JOY AND KEEP DECLARING GOD’S WORD

If you know you are going into a challenging season, you can get PREPARED for it. You can make sure you are mentally ready. But what about the difficulties that we don’t see coming? The unexpected crisis that catches you off-guard? Sometimes, it can seem so overwhelming that it almost knocks the wind right out of you.

The scripture says that we shouldn’t be surprised by fiery trials. That’s because the forces of darkness would not be fighting against you if they didn’t know that God has something AMAZING in your FUTURE! Sometimes, those unexpected difficulties are just a sign that you’re on the right track. It’s always darkest just before the dawn appears. The enemy always fights the hardest when you are closest to your BREAKTHROUGH. The key is to stay the course and keep fighting the good fight of FAITH.

In the difficult times, keep your JOY and keep declaring God’s Word over your future. God has PROMISED that you WILL overcome EVERY obstacle. You WILL defeat every enemy, and you will embrace the BLESSING and VICTORY He has in store for YOU!

Today’s Scripture:

“Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.”

1 Peter 4:12-13, NIV

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

IF YOU EXPECT TO SEE GOD’S GOODNESS, YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED

God wants to exceed your HIGHEST expectations! He wants to BLESS you and INCREASE you. He wants to make you more EFFECTIVE in your JOB, RELATIONSHIPS and EVERYTHING to which you set your hand. The key is to EXPECT to see His goodness.

So many people today have LOW expectations because they look to the news, the economy or other people to set the tone for their day. If you expect the worst, you WILL NOT be disappointed. But if you expect to see God’s GOODNESS, you won’t be disappointed EITHER.

Today, set your expectations on GOD. Focus your HEART and MIND on Him. MEDITATE on His Word and sing a song of PRAISE. As you do, you WILL see His GOODNESS, and He will do AWESOME deeds beyond your highest EXPECTATIONS!

Today’s Scripture:

When you came down long ago, you did awesome deeds beyond our highest expectations…

Isaiah 64:3, NLT

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

IN THE END, YOU WON’T ANSWER TO PEOPLE, YOU’LL ANSWER TO ALMIGHTY GOD

Sometimes we can be more aware of what other people think than we are of what God thinks. But people don’t determine your DESTINY. People can’t stop God’s plan for your life. People may not approve you. Don’t worry about it. God approves you. God called you; people didn’t call you. People don’t equip you; God equips you. People don’t anoint you; God ANOINTS you. When you come to the end of your life, you don’t have to answer to people; you’ll answer to Almighty God!

Don’t let what some person says or does make you feel less than or unqualified. You’ve been handpicked by the Creator of the universe. You are lacking nothing for the season that you’re in right now. What you have in your hand is what you need. When you DEDICATE it to God and do what He tells you, He’ll BLESS and MULTIPLY what you have in your hand and use it to take you further than you ever dreamed!

Today’s Scripture:

…the word of our God will stand forever.

Isaiah 40:8, ESV