THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

NOTHING YOU’RE FACING IS A SURPRISE TO GOD…..

It’s easy to NOT let go of the things that come against us–the worry about our FUTURE, the stress over our FINANCES, the frustration with the BOSS. We may carry GUILT because of past MISTAKES, anger over what didn’t work OUT, BITTERNESS toward someone who did us WRONG. We can’t get rid of negative things that are stealing our PEACE, taking our JOY, and DRAINING our ENEERGY. We wonder why we can’t SLEEP at night, why we wake up TIRED, why we’re not PASSIONATE about our DREAMS.

As long as you’re worried, trying to make things happen in your OWN strength, that will limit what GOD will do. God says to be STILL and KNOW that He is GOD. Clear OUT the worry, the offenses, the negativity. Live from a place of PEACE, REST, and FAITH. God has you in the palms of His HANDS. Nothing you’re facing is a SURPRISE to Him. Be STILL in your mind and your ATTITUDE. Turn it over to God and stay at PEACE, knowing HE’S in control.

Today’s Scripture:

Psalm 46:10, NLT

Be still, and know that I am God!

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

ALL THINGS, GOD WORKS FOR THE GOOD OF THOSE WHO LOVE HIM

The apostle Paul wrote nearly half the books of the New Testament and was one of the most BRILLIANT minds of his day. Yet, he said HE didn’t always know what to PRAY. He was COMFORTABLE with what he didn’t know. He didn’t see it as a lack of faith to ADMIT, “I don’t have all the ANSWERS. I don’t know what to PRAY. I have UNCERTAINTIES, things I don’t UNDERSTAND, things I’m not SURE how they’re going to work OUT.” The reason he could SAY this and not be worried about what he didn’t KNOW is found two verses later. “We KNOW that in ALL things God works for the GOOD of those who LOVE Him.”

Are YOU frustrated by what you don’t KNOW, by what you can’t figure OUT, by what doesn’t look like it’s GOING to work out? Have a new PERSPECTIVE. It’s OKAY to not have all the ANSWERS as long as you know the God who is on the THRONE and working ALL things for your GOOD.

Today’s Scripture:

Romans 8:26, NIV

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

WAIT WITH A GOOD ATTITUDE, YOU’RE RIGHT WHERE GOD WANTS YOU

We KNOW we need to have faith and believe RIGHT? But today’s Scripture says we have need of PATIENT endurance if we’re going to see God’s promises come to pass. Maybe you’ve been praying, believing, and being your BEST, but you don’t see anything CHANGING. Most of us think of waiting as a NEGATIVE, and we don’t LIKE it. We’re tempted to be impatient and live stressed OUT. Have a NEW perspective. You’re not missing OUT, and you’re not falling BEHIND, but you’re right where God WANTS you. The PROMISE is right on SCHEDULE. It’s all a part of God’s PROCESS. The KEY is to wait with a good ATTITUDE. Don’t be complaining, “Why is this taking so long?” No, turn it AROUND and say, “Father, THANK YOU that what You that what you STARTED You’re going to FINISH. Thank You that what You PROMISED is on the W.AY” If you wait with the right ATTITUDE, then after patience has done its WORK, you’re going to see the promise come to PASS.

Today’s Scripture:

Hebrews 10:36, NLT

Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

KEEP ASKING FOR A ‘YES’, EVEN IF ALL YOU’VE BEEN GETTING IS A NO

When King Hezekiah was sick to the point of death, the prophet Isaiah, who spoke for God, said to him, “Put your house in order, for you will SURELY die.” He didn’t say he MIGHT die or that it didn’t LOOK good. So what do YOU do when God says no? Rather than give UP, Hezekiah started weeping and PRAYING and asking God for MERCY. God told Isaiah to go BACK and tell Hezekiah, “I’ve HEARD your prayer and seen your TEARS, and I will ADD fifteen YEARS to your life.”

Even when you feel as though God has said NO, if you DARE do as Hezekiah and ask God for a YES, God can REVERSE a no. Every circumstance may say, “FORGET it. God said NO. Just LIVE with it.” Hezekiah’s attitude was, “God, I’m asking in Your great MERCY to CHANGE Your mind and give me a YES.” Are YOU BOLD enough to ask for a YES, even though all you keep getting is a NO?

Today’s Scripture:

Isaiah 38:5, NIV

Go and tell Hezekiah; This is what the LORD, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will add fifteen years to your life.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

IF YOU’LL BE FAITHFUL IN THE SMALL, GOD WILL TRUST YOU WITH MORE

In 1 Samuel 17, when David was in the shepherds’ fields, his father told him to take a provision of food to his brothers who were serving on the battlefield. David could have said, “Samuel anointed ME to be the next king, and now you want me to be an ERRAND BOY to brothers who DISRESPECT me? I don’t THINK so.” If David had been too PROUD to serve OTHERS, to do what seemed INSIGNIFICANT, he wouldn’t have heard Goliath’s TAUNT, SLAIN the giant, and made it to the THRONE. It was a TEST he had to pass. Had he not been FAITHFUL to do the SMALL, he would have MISSED his DESTINY.

If YOU’LL be FAITHFUL in the small that God is asking YOU to do, He will trust you with MORE. Once you do the INSIGNIFICANT thing, the thing where you might have to HUMBLE yourself and serve somebody who doesn’t treat YOU right, then the door will open to the BIG thing. PASS those tests. It’s getting you PREPARED.

