THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

THERE’S NO LIMIT TO WHAT GOD WILL DO IN YOUR LIFE WHEN HE KNOWS HE CAN TRUST YOU

God wants us to be people of INTEGRITY. A person of HONOR is open and honest and true to her WORD. He says what he MEANS and means what he SAYS. She doesn’t have any hidden agendas or ulterior motives. He doesn’t need a legal CONTRACT to force him to fulfill his WORD. People of INTEGRITY are the same in PRIVATE as they are in PUBLIC. They do what’s right whether anybody is WATCHING or not.

If you don’t have INTEGRITY, you will NEVER reach your best. INTEGRITY is the foundation on which truly SUCCESSFUL relationships are built. Every time you COMPROMISE, every time you are LESS than honest, you are causing a slight crack in the FOUNDATION. If you CONTINUE compromising, that foundation will never be able to hold what God wants to BUILD. On the OTHER hand, God’s BLESSINGS will OVERTAKE you if you settle for nothing LESS than living with integrity. There’s NO limit to what God will DO in your life when He knows He can TRUST you.

Today’s Scripture:

Song of Solomon 2:15, NLT

Catch all the foxes, those little foxes, before they ruin the vineyard…

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

IF WE ARE TO FULFILL OUR DESTINY, WE MUST STAY TRUE TO WHAT GOD HAS PUT IN OUR HEART

Jesus talks about those who love the praise of PEOPLE more than the praise of GOD. One of the tests we ALL have to pass is when someone whom we respect or LIKE wants us to go ONE direction, yet we know in our HEARTS we should take ANOTHER path. We want their APPROVAL, but if we are to fulfill our DESTINY, we have to stay true to what HE’S put in our heart. If you please GOD, His favor, His anointing, and His BLESSING will cause you to EXCEL. If you quit worrying about what OTHERS think, you’ll see new opportunities and RELATIONSHIPS. God’s favor will INCREASE you.

PEOPLE will tell you how to RUN your life. If you try to please EVERYONE, you’ll be confused, frustrated, and MISERABLE. Don’t let PEOPLE control you and go around feeling GUILTY because you don’t fit into their BOXES. They may not understand why you don’t take their ADVICE, but look straight AHEAD, and as the apostle PAUL says, “Run with PURPOSE in EVERY step.”

Today’s Scripture:

John 12:43, NIV

…for they loved human praise more than praise from God.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

START AIMING FOR EXCELLENCE IN EVERYTHING YOU DO

For MANY people, mediocrity is the NORM; they do as LITTLE as they possibly can to just get by. But God has called us to be His REPRESENTATIVES, to be people of EXCELLENCE and INTEGRITY. How you LIVE, how you conduct your BUSINESS and do your WORK, is all a reflection on our GOD. Any hint of compromise or MEDIOCRITY will taint our greatest victories or our grandest ACHIEVEMENTS as well as keep us from God’s BEST.

When you have an excellent SPIRIT, it shows up in the quality of everything you DO and the ATTITUDE with which you DO it. The SCRIPTURE says that whatever you DO, you should give your best EFFORT and do it as if you are doing it for GOD. You go the extra mile to do what’s RIGHT, and anything LESS will cause you to be UNHAPPY. You keep your WORD even when it’s DIFFICULT. You give your employer a full day’s WORK and don’t call in sick when you’re NOT. Start aiming for EXCELLENCE in EVERYTHING you do.

Today’s Scripture:

Philippians 1:9–10, ESV

…that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ…

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

WHEN GOD PUTS LOVE AND COMPASSION IN YOUR HEART TOWARD SOMEONE, FOLLOW THAT LOVE.

Everywhere you GO these days, people are HURTING and DISCOURAGED, and many have broken DREAMS. They’ve made mistakes; their lives are in a MESS. They need to feel God’s COMPASSION and unconditional LOVE. They do NOT need somebody to judge and CRITICIZE them. They NEED somebody to bring HOPE, to bring HEALING, to show God’s MERCY, to BE there to ENCOURAGE them, to take the time to listen and genuinely CARE.

