THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

PEOPLE ARE GOING TO KNOW THE LORD IS ON YOUR SIDE

You may have some OBSTACLES in your path today that have you feeling STUCK. There’s no WAY you’ll get well, no way you can pay off your HOUSE, NO way to go back to school. It’s a SETUP. God is about to display His awesome POWER, not just so YOU can see it, but so OTHER people can see it. When David says that God prepares a feast before you in the presence of your ENEMIES, that’s NOT private. God is going to show out so the opposition and the CRITICS will ALL see you promoted, HONORED, in a position of INFLUENCE, in a public DISPLAY. That’s why you don’t HAVE to prove to PEOPLE who you are or waste your time trying to CONVINCE people who are not FOR you to LIKE you. Keep running YOUR race, honoring GOD, and at SOME point, He’s going to show out in SUCH a way that your critics can’t DENY the favor on you. People are going to KNOW the Lord is on YOUR side.

Today’s Scripture:

Psalm 23:5, NLT

You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

IF PEOPLE ARE CONTROLLING YOU, IT’S NOT THEIR FAULT; IT’S YOURS

Some people are experts at putting their DEMANDS on you and trying to keep you doing and saying what makes THEM happy. They play upon a false sense of responsibility, and thinking that says, “I’ve got to keep THEM fixed and cheered up. I have to CALL every day or they’ll get UPSET. If I show them how much I CARE, they’ll be my FRIEND.” You need to KNOW that the only thing you really OWE people is to LOVE them. That doesn’t MEAN you have to keep EVERYONE happy or let people put their DEMANDS on you. That’s carrying a debt you don’t OWE. ALWAYS be respectful and KIND, but if you go through life trying to please EVERYONE, the one person who WON’T be happy is YOU. Come out from UNDER that debt.

If people are CONTROLLING you, it’s not THEIR fault; it’s YOURS. You have to make a CHANGE and have a boldness to follow what’s in your HEART. Go the extra MILE, but don’t be a PEOPLE PLEASER.

Today’s Scripture:

Romans 13:8, NKJV

Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

GOD WANTS TO SHINE HIS GLORY THROUGH YOU AND MAKE YOU AN EXAMPLE OF HIS GOODNESS

As the Israelites were about to cross the Jordan River into the PROMISED Land, God told Joshua, “TODAY, I will begin to make you great in the eyes of all the ISRAELITES.” God was saying, “Joshua, this is your MOMENT. I’m about to ENDORSE you. People are going to see the GREATNESS I’ve put in you. You’ve been in the background serving Moses, being FAITHFUL, but TODAY you’re coming into the FOREGROUND.” Not long after that, Joshua led the Israelites into the Promised Land, and “THAT DAY” the Lord established Joshua as their LEADER.

God has a “THAT DAY” for YOU, a time when He will cause you to stand OUT, where you will accomplish things you never dreamed you could ACCOMPLISH. You will KNOW it, and the people around you will SEE the greatness in you. You have TALENT, CREATIVITY, ABILITY, COURAGE, and STRENGTH, and it’s going to come out in a GREATER way. God wants to shine HIS glory through YOU and make you an EXAMPLE of His GOODNESS.

Today’s Scripture:

Joshua 4:14, NLT

That day the LORD made Joshua a great leader in the eyes of all the Israelites, and for the rest of his life they revered him as much as they had revered Moses.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

THE OBSTACLE MAY BE BIG, BUT YOU HAVE THE FAVOR OF ALMIGHTY GOD, SPEAK GRACE TO IT

God put a dream in Zerubbabel to REBUILD the destroyed temple in Jerusalem, but people were AGAINST him and got a decree from the Persian king that forced him to STOP. For YEARS it looked like it would never HAPPEN, but then he heard the prophecy in today’s SCRIPTURE. He was saying, “I have this big MOUNTAIN in front of me, but it’s about to become a MOLEHILL.” How would it HAPPEN? Other translations say by shouting “GRACE to it.” Another word for “grace” is “FAVOR.” He was SAYING, “YES, this obstacle is big, but I have the favor of God to OVERCOME and FINISH this project.” He didn’t talk about his MOUNTAIN. He talked to his MOLEHILL.

When YOU face challenges, speak FAVOR over them. Look at your BANK account and speak FAVOR to it. Speak favor over your HEALTH. Speak favor over your PROMOTION. It’s not ENOUGH to just PRAY about it or JUST believe. What’s going to turn the mountain into a MOLEHILL is by speaking GRACE to it.

Today’s Scripture:

Zechariah 4:7, MSG

So, big mountain, who do you think you are? Next to Zerubbabel you’re nothing but a molehill. He’ll proceed to set the Cornerstone in place, accompanied by cheers: Yes! Yes! Do it!

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

IF YOU WILL ‘ONLY BELIEVE’, ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE

In Scripture a man came to Jesus and said, “My little daughter is very sick. She is close to DEATH. Will You come to my home and pray for her?” Jesus agreed. But along the way He kept getting stopped, one interruption after ANOTHER. Finally, word came back to Him saying, “No NEED to come. You’ve waited too LATE. The little girl has DIED.”

The people were upset and very DISTRAUGHT. But JESUS said to them in Luke 8:50 “DON’T be afraid. If you will only BELIEVE, the little girl will be WELL.” Notice the phrase, “Only BELIEVE.” Jesus went to the home, laid hands on the little girl, and she came back to LIFE.