Today’s Scripture:

Luke 16:10, NLT

If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

THE VOICE OF DEFEAT MAY SEEM LOUDER, BUT YOU CAN OVERRIDE IT

In Matthew 6, Jesus was talking about WORRY. Notice the phrase “take no thought, SAYING.” The negative THOUGHTS will come. The key is to not SAY them. A thought will die stillborn if you don’t SPEAK it. Jesus was saying, “You may FEEL worried. It may SEEM like it’s never going to happen. But don’t VERBALIZE it. Don’t get trapped by your WORDS.

In life, there are always two VOICES vying for your ATTENTION. You’ll hear a voice of defeat saying, “It’s never going to work out.” But if you listen CAREFULLY, you’ll hear the voice of FAITH saying, “God HAS a way.” YOU get to CHOOSE which voice comes to LIFE by what you SPEAK. When you verbalize that THOUGHT, you’re giving it the RIGHT to come to PASS. You have to get in AGREEMENT with GOD. The voice of defeat may SEEM louder, but you can OVERRIDE it. You can take AWAY all its POWER by choosing the voice of FAITH.

Today’s Scripture:

Matthew 6:31, KJV

Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

DON’T SPEND YOUR VALUABLE TIME WITH PEOPLE WHO BRING OUT THE WORST IN YOU…..

In Psalm 1, David reminds us that if we won’t SEPARATE ourselves from negative RELATIONSHIPS, from people who gossip, compromise, and drag us DOWN, we won’t PROSPER and be BLESSED. The truth is that what you’re unwilling to walk AWAY from is where you stop GROWING. God will never ask you to let GO of something without giving you something BETTER in return. When you do what you know you’re SUPPOSED to, even when it’s difficult, a BLESSING will always follow your OBEDIENCE.

Too many people are stuck because they’re still hanging around people whom they’ve known for YEARS and they’re supposed to get AWAY from. If that’s YOU, the sooner you make these CHANGES, the better OFF you’re going to be. Don’t spend your VALUABLE time with people who bring out the WORST in you. If you let them GO, God has ALREADY lined up people who will bring out the BEST in you and INSPIRE you rise to NEW heights.

Today’s Scripture:

Psalm 1:1, NLT

Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

STAY AT PEACE AND GOD WILL VINDICATE YOU AND TAKE CARE OF WHAT’S AGAINST YOU

The apostle Paul faced all KINDS of opposition. SOME religious leaders didn’t accept him, others tried to KILL him, and government officials were AFRAID that he had too much INFLUENCE. People LIED about him, and he was put in PRISON. He had MANY opportunities to live bitter and try to pay people back. But he didn’t FIGHT battles that didn’t matter, such as with Alexander. He was saying, “THIS battle is not BETWEEN me and my destiny. I’m NOT going to take the bait. I’m going to let GOD fight my battles.”

Are YOU fighting where you should be RESTING, trying to straighten people out and prove to them who you ARE? Let it GO. That’s not your BATTLE; that battle is the LORD’S. You don’t HAVE to pay people back or get even. GOD is your VINDICATOR. HE will make up for the wrongs done to you. If you stay in PEACE, God will VINDICATE you and take care of what’s AGAINST you.

Today’s Scripture:

2 Timothy 4:14, AMPC

Alexander the coppersmith did me great wrongs. The Lord will pay him back for his actions.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

YOU HAVE EXACTLY WHAT YOU NEED TO DO WHAT GOD HAS CALLED YOU TO DO, DON’T HOLD BACK

When God told Moses to go tell Pharaoh to let the people of Israel go, Moses was INSECURE and didn’t feel QUALIFIED. However, God showed Moses miraculous signs so that he would go into the courts of Pharaoh with CONFIDENCE, knowing that God WAS with him. But Moses had ANOTHER concern. He said, “God, I can’t stand before Pharaoh because I have a SPEECH problem.” You would have thought, since God just did all those miracles, He would simply TOUCH Moses’ speech and take AWAY the stuttering. But God DIDN’T remove that problem. God was saying to Moses, “You have EXACTLY what you need to do what I’ve CALLED you to do. If I needed to remove it for you to fulfill your DESTINY, I WOULD have removed it.”

Are YOU waiting for God to remove a weakness before you can be HAPPY, pursue a DREAM, finish SCHOOL or be GOOD to somebody? DON’T hold back. You HAVE what you NEED.

Today’s Scripture:

Exodus 4:10, MSG

Master, please, I don’t talk well. I’ve never been good with words, neither before nor after you spoke to me. I stutter and stammer.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

GOD CANNOT FAIL IN WHAT HE HAS PROMISED YOU

The Scripture talks about how we need to have CHILDLIKE faith. Children don’t TRY to figure everything out. When you tell your child that you’re going to buy them something or take them someplace, they don’t WORRY about any of the details. They don’t wonder if you have the finances to AFFORD it. They don’t lose sleep over WHETHER it’s going to happen or HOW it’s going to happen. To them, it’s just a matter of time to when you come THROUGH on it. WHY? Because they TRUST you to take CARE of it. Even though we’re human and could break our promises, they have this incredible TRUST in us, BELIEVING that we wouldn’t promise it if we could not make it HAPPEN.

What would happen if we had that same kind of TRUST in our HEAVENLY Father, knowing that He CANNOT fail in what HE has promised us, that He CANNOT go back on His WORD?

Today’s Scripture:

Matthew 18:3, NIV

And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”