| "My times are in your hands…" (Psalm 31:15, NIV) | ||||||||||||||
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In life, oftentimes we are waiting for something; waiting for a dream to come to pass, waiting to meet the right person, waiting for a problem to turn around. When things aren’t happening as fast as we would like, it’s easy to get frustrated. But you have to realize that the moment you prayed, God established a set time to bring the promise to pass.
God has a set time for your opportunity. There is a set time for that problem to turn around, a set time for your healing, your promotion, your breakthrough. It may be tomorrow, or next week, or five years from now. But when you understand the time has already been set, it takes all the pressure off. You won’t live worried, wondering when this is ever going to happen. You’ll relax and enjoy your life knowing that the promise has already been scheduled, and your answer is on the way!
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Trusting God's Timing
You Are Priceless
| "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made…" (Psalm 139:14, NIV) | ||||||||||||||
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A few years ago, I was having dinner with some people in their home. I noticed some paintings on the wall. To me, they weren’t very impressive. In fact, some of them looked like they had been painted by a child. They were abstract and modern, and it appeared like paint had been just thrown here and there. But later that evening, the owner mentioned how he had paid over a million dollars for just one of those paintings. I looked at it again and thought, “Wow! That is beautiful, isn’t it?”
I found out it was an original that was painted by the famous artist Pablo Picasso. What dawned on me that night was not so much what the painting looked like, but rather who the artist was. A painting gets its value from its creator.
In the same way, your value doesn’t come from what you look like, what you do or who you know. You are a masterpiece! Your value comes from the fact that Almighty God created you. You are priceless!
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File it Away
| "Lord, my heart is not haughty, nor my eyes lofty. Neither do I concern myself with great matters, nor with things too profound for me." (Psalm 131:1, NKJV) | ||||||||||||||
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When things happen in your life that you don’t plan, do you find yourself trying to reason it all out or look for a “file,” so to speak, in your mind to put it in? What happens when you can’t reason it out or make sense of it all?
Here’s the answer: Every one of us needs to create a file in our thinking called the “I Don’t Understand It” file. When things come up that don’t make sense, things that you can’t figure out, instead of getting frustrated or confused, put it in your “I Don’t Understand It” file and leave it alone. If you go through life trying to figure out why something bad happened or why things didn’t work out, it will cause you to become bitter and stuck in life. Part of trusting God means trusting Him when things don’t make sense because we know that His plan is always for good. We have to know that He will reveal all things in His time—even if that means in eternity.
Is there something that didn’t make sense in 2017 that you know you need to file away? Choose to trust God. Choose to keep moving forward. Know that He loves you, He is for you, and He has a great plan for your future!
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He Wants to Surprise You
| "If you will listen diligently to the voice of the Lord your God, being watchful to do all His commandments which I command you...all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you…" (Deuteronomy 28:1-2, AMPC) | ||||||||||||||
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A surprise is simply something good that you weren’t really expecting. It’s something that makes you feel special and lets you know that someone is thinking about you. Surprises bring us joy and lift our hearts. Your heavenly Father wants to surprise you and overtake you with His goodness. He wants to do things that make your life easier and lets you know how much He loves you.
The word “overtake” can also be translated “to catch by surprise.” Your heavenly Father longs to be good to you—He wants to catch you by surprise! He wants to help you accomplish your dreams and overcome your obstacles. He wants to amaze you with His goodness and mercy. We should wake up every morning with the attitude, “I can’t wait to see what God is going to do today!”
Make room in your heart and mind for what God wants to do in your life today. Keep an attitude of faith and expectancy. As you do, you’ll see His surprises. You’ll see His hand of blessing overtake you and bring you to new levels in every area of your life!
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Run Your Race
| "…let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith…" (Hebrews 12:1-2, NKJV) | ||||||||||||||
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It’s easy to be tempted to go through life competing with everyone around us. When we see someone who’s more talented, better looking or has more gifts, instead of running our race and being comfortable with who we are, oftentimes we feel inferior and think, “I’ve got to catch up to them.” The problem with this unhealthy competition is that it’s a never-ending cycle.
There will always be someone ahead of us. But it’s a very freeing thing when you realize, “I’m not competing with you. I don’t have to have as big a house as my neighbor to feel good about myself. I don’t have to keep up with my co-worker. I don’t have to be a certain size. No, I understand that I’m not in competition with my friend, my neighbor or my co-worker. Instead, I’m going to be the best me that I can possibly be.” Friend, that’s an attitude God can work with. When you focus on being who God made you to be, that’s when you’ll rise up higher and position yourself for every spiritual blessing He has in store for you!
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Unexpected Shifts
| "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." (Ephesians 3:20-21, NIV) | ||||||||||||||
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I know a man who had been out of work for over three years. He’s in construction management. For 25 years, he had a very good position at a successful company. But a few years ago when the economy went down, they had to let him go. He ended up taking a much lower level position in a small city and had to travel a couple of hours every day to work. It was taking a toll on his health, his marriage and his savings.
It looked like things would never change. But about six months ago, his former boss called and said, “Hey, are you ready to go back to work?” That company landed the largest contract in their history. He not only got his job back, but all of his benefits were restored. Plus, they increased his salary significantly. What happened? He came into a shift. Suddenly, things changed in his favor. One phone call. One contract. One good break. He went from barely getting by to having more than enough. Now get ready because these shifts are in your future!
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By the Breath of God
| "…Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord Almighty." (Zechariah 4:6, NIV) | ||||||||||||||
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In the original Hebrew, the word “spirit” in today’s verse literally means “breath.” This Scripture is saying that the breakthroughs that are coming in our lives are not going to happen just by our talent, our connections or who we know. It’s going to happen because God breathes in our direction. God will shift the winds that blow healing, promotion and restoration our way.
How are you going to get well? The medical report may say it’s impossible. But when God breathes on you, health, wholeness and restoration are headed toward you. How are you going to accomplish your dreams? You may not know the right people or have enough money or feel like you have the talent. No, God is breathing and sending ideas, resources and the right connections your direction. If you will stay faithful and keep honoring and obeying God, then suddenly things will change. Suddenly, you will come into abundance. Suddenly, your child will turn around. Suddenly, you will get well. Suddenly, the breath of God will shift things in every area of your life!
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