Give Thanks!

“But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
(1 Corinthians 15:57, NIV)

Today, take time to reflect on and give thanks to God for all of His blessings in your life. Whether you are eating turkey, playing games with your family, watching football or visiting a friend, remember to take time to focus on God’s goodness. Count your blessings and notice all the grace, favor and love that God has given you. Psalm 95:2 says to “come before His presence with thanksgiving...shout joyfully to Him with psalms.” No matter the circumstances in your life, give thanks and praise to God for all that He has done. Remember how good He is and that His love will endure forever. The Bible says that you show your love for God through your actions toward other people. Reach out to those around you this holiday season and share His love and forgiveness with them. You are blessed to be a blessing to others!

Sufficient Grace

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness...”
(2 Corinthians 12:9, NIV)

Everyone has days when they feel weak or times when they feel overwhelmed. But God has given us His grace to carry us through these difficult times and empower us to move forward in victory. Scripture says God’s grace is sufficient. The word sufficient simply means competent, enough or qualified. That means you always have whatever you need by His grace. You will never face anything that God’s grace cannot empower you to move through. We serve a God who is more than enough, and His grace is more than enough, too! Anytime you feel weak, remember, when you rely on His grace, that is when you are at your strongest. When you feel like you can’t go on, that’s when He will carry you by His grace. Today, remember, no matter what you may be facing, you’re not facing it alone. You are not without hope, you are not without resources, and you are not without answers because His grace is sufficient! His grace is all you need to be equipped to move forward into His victory

Just Agree with God!

“As it is written: ‘I have made you a father of many nations.’ He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that were not.” (Romans 4:17, NIV)

  

Twenty years before Abraham ever had a child, God said to him, “Abraham, I have made you a father of many nations.” Notice God spoke to him like it had already happened, in the past tense. I’m sure Abraham thought, “God, You must have made a mistake. I’m not a father. I don’t even have one child.” Abraham could have talked himself out of it; but instead, he chose to believe. Today, you may be thinking, “I’m not blessed. I’m not confident. I’m not healthy. I’m not favored.” But when God says you’re blessed, don’t try to figure it out. Just agree with God and say, “I am blessed.” When God calls you prosperous, don’t go check your bank account. Don’t go look at the stock report. Just agree with God and say, “I am prosperous.” Things may look impossible. That’s all right. That’s the way things looked for Abraham. But sure enough, God’s promises came to pass, and he became the father of many nations. Remember, when you agree with God, you are positioning yourself for a miracle. You are activating His truth in your life. When things look difficult, don’t agree with your circumstances, agree with His promises because He is faithful, and He will complete what He’s started in your life!

New Mercy

“The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.”
(Lamentations 3:22–23, NLT)

Isn’t it good to know that no matter what happened yesterday, no matter what you said, no matter what you did, God’s mercy is new for you today? Mercy is empowering. It gives us the chance to let go of the our mistakes and move forward in Him. We have to always remember that God is not condemning us. Romans tells us that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ. God wants to love us and equip us to overcome in this life. Do you need new mercy today? Receive it by faith. You don’t have to beg God to forgive you. He forgives you the first time you ask, but it’s up to you to receive that forgiveness. Open your heart today and receive His mercy. Let Him wash over you with His peace and joy. Then choose to extend that mercy to others. Remember, you are God’s representative in the earth. As you show His love and character to others, He’ll pour out His blessing on you and use you in ways you never dreamed!

The Only Thing That Counts

“...The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.”
(Galatians 5:6, NIV)

So often, it’s easy to get caught up in our to-do lists of life. You might even have a spiritual checklist, so to speak, of all the things you think you need to do in order to please God. And we should have the desire to please Him and follow His commands, but pleasing Him starts with our heart condition. Scripture tells us in 1 Corinthians that only faith, hope and love will last into eternity. The point is that we have to adjust our focus and make sure that we aren’t just going through the motions in our spiritual walk. We can do a lot of “good” things, but if we don’t have love, they won’t matter in eternity. We can have a lot of knowledge, but if we don’t have love, it won’t do us any good. When love is the foundation for everything we do, it’s a different story. Love honors God and opens the door for the life of victory and blessing He has in store!

Accelerate

“My times are in Your hand...”
(Psalm 31:15, NASB)

One thing I’ve learned is that God doesn’t always work on our timetable. In fact, He rarely does. But in a single moment, God can change your life! All throughout scripture, we see examples of how God was working behind the scenes and instantly turned things around for His people. Scripture tells us He is the same yesterday, today and forever which means He can instantly turn things around for you, too! You may be going through some difficulty today, but be encouraged because your times are in God’s hands. He wants to accelerate things in your favor. He wants to take you further than you dreamed possible and work in your life in ways beyond what you have ever imagined. Let this truth sink down into your heart today. Resist discouragement by speaking His Word over your future. Keep standing. Keep hoping; keep believing because He is working behind the scenes. He’s going to accelerate your times and lead you into the life of victory He has for you!

Accept God’s Plan

‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’”
(Jeremiah 29:11, NIV)



                                 


No matter what may be happening today, God has good things in store for your future! It may not be easy to see now, but God has already lined up a new beginning, new friendships and new opportunities for you.



Maybe you’ve experienced some setbacks, but don’t make the mistake of expecting the same for your future. Instead, accept God’s good plan for your life by declaring His truth. As believers, our attitude should be, “Even though the economy is down, I’m not worried. I know God is going before me, and He has promised He will make rivers in the desert.” Or, “The medical report may not look good, but I have another report that says God is restoring health unto me. I believe God has already released healing, health and victory in my future.” Or, you may have a child who is not on the right course. In the natural, it seems impossible. But our report should be, “I know God can do the impossible!”



Today, be encouraged and don’t give up on your tomorrows. Accept the good plan God has for you—a plan filled with hope, purpose, blessing and increase in every area of your life!