THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

YOU HAVE TO KEEP GETTING BACK UP AND OUTLAST THE ATTACKS

When life knocks you down, steps on you, takes your HEALTH, or squashes your DREAMS, you just have to get back UP again. The way you win SOME battles is not by DEFEATING them but by OUTLASING the opposition. You have COMEBACK power. Some enemies are STUBBORN. You can’t be weak and give up because it’s not happening on YOUR timetable. You have to OUTLAST the trouble at work, outlast the slow SEASON in your FINANCES, outlast the difficulty in your MARRIAGE. We ALL want God to deliver us from attacks, but if He’s not CHANGING it, then it’s really SIMPLE–you have to keep getting back up and OUTLAST the attacks.

Sometimes we think God has FORGOTTEN about us. We’ve seen Him turn situations around in the PAST, but THIS problem won’t seem to go AWAYU. You have to have a HOLY determination and say, “Staying down is NOT an option. I’m going to OUTLAST this sickness, this addiction, this injustice, these critics.” The VICTORY will come through OUTLASTING it.

Today’s Scripture:

Proverbs 24:16, HCSB

Though a righteous man falls seven times, he will get up…

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

KEEP TRAVELING STEADY AND KEEP TRUSTING GOD…..

Most of us don’t like times of WAITING. We’re interested in the DESTINATION, but God is interested in the JOURNEY. When we understand that He’s working IN us along the WAY, waiting and patience become a part of the PROCESS. When you stay FAITHFUL in the WAITING times, when you don’t get impatient and complain because it’s taking so long, when you don’t get UPSET because the door CLOSED, when you’re traveling STEADILY along God’s pathway and HONORING Him, He will give you EVERY blessing. You won’t HAVE to make it happen in your OWN strength, and you won’t have to MANIPULATE people or try to FORCE the door to open. God will GIVE you the position, give you the SPOUSE, give you the INFLUENCE. Don’t FIGHT the wait time. You’re not falling behind. God has already lined UP the blessings He’s going to give you. He’s already put your NAME on things BIGGER and BETTER than you’ve imagined. Now keep traveling STEADILY, keep TRUSTING Him when you don’t see anything HAPPENING.

Today’s Scripture:

Psalm 37:34, TLB

Don’t be impatient for the Lord to act! Keep traveling steadily along his pathway and in due season he will honor you with every blessing…

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

TAKE THE PRESSURE OFF, GOD WILL DIRECT YOUR STEPS….

We all have SITUATIONS that we don’t see how they’re going to work OUT. We do our BEST to find a solution, but there are SOME things God doesn’t WANT us to know. He HAS the SOLUTION, but if He showed you right NOW, it wouldn’t take any FAITH. If you could see the PROVISION, the HEALING, or the FAVOR that He is GOING to bring, it would be EASY to believe. The TEST comes when we DON’T have the answers. Thoughts tell us, “How are you going to make it after you RETIRE? What if your health DOESN’T improve?” Sometimes there is no LOGICAL solution. The more we try to reason it OUT, the more DISCOURAGED we get. This is what FAITH is all about. You don’t HAVE to come up with a plan. You have to be comfortable NOT knowing.

Sometimes we think it’s a LACK of faith to say “I don’t know.” Take the PRESSURE off. GOD knows. He has you in the palms of His HANDS. HE WILL direct your steps.

Today’s Scripture:

Proverbs 3:5–6, MSG

Trust GOD from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for GOD’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

RESIST THE ENEMY AND HE WILL FLEE FROM YOU

Sometimes ORGANIZED RELIGION tells us that GOD puts sicknesses on us to TEACH us something. Granted, you MAY learn something while you’re SICK, but GOD doesn’t SEND sicknesses, afflictions, or addictions to TEACH you. Jesus said that if EARTHLY fathers give their children good things, “how much MORE will your Father in HEAVEN give good things to those who ASK.” What loving FATHER would EVER say, “I put this SICKNESS on my child to teach them a LESSON”?

As long as you THINK sickness comes from God, you’re not going to have FAITH to get RID of it. You need to see EVERY sickness, every illness, and every addiction as the work of the ENEMY. Don’t say, “MY cancer…MY diabetes…MY arthritis.” It’s NOT yours. It doesn’t BELONG to you. Your BODY is a TEMPLE of the Most-High GOD. The SCRIPTURE says, “RESIST the enemy, and he will FLEE from you.” You have to RESIST it. Don’t ACCEPT it as the norm. It may be there NOW, but it’s in the process of LEAVING.

Today’s Scripture:

Matthew 7:11, NIV

If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

DON’T TALK ABOUT HOW BIG THE ENEMY IS, TALK ABOUT HOW BIG YOUR GOD IS…..

In 2 Chronicles 32, the king of Syria had invaded Judah with a HUGE army, and Jerusalem was NEXT to be attacked. He sent a letter to the Israelites DEFYING them to trust God. But King Hezekiah had declared, “Don’t be afraid of this mighty ARMY., for there is a power far GREATER on OUR side. We have the Lord our GOD to fight our battle.” And God sent an angel to DESTROY the whole Syrian army.

The enemy will ALWAYS try to defeat you in your THOUGHTS first. Our mind is the COLTROL center of our LIFE. If he can get our MIND cluttered, filled with fear and doubt, filled with what-ifs, it keeps God from turning things AROUND. If YOU are facing a big enemy, remind yourself that our God is BIGGER than the cancer, bigger than the OPPOSITION, bigger than the ADDICITION, and BIGGER than the financial PROBLEM. Don’t talk about how big the ENEMY is; talk about how big your GOD is. Get READY. Angels are ON the way.

Today’s Scripture:

2 Chronicles 32:14, NLT

Which of their gods was able to rescue its people from the destructive power of my predecessors? What makes you think your God can rescue you from me?