Are YOU facing a situation that seems impossible? In the natural, you don’t see HOW you can get well, or how you can overcome the ADDICTION, or how your FAMILY can EVER be restored? God is saying to YOU what He said to THEM, “If you will only BELIEVE, I WILL turn the situation around. If you only BELIEVE, breakthroughs ARE headed your way!”

Today’s Scripture:

“But when Jesus heard it, He answered him, saying, ‘Do not be afraid; only believe, and she will be made well’.”

(Luke 8:50, NKJV)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

A MIND THAT IS STAYED ON GOD IS A POWERFUL FORCE

You may have many REASONS for why you get worried, upset, fearful, and not able to sleep at night, but just because it’s AROUND you doesn’t mean you have to let it IN. When you’re at peace in your MIND, that’s a position of POWER. If you’re going to keep the CLUTTER out of your mind, you have to know what’s YOUR job and what’s GOD’S job. Sometimes we’re frustrated because we’re trying to do what only GOD can do. SOME things we can’t FIX. You can’t make yourself get WELL, make somebody do what’s RIGHT, or make some DOORS open. Our part is to BELIEVE, to stay in FAITH, to keep our mind on GOD, then let HIM do HIS part. Trust HIM to work it out as well as keep you in PEACE, and HE’LL get you to where you’re SUPPOSED to be.

Empty OUT all the NEGATIVE thoughts in your mind, and program your mind with what GOD says about you. A mind that is stayed on GOD is a POWERFUL force.

Today’s Scripture:

Isaiah 26:3, ESV

You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

….THEY’RE STILL MADE IN THE IMAGE OF ALMIGHTY GOD…..

What would happen if we had a loving attitude that COVERS others’ wrongs and faults? When we hear juicy details about what someone said or DID, what if instead of MAGNIFYING it and spreading the negative thing AROUND, we COVER it? What if we DON’T go around telling anyone what WE know that they DON’T know? When you COVER a person’s faults, you’re on GOD’S side. When you EXPOSE them, when you USE that to DISCREDIT them, you’re on the WRONG side.

EVERYONE can make mistakes, and everyone has FAULTS and WEAKNESSES. But it’s WRONG to talk behind other people’s BACKS, to GOSSIP about them, to make them LOOK bad, and even to stir up trouble and sow DISCORD. What they did or said may not be honoring to GOD, but they’re STILL made in the IMAGE of Almighty God. When you speak against THEM, you’re coming against the God who CREATED them. Stay on the HIGH road. If you COVER for it, you’ll see BLESSINGS and FAVOR.

Today’s Scripture:

Proverbs 10:12, NIV

Hatred stirs up conflict, but love covers over all wrongs.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

KEEP GOD FIRST PLACE AND THE OVERFLOW WILL COME…..

It’s interesting that before Jesus prayed over the five loaves and two fish, and it multiplied to feed a multitude that included five thousand men, He had His disciples divide the crowd into groups of fifties and hundreds. He knew EXACTLY how many PEOPLE were there, and He COULD have had the food STOP multiplying when everyone was FED. On PURPOSE, God DESIGNED there would be OVERFLOW. He was showing us His NATURE. He not only supplies our NEEDS, but He’s an OVERFLOW God.

When He laid out the plan for your LIFE, He calculated EXACTLY what you would need. He KNOWS what it’s going to take to get you to your DESTINY, then on PURPOSE He put in EXTRA. When your NEEDS are met, He says in effect, “I’ll KEEP multiplying and give you MORE than enough.” He’s ALREADY designed the overflow for you. He’s already set up the good BREAKS, the PROMOTION, the right PEOPLE, the HEALING, and the FAVOR. Just keep GOD first place, and the OVERFLOW will come to YOU.

Today’s Scripture:

Mark 6:42–43, NIV

They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

DON’T JUST ‘GO’ THROUGH IT, ‘GROW’ THROUGH IT…..

After Joshua died, the Israelites were settled in the Promised Land, LIVING their dream. God COULD have had Joshua and the previous generation drive out ALL the opposing enemy nations, but He PURPOSEFULLY left SOME nations there to teach them WARFARE. WITHOUT this problem, the NEW generation of Israelites would have eventually faced armies and been DEFEATED. They didn’t have the EXPERIENCE, the STRENGTH, or the FORTITUDE to OVERCOME. God had to toughen them UP. He left obstacles on PURPOSE.

If God made everything EASY for us, we wouldn’t be ready for where we’re GOING. God has amazing THINGS in your future, things you’ve never IMAGINED, but to GET there you’re going to have to defeat some powerful GIANTS, overcome some big OBSTACLES, and outlast some formidable OPPOSITION. It’s not going to HAPPEN if you’re weak, disappointed, and bitter. Instead of complaining about what’s not turning AROUND, see it as an opportunity to develop your FAITH. Don’t just GO through it, GROW through it. God’s getting you PREPARED. It’s serving His PLAN.

Today’s Scripture:

Judges 3:1–2, NLT

These are the nations that the LORD left in the land to test those Israelites who had not experienced the wars of Canaan. He did this to teach warfare to generations of Israelites who had no experience in battle.