Wear Your Blessing Wel

"Isaac planted crops in that land and the same year reaped a hundredfold, because the LORD blessed him."
(Genesis 26:12, NIV)

One time Isaac was in a famine. There was a great drought in the land, but Isaac went out and planted crops right in the middle of that famine. It didn’t make any sense, but somehow in that same year of drought, the Scripture says, “Isaac received 100 times what he had sown because the Lord blessed him.” What’s interesting is that when Isaac got blessed, the people around him, the Philistines and his friends all of the sudden got jealous of him. They were fine as long as he was broke. As long as they were at the same level, it was no big deal. But when he stepped up to a new level, when he began to wear his blessings well, the Scripture says, “The Philistines hated Isaac.” Maybe you’ve noticed this in your own life. When you start to do better, the people around you don’t celebrate. They become jealous. But you can’t allow the attitudes of others to hold you back and cause you to live in mediocrity. Instead, when you’re blessed, brag on God! Shake off the criticism of others and receive His blessing. Wear it well because when you honor Him, He will continue to increase and promote you all the days of your life!

The God of More than Enough

"...the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, 'I am God Almighty..."
(Genesis 17:1 ESV)

Do you need more peace, joy or provision in your life? We serve a God who is more than enough, and He has more than enough! The original Hebrew word in this verse is El Shaddai which means "the All-Sufficient One" or the God of plenty. In other words, our God is more than enough! He's not worried about how He's going to meet your needs. He's not wondering how He's going to provide for you. He's already overflowing with everything you need in this life, and He longs to bless you. Do you know why? He wants to bless you abundantly so that you can turn around and be a blessing to other people. He wants you to be His reflection in the earth. Today, keep an attitude of faith and expectancy. Remember, you serve the Almighty God. He promises to supply all of your needs because He is El Shaddai, the God of more than enough!

Embrace Your Season

“For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1, NLT)

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God has ordained seasons and cycles in our lives. Sometimes, when our dreams aren’t coming to pass on our timetable, we can be tempted to get frustrated. But we have to be careful not to allow our attitude to keep us from moving forward. Understand that in God’s kingdom, every season is not harvest. There are plowing seasons, planting seasons and watering seasons. Sure, we would love for every season to be a time of increase; but without the other seasons, we wouldn’t be prepared. It’s during the plowing seasons that God brings issues to light that we need to deal with. He’s getting us prepared for promotion. If you’re not making as much progress as you would like, the key is to not lose any ground. Don’t go backwards. Hold your position by keeping an attitude of faith and expectancy, even when it’s hard. Keep plowing by speaking the Word daily. As you do, you’ll pass the test, and God promises your due season is coming!

Bring Out the Best

“...love is kind...” (1 Corinthians 13:4, NIV)

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You may have heard this verse many times before, but one translation says that “love looks for a way to be constructive.” In other words, kindness isn’t just about being nice; it’s looking for ways to improve someone else’s life. It’s bringing out the best in others. When you start your day, don’t just spend time thinking about yourself or how you can make your own life better. Think about ways you can make someone else’s life better, too! Ask yourself, “Who can I encourage today? Who can I build up?” You have something to offer those around you that no one else can give. Someone in your life needs your encouragement. Someone in your life needs to know that you believe in them. We are responsible for how we treat the people He’s placed in our lives. He’s counting on us to bring out the best in our family and friends. Today, ask the Lord to give you creative ways to encourage those around you. As you sow seeds of encouragement and bring out the best in others, God will send people along your path that will build you up, too. Keep showing kindness so you can move forward into the blessing and freedom He has for you!

The Land of Hope

“...my flesh also will dwell in hope.” (Acts 2:26, ESV)

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Where are you dwelling in your heart today? In other words, what are you expecting to happen in your life? What kind of attitude do you have? If your thoughts are stuck and you’re focused on what’s wrong or what’s not working, then it’s time to make a move! It’s time to pack up your belongings and move out of the land of discouragement. It’s time to move out of the “Not-going-to-happen” subdivision and move out of “Can’t-do-it-ville.” It’s time to pack your bags and move into the land of hope, faith and expectation! Every time you catch a negative thought, and instead, dwell on God’s promises, it’s like you are packing your bags. Every time you declare God’s faithfulness, you are taking a step in the right direction. The Bible says that those who hope in the Lord will never be put to shame. As you turn your focus toward Him, you are dwelling in the Land of Hope—a land where His peace, blessing and victory reside.

Only Believe

"But when Jesus heard it, He answered him, saying, 'Do not be afraid; only believe, and she will be made well."
(Luke 8:50, NKJV)

In Scripture a man came to Jesus and said, “My little daughter is very sick. She is close to death. Will You come to my home and pray for her?” Jesus agreed. But along the way He kept getting stopped, one interruption after another. Finally, word came back to Him saying, “No need to come. You’ve waited too late. The little girl has died.” The people were upset and very distraught. But Jesus said to them in Luke 8:50 “Don’t be afraid. If you will only believe, the little girl will be well.” Notice the phrase “only believe.” Jesus went to the home, laid hands on the little girl, and she came back to life. Are you facing a situation that seems impossible? In the natural, you don’t see how you can get well, or how you can overcome the addiction, or how your family can ever be restored. God is saying to you what He said to them, “If you will only believe, I will turn the situation around. If you only believe, breakthroughs are headed your way!”

If Only

"The one who guards a fig tree will eat its fruit…"

(Proverbs 27:18, NIV)

It’s easy to get stuck in the trap of thinking that if only your circumstances would just change, then life would be better. You might think, “If I got a new job, or a new house or had better friends, then I would really be happy.” But I’ve learned that often times, God changes us before He changes our circumstances. We are thinking, “If only my circumstances would change,” when God may be thinking, “If only your attitude would change!” Today, if you’ve been thinking, “If only,” it’s time to turn your thoughts around. Don’t allow negative thinking to direct your attitude or affect how you treat others. Instead, begin to thank God for what He has planned for you. Bloom where you are planted. Tend to what God has placed in your hand. If you will focus on what you have instead of focusing on what you don’t have, then God can bless you and multiply you and lead you forward into the destiny He has in store for you!