Monday, March 31, 2014

Moving to a New Land

by Dave

Today's Scripture:
“And I will bring you to the land I swore with uplifted hand to give to Abraham...”
(Exodus 6:8, NIV.)
 
Today's Word:
In Scripture, the Israelites had been in slavery for many years. That was the land of “Barely Enough.” They were just enduring, surviving, barely making it through. One day God brought them out of slavery and took them into the desert. That was the land of “Just Enough.” Their needs were supplied but nothing extra. It says their clothes didn’t wear out for 40 years. They were probably grateful, but who really wants to wear the same clothes for 40 years?
 
Well, God eventually took them into the Promised Land. This was the land of “More Than Enough.” The food and supplies were plenteous. The bundles of grapes were so large that two grown men had to carry them. It’s called, “the land flowing with milk and honey.” “Flowing” means it didn’t stop. It never ran out. It continued to have abundance. That’s where God is taking you.
 
Now, you may be in the land of “Barely Enough” right now. You don’t know how you’re going to make it through next week. Don’t worry. God hasn’t forgotten about you. He’s leading you to a new land. Just keep following His leading and move forward into the abundance He has in store for you!

Saturday, March 29, 2014

Calls It Like He Sees It

by Dave

Today's Scripture:
“…the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that were not.”  (Romans 4:17, NIV.)
 
Today's Word:
Just as God calls things that are not as though they were, we should also declare what we want to see in our lives. In other words, you may have days when you don’t feel well, but don’t go around saying, “Ah, my back has been hurting me. I’m getting so old. I don’t think I’m ever going to get better.” When you speak like that, you are speaking defeat into your future. Instead, turn it around. Declare a report of victory by saying, “I may not feel up to par, but I know it’s only temporary. God is restoring health to me. I’m getting stronger, healthier and feeling younger. My best days are still up ahead.”
 
Remember, you’re going to get what you call in to your life. You have creative power in your words, and you are prophesying your future. Declare what God says about you—call it like He sees it. Declare that you are blessed and cannot be cursed. Declare hope, life and victory over every area of your life! 

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Your Cup Runs Over

by Dave

Today's Scripture:
“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.”  (Psalm 23:5 NIV.)
 
Today's Word:
God’s dream for your life is that you would be blessed in such a way that you could be a blessing to others. David said, “My cup runs over.” God is an overflow God. But here’s the key: you can’t go around thinking thoughts of lack, not enough, or struggle and expect to have abundance. If you’ve been under pressure for a long time and have difficulty making ends meet, it’s easy to develop a limited mindset. “I’ll never get out of this neighborhood.” Or, “I’ll never have enough to send my kids to college.” No, that may be where you are now, but that’s not where you have to stay. God is called El Shaddai, the God of More than Enough! Not the God of Barely Enough. Not the God of Just Help Me Make it Through. No, He’s the God of Overflow!
 
Today, no matter what you may be experiencing, stir yourself up in faith and declare who God is in your life. Declare that He is well able; declare that He is more than enough! Declare that your cup runs over with the blessing and victory He has prepared for you!

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

A Year of Abundance

By Dave

Today's Scripture:
'For I know the plans I have for you,' says the LORD. 'They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.'  (Jeremiah 29:11, NLT.)
 
Today's Word:
What are you planning for this year? Are you planning this year according to the news reports, or are you planning this year according to the Word of God? It’s good to be informed about what’s happening in the world, but remember, God is not limited by what we see in the natural. You may be planning to have an ordinary year, but God is planning for you to have an extraordinary year. You may be planning on just barely getting by, but God is planning on a year of abundance for you.
 
God wants to do supernatural things in your life this year! He wants you to be an example of His goodness. Start declaring that this year is going to be your best year yet. Start declaring that this is the year you will see your dreams come to pass. Start declaring that this year will be your year of abundance!

Thursday, March 20, 2014

A Divine Shift

by Dave

Today's Scripture:
“The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him.”  (Psalm 37:23, NIV.)
 
Today's Word:
I have a friend who never really liked his supervisor. Nobody at the company did. This supervisor was very hard to get along with and condescending. He had been a source of frustration year after year. It looked like he could be at the company for 20 or 30 years. My friend has a good attitude, but deep down he thought, “This is going to be a pain to put up with this guy.” One morning he got to work and the management had called a staff meeting. They told how this supervisor’s wife got transferred to another state, and he had just resigned and was no longer with the company. What happened? A divine shift. Suddenly, God changed things.
 
Today, you don’t have to worry about the people who are trying to hold you back. God knows how to move the wrong people out of your life and bring the right people in. He knows how to get you to where you’re supposed to be. Trust Him.  Trust His timing because a divine shift is coming your way!

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Talk To Yourself The Right Way

by Dave

Today's Scripture:
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”  (Philippians 4:13, NKJV.)
 
Today's Word:
In scripture, Paul had been through a lot of trials. He had been shipwrecked, spent the night on an open sea, and gone days without food. He was falsely accused, beaten with rods, and thrown into prison. If anyone had a right, at least in the natural, to be negative, bitter or complain, it would have been Paul. But his attitude was, “I can handle it. I am ready for and equal to it. Why? Because Almighty God, the Creator of the universe has infused me with strength. He has equipped me, empowered me, anointed me, crowned me with favor, put royal blood in my veins, and called me to reign in life as a king.”
 
In difficult times, like Paul, you’