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

REST ASSURED, IT’S ON THE WAY….

When the young shepherd David heard the giant Goliath taunting the Israelites, something rose UP in him. He said, “Who IS this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living GOD?” God put the dream in him right there to DEFEAT Goliath. When David told King Saul that HE would defeat Goliath, you would think Saul would have been excited to finally have SOMEBODY step up to the FIGHT, but he did JUST the opposite. HOWEVER, David REFUSED to BELIEVE the limitations and declared his victory before bringing Goliath DOWN.

The reason some people don’t support or encourage YOU when you feel GOD has spoken something to YOU is because God didn’t PUT the dream in them. They can’t SEE what you see or feel what you FEEL. They may LOVE you and think they’re PROTECTING you and doing you a FAVOR by telling you what you can’t do. But you have an EMPOWERMENT that WILL cause it to come to pass. Rest assured it’s ON the way.

Today’s Scripture:

1 Samuel 17:33, NLT

“Don’t be ridiculous!” Saul replied. “There’s no way you can fight this Philistine and possibly win! You’re only a boy, and he’s been a man of war since his youth.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

DON’T WATER-DOWN GOD’S PROMISE

In Genesis 15, God told Abraham that He was going to give him and Sarah a son. The problem was that they were already too OLD to have children in the NATURAL. YEARS went by, and finally Sarah told Abraham to sleep with her maid. She WATERED-DOWN the promise and brought it down to the level SHE thought was possible, and Abraham went ALONG with it. Instead of releasing their FAITH, believing for the EXTRAORDINARY, they settled for what they thought was GOOD enough. But the baby Ishmael was NOT the promised child, and trying to help God OUT caused many PROBLEMS.

Too many times we take what GOD put in our heart, and instead of coming up to His level and BELIEVING for the IMPOSSIBLE, we bring it down to what makes sense to US. Why don’t you take the LIMITS off God? What He promises WILL come to pass–not a WATERED-DOWN version, not a get-BY version, not a good-ENOUGH version. Get ready for the FULLNESS of what GOD said.

Today’s Scripture:

Genesis 16:2, NLT

So Sarai said to Abram, “The LORD has prevented me from having children. Go and sleep with my servant. Perhaps I can have children through her.” And Abram agreed with Sarai’s proposal.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

GOD WANTS YOU TO HAVE ABUNDANE SO YOU CAN BE A BLESSING TO OTHERS

Sometimes people will try to convince you that you’re not supposed to be BLESSED. Back when I was growing up, it was taught that you were supposed to be POOR to show that you were HUMBLE. Yet one of the NAMES of God is “El Shaddai,” which is usually translated “God Almighty” and means “more than ENOUGH.” If God just wanted you to get BY in life, why would His name be “More Than Enough”? Don’t let people talk you out of the OVERFLOW that God has for YOU.

God wants you to have an ABUNDANCE so you can be a blessing to OTHERS. You have SO MUCH joy that you bring JOY WHEREVER you go. You have so many RESOURCES that you can help those AROUND you. You’re going to OVERFLOW with CREATIVITY, with TALENT, with IDEAS. Overflow with great PEOPLE in your life. Overflow with INFLUENCE, with RESPECT, with PROMOTION. You may not have seen this YET, but God is about to do a NEW thing. Overflow is COMING.

Today’s Scripture:

Genesis 28:3, NIV

May God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and increase your numbers until you become a community of peoples.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

WHAT GOD HAS FOR YOU IS TOO IMPORTANT TO SETTLE FOR LESS-THAN

When Moses first gave the people of Israel the promise that God would deliver them from slavery in Egypt and give them the Promised LAND as their POSSESSION, they were too beaten down and discouraged to BELIEVE. Instead of rising up in FAITH, they wanted to remain settled in their SLAVERY, to remain VICTIMS rather than become VICTORS.

What God has for you is way too important to settle for LESS-than. Not SETTLING may mean going back to SCHOOL and getting the TRAINING to bring out your TALENTS. It may mean developing a BUSINESS plan, meeting with MENTORS, and researching what you NEED to bring about that GOAL. It may mean joining a SUPPORT group to help BREAK the addiction. It may mean putting more EFFORT into your marriage, taking more TIME for the person God gave you to LOVE. It may mean joining a GYM, taking WALKS at night, being PROACTIVE to get in shape. You’ll be AMAZED where you will be in ten YEARS if you don’t SETTLE.

Today’s Scripture:

Exodus 6:9, NLT

So Moses told the people of Israel what the LORD had said, but they refused to listen anymore. They had become too discouraged by the brutality of their slavery.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

DON’T LET THE PAST KEEP YOU FROM THE GREAT THINGS GOD HAS IN YOUR FUTURE

After Jesus rose from the dead, Thomas initially DOUBTED that it was TRUE, but soon believed through Jesus MEETING with him. What’s INTERESTING is that Thomas doubted that ONE time, but he’s been LABELED “Doubting Thomas.” You would think he had doubted and questioned his faith for his whole LIFE, but this had been just a few DAYS of his life. It’s easy to let one failure define who you ARE. If Thomas would have WORN that label, he would never have fulfilled his DESTINY. Yet the apostle Thomas took the gospel to India and made an INCREDIBLE impact with his life.

Are YOU wearing negative labels from the past? God’s MERCIES are new EVERY morning. RECEIVE that MERCY and move ON. “What about that failure?” It’s in the PAST. “What about that mistake?” It’s covered by MERCY. “What about the divorce, the compromise, the time I blew it?” That’s over and DONE. Life is TOO short for you to let what happened in the PAST keep you from the GREAT things God has in your FUTURE.

Today’s Scripture:

John 20:27, NIV

Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”