Our world is crying OUT for people with COMPASSION, people who love UNCONDITIONALLY. The apostle Paul says that GOD’S love has been poured into OUR hearts through the Holy SPIRIT. If you want to live your BEST life, you must keep your heart of compassion open to be KIND, CARING, GENTLE, and LOVING. You need to be on the LOOKOUT for people you can BLESS. YOU can make a DIFFERENCE in other peoples’ LIVES. When God puts love and COMPASSION in your heart toward someone, FOLLOW that love. Don’t ignore it. ACT on it. Somebody NEEDS what you HAVE. Be a person of COMPASSION.

Today’s Scripture:

1 Peter 3:8, NKJV

Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

THERE’S NO RIGHT OR WRONG WAY TO PRAY, THE IMPORTANT PART IS THAT YOU DO IT

When we PRAY, something SUPERNATURAL occurs. Prayer is the most powerful POSTURE we can take in this earthly realm. When we PRAY, we connect the strongest PART of ourselves with the strongest FORCE in the UNIVERSE–the Spirit of GOD. When we open ourselves to HIM, God’s Spirit testifies with OUR spirit that we are His CHILDREN. PRAYER, then, is simply talking to our FATHER. When you come to God with a childlike HEART, there’s no right or WRONG way to PRAY. The IMPORTANT part is that you DO it. Rather than think you need to commit to an HOUR of prayer a day, start with, “Every DAY I’m going to pray five MINUTES,” then add on TO it.

Remember, PRAYER is a PRIVILEGE. Without JESUS, we wouldn’t be ABLE to come directly to God. We wouldn’t be able to make our requests KNOWN to Him. We wouldn’t be able to know PEACE that passes UNDERSTANDING. Make prayer a PRIORITY. Put Him FIRST and draw STRENGTH from the wonderful PRIVILEGE we have in Him.

Today’s Scripture:

Romans 8:15–16, NIV

And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

WHEN GOD’S FAVOR IS ON THE NEW, THERE IS NO GRACE FOR THE OLD

Are you making the MOST of your life, pursuing your DREAMS, fulfilling your PURPOSE? Or are you just going through the MOTIONS, stuck on a job where you’re not fulfilled and still doing things the same way you did YEARS ago? It’s time to REFOCUS and REALIGN and make ADJUSTMENTS. God has FRESHNESS. He has NEW dreams, new MINDSETS, new friendships, and new ways of DOING things.

ASK yourself, “What’s WORKING in my life? What am I EXCITED about?” Sometimes we’re not passionate because we’re stuck in the PAST. You have to get OUT of your comfort zone and STRETCH to a new LEVEL. It may mean starting that BUSINESS, pursuing a new JOB, or doing things DIFFERENT in your PERSONAL life. Look for open doors and be willing to walk AWAY from what’s stagnant. When God is moving us FORWARD, and we try to stay where we ARE, there’s no GRACE for the old. His FAVOR is on the NEW. The blessing, the increase, and the EASE are WAITING for you at your NEXT assignment.

Today’s Scripture:

Isaiah 42:9, ESV

Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

GOD IS NOT LOOKING AT HOW RELIGIOUS YOU ARE…..

In Matthew 8, a Roman centurion, a commander of a hundred soldiers, came to Jesus asking him to heal his paralyzed SERVANT who was suffering TERRIBLY. This influential man was standing in the GAP for a SERVANT, someone whom MOST people back then would have written OFF. He wasn’t coming for HIMSELF or a FAMILY member. When he started heading out to see JESUS, I can imagine others asked why he would go to such great lengths “for one of the LEAST of these”–somebody whom SOCIETY said had no IMPORTANCE.

Jesus MARVELED at this centurion’s faith. This man wasn’t a Jew, yet Jesus said HE had more faith than all the people AROUND them. God is NOT looking at how RELIGIOUS you are, what CHURCH you attend, or how you were RAISED. What gets HIS attention is when you’re concerned about the LESS fortunate. When you stand in the GAP for those who don’t have the OPPORTUNITY that you do, for those who have been dealt an unfair HAND, God calls that GREAT faith.

Today’s Scripture:

Matthew 25:40, NIV

The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.'”

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

STAY FOCUSED ON WHAT GOD SAYS, AND YOU’LL GO PLACES YOU COULDN’T GO ON YOUR OWN

In the darkness of night, Jesus came walking to His disciples across the stormy sea. Based on His WORD to “come,” Peter had the courage to walk on the water to Jesus. Imagine how AMAZED Peter was as he took step after step, looking at JESUS, doing the IMPOSSIBLE. As long as Peter FOCUSED on what Jesus SAID, he was FINE. But when he started focusing on what he SAW, he began to doubt and SINK.

It’s the SAME principle in life. If you stay FOCUSED on what you SEE, you can get talked OUT of your dreams. If you’re FOCUSED on how the medical report is not GOOD or how you’ll NEVER get out of debt, you’ll be LIMITED. You have to stay FOCUSED on what God SAYS. When you FOCUS on what He PROMISES, you’ll walk ON water. You’ll go places you couldn’t GO on your own. You’ll overcome OBSTACLES that are much BIGGER. The winds and waves are a TEST. Don’t get DISTRACTED and start FOCUSING on the NEGATIVE.

Today’s Scripture:

Matthew 14:30, NLT

But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

GOD HAS A BREAKTHROUGH COMING YOUR WAY

We ALL face setbacks in our finances, health challenges, struggles in relationships, and unfair SITUATIONS. When we’re in the VALLEY, it’s EASY to get discouraged and think it’s NEVER going to improve. You may feel STUCK in a valley of trouble, a valley of loneliness, a valley of debt, a valley of sickness. But don’t let the valley FOOL you. Today’s Scripture says that God is about to TRANSFORM that valley into a gateway of HOPE, INCREASE, FAVOR, and HEALTH. The VALLEY is leading you to NEW levels, to BETTER relationships, to greater INFLUENCE.

Perhaps YOU feel that you’ll always be trapped in a valley of addiction, because your relatives ALL struggled in the same VALLEY. NO, this is a NEW day. That VALLEY is about to be TRANSFORMED into a gateway of freedom and VICTORY. God has a BREAKTHROUGH coming your way. The addiction, the loneliness, or the anxiety is NOT going to hold you back. You were created to be FREE, to be HAPPY, to live an ABUNDANT, FULFILLED life.

Today’s Scripture:

Hosea 2:15, NLT

I will return her vineyards to her and transform the Valley of Trouble into a gateway of hope.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

BE PATIENTLY CONFIDENT, YOUR TIME IS COMING

When things happen that aren’t FAIR, when doors CLOSE that don’t make sense, when you’re doing the RIGHT thing but the WRONG thing keeps happening, you have to trust that God is STILL in control and that HE knows what’s BEST for you. He doesn’t always TAKE us down the path that WE thought. Be PATIENTLY confident. Your time IS coming. He’s ALREADY lined up the breaks you need, the open DOORS, the RIGHT people, the HEALINGS. It’s ALREADY on your schedule.

If you don’t cast away your CONFIDENCE, God will richly REWARD you. You may have gone through some DISAPPOINTMENTS, but He’ll make things happen that exceed ANY of your expectations. The reason He CLOSED those doors is because He has something BETTER. Do NOT be discouraged by what didn’t work out. Stay in FAITH. The right opportunity IS on the way. Now don’t get talked OUT of your dreams. You haven’t SEEN your best days. God is going to do something you’ve NEVER seen, something that will CATAPULT you to a new LEVEL.

Today’s Scripture:

Hebrews 10:35, NKJV

Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward.