THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

SURROUND YOURSELF WITH PEOPLE WHO AGREE WITH WHAT YOU’RE BELIEVING FOR

In today’s Scripture, Jesus went to pray for a little girl who had DIED. When he arrived at the house, everyone was crying and UPSET. He told them that she WASN’T dead, that she was just ASLEEP, and they began to laugh and SCOFF. It’s not SURPRISING that He only allowed Peter, James, John, and the girl’s PARENTS to be with Him in the room and witness the child’s RESURRECTION.

Jesus COULD have done this miracle in front of EVERYONE. But He kept the others out to show US the IMPORTANCCE of surrounding ourselves with people who speak LIFE and HOPE, people who AGREE with what WE’RE believing for. When you face difficulties, you need to keep your mind filled with thoughts of FAITH. You can’t AFFORD to have negative, discouraging people telling you how it can never HAPPEN. Get OUT of a negative environment, get AWAY from people who enable your dysfunction, get away from people who tell you that where you ARE is where you’ll always BE. You have to set some BOUNDARIES.

Today’s Scripture:

Luke 8:51, NLT

When they arrived at the house, Jesus wouldn’t let anyone go in with him except Peter, John, James, and the little girl’s father and mother.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

THAT OBSTACLE MAY BE TOO BIG FOR YOU, BUT IT’S NOT TOO BIG FOR OUR GOD

In Exodus 33, Moses was in a difficult situation. God said that he should lead the people of Israel into the Promised Land, and that an angel would go before them and drive out their enemies, but that He would NOT go with them because the people were a REBELLIOUS people. For Moses, with so many ADVERSITIES ahead of them, to move forward WITHOUT God’s presence was too OVERWHELMING. Moses’ prayer was graciously ANSWERED in today’s Scripture.

Maybe YOU’RE up against some challenges and setbacks. You’re wondering how you’re going to beat that SICKNESS, how your FAMILY is ever going to be restored, or how you’ll get the FINANCES you need. GOD is saying to YOU what He said to Moses, “You don’t HAVE to do this in your OWN strength. I’m going WITH you all the WAY. Be at REST.” That obstacle may be too big for YOU, but it’s NOT too big for our GOD. He’s your PROTECTOR, your DELIVERER, your WAY maker, your PROVIDER, your HEALER. EVERYTHING will be FINE.

Today’s Scripture:

Exodus 33:14, NLT

The LORD replied, “I will personally go with you, Moses, and I will give you rest—everything will be fine for you.”

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

GOD MADE YOU UNCOMMON, SO LIVE UNCOMMON

In Daniel 6 is the story of how the ENEMIES of Daniel conspired to get him ARRESTED and thrown into the lions’ den for refusing to PRAY to King DARIUS. Daniel was one of the top three administrators of the Persian government, and his enemies were jealous of Daniel’s FAVOR. But despite Daniel’s secure POSITION, rather than compromise his FAITH, he refused to OBEY the law and kept praying to God as he ALWAYS had. He REFUSED to take the easy way out, and God rescued him from the lions MIRACULOUSLY.

When God blesses YOU, opens doors, and gets you where you wanted to BE, don’t forget what GOT you there. Once some people reach their goal, they FORGET the fact that it was because they were UNCOMMON, and they become COMMON. Be like DANIEL, and don’t let that happen. When others shrink BACK, have UNCOMMON faith. When others take the EASY way out, have uncommon COMMITMENT. When others slack OFF, have uncommon EXCELLENCE. God MADE you UNCOMMON, so LIVE uncommon.

Today’s Scripture:

Daniel 6:10, NKJV

Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

STAY IN PEACE. GOD HAS ALREADY DESIGNED THE PLAN

You don’t have to live WORRIED when negative things happen, try to pay people back, or be frustrated because of a DISAPPOINTMENT. Stay in PEACE. God designed the plan for your life knowing EVERY plot of the enemy against you. He knows every bad BREAK that will happen, every DISAPPOINTMENT, and every closed DOOR.

The GOOD news is that God’s strategic plan will OVERRIDE every plan that was meant to stop you. The prophet Isaiah did not say that no weapon would be formed AGAINST you, but that any weapon FORMED against you will not PROSPER. Judas WILL show up, people will BETRAY you, INJUSTICE will come, but it will NOT prosper. WHY? Because God is about to turn things to your ADVANTAGE. What looks like a SETBACK is setting you UP for BREAKTHROUGHS, for PROMOTION, for VINDICATION, for HEALING, for the FULLNESS of your destiny. So quit being upset because somebody is AGAINST you. What was meant to HARM you, God has already designed the PLAN to turn it for your GOOD.

Today’s Scripture:

Isaiah 54:17, NKJV

No weapon formed against you shall prosper…

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

DON’T LOOK BACK AND DWELL ON WHAT YOU’VE BEEN THROUGH….

In the Scripture, Job’s life was suddenly shattered by great personal LOSSES as well as a devastating ILLNESS. Although Job honored God with all of his LIFE, he experienced a difficult test of his FAITH that he didn’t UNDERSTAND. Maybe like Job, YOU feel like a shadow of what you used to be. At one time you were healthy and STRONG, but now you’re WEAK and TIRED from fighting an ILLNESS. At one time you were BLESSED in your business, but now you’re barely MAKING it. Or at one time you had a great MARRIAGE, but now you’re just trying to keep it TOGETHER.

Fortunately, Job’s story did not END there, and neither will YOURS. God eventually turned it around and brought Job out with TWICE what he had before. After the heartache, after the loss, after the sickness, after the divorce, you’re going to see YEARS of HEALTH, HAPPINESS, and FAVOR to where you don’t look BACK and dwell on what you’ve BEEN through. Bad breaks are NOT your destiny; DOUBLE is coming.

Today’s Scripture:

Job 17:7, NLT

My eyes are swollen with weeping, and I am but a shadow of my former self.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

IT’S NOT JUST WILLPOWER; IT’S THE BLESSING OF GOD HELPING YOU

The difference between a dream and a WISH is that a wish is something you HOPE will happen, but a DREAM is something you put ACTIONS behind. Today’s Scripture says that faith without works is DEAD. You can WISH you could go to college, wish for a JOB, or wish for a better CAR, but wishing is not going to GET you there. You have to put the WORK in to make it HAPPEN. The people who SUCCEED, don’t always have the most TALENT, education, or OPPORTUNITIES. MANY times, they simply WANT it more than others.

I want to light a FIRE in you today. You have to go AFTER what God has for you. Being passive and INDIFFERENT will keep you from your DESTINY. When you make up your mind that you’re going to DO something, God will BREATHE on your efforts and give you strength that goes BEYOND your natural ability. It’s not just WILLPOWER; it’s the BLESSING of God HELPING you. But it kicks IN when God sees you making the EFFORT.

Today’s Scripture:

James 2:20, NKJV

But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

YOU ARE AS HAPPY AS YOU WANT TO BE

Every day is a GIFT. The longer I live, the more I realize how VALUABLE each day is. We’re not going to BE here forever. It’s easy to live uptight, frustrated, and WORRIED, but in the BIG picture, most of the things that are UPSETTING us don’t really MATTER. Is it worth losing your JOY over bad traffic or something someone said that was OFFENSIVE? If you found out you only had a day to LIVE, you wouldn’t even pay ATTENTION to many things that upset you now.

If you let a grouchy boss or a bitter relative keep you from being HAPPY, it’s YOUR fault. You are as HAPPY as you WANT to be. You have to put your FOOT down and say, “This is the day the LORD has made. I’m not going to let what PEOPLE do or DON’T do, what they say or don’t SAY, or what I HAVE or don’t have keep me from being HAPPY. I’ve made up my MIND. I’m going to ENJOY this day.”

Today’s Scripture:

James 4:14, NIV

What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

WHEN YOU GIVE GOD PRAISE, YOU’RE PUTTING HIM ON THE THRONE

When we face situations for which there’s no logical solution, it’s EASY to live worried. That voice starts playing in our head, “What are you going to DO? What if it doesn’t work OUT?” Our answer should be, “I don’t KNOW what to do, but I know the One who DOES.” We know we don’t HAVE to make everything happen in our own strength. We don’t have to have it all figured OUT or even lose SLEEP. We KNOW God is on the throne. We know He’s fighting our BATTLES.

When we WORRY, and our mind is going in circles, we’ve lost our connection to our source of STRENGTH. You have to reconnect to GOD. Today’s Scripture says that when you give God PRAISE, you’re putting Him on the THRONE. Life is too SHORT for you to live worried, overwhelmed by problems, upset because somebody hurt you. Take that OFF the throne and put God back ON the throne. Quit dwelling on the negative and start PRAISING. God inhabits your PRAISES.

Today’s Scripture:

Psalm 22:3, NKJV

But You are holy, enthroned in the praises of Israel.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

LET OTHERS KNOW THAT WHAT GOD DID FOR YOU, HE CAN DO FOR THEM TOO

In John 5, Jesus healed a man lying beside the pool of Bethesda who had been crippled for thirty-eight YEARS. Why did He tell him to take his mat WITH him? After ALL THOSE years, that mat was dirty, ragged, and probably STUNK. Why didn’t Jesus tell him to get RID of it? Because that MAT was there to remind him of what GOD had done. It was part of his STORY. Whenever people asked him, “Why are you carrying that ugly old MAT?” he would say, “No, this is a BEAUTIFUL mat. It’s a reminder that God HEALED me.”

The reason God leaves mats from our PAST is not only that WE’LL remember what He’s done, but so we can tell OTHERS. The mat means you’re HEALED, you’re FORGIVEN, and you can WALK again. You may still have your MAT, but that’s simply to remind you of the greatness of our GOD. When you see OTHER people who need healing, let them know that what God did for YOU, He can do for THEM.

Today’s Scripture:

John 5:8, NLT

Jesus told him, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk!”

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

…BECAUSE YOU HONOR GOD, YOU WON’T JUST SEE HIS FAVOR, YOU’LL SEE HIS PROTECTION

When you are a person of INTEGRITY, HONORABLE and TRUSTWORTHY, God will keep you from mistakes and wrong turns you can’t SEE on your own. Because of your INTEGRITY, God stepped in and kept you from the TROUBLE, from COMPROMISE, and from HEARTACHE. He’s guarding your PATH. Some of the temptations you RESISTED–it wasn’t that YOU were so strong and said NO–GOD was holding you back because of your INTEGRITY. There is a BLESSING on your life that protects and GUARDS you because you honor GOD. You won’t just see God’s FAVOR; you’ll see His PROTECTION. He has a SHIELD around you. He’s keeping the fiery darts from HITTING you. He’s not LETTING the temptation overtake you. He’s pushing BACK darkness. HE’S closing doors that would be HARMFUL, shutting off the wrong PEOPLE and wrong OPPORTUNITIES. If you want to keep that shield UP, you have to keep your INTEGRITY. Be TRUTHFUL, be HONEST, be a person of your WORD, and be somebody that can be COUNTED on.

Today’s Scripture:

Proverbs 2:7–8, NLT

He is a shield to those who walk with integrity. He guards the paths of the just and protects those who are faithful to him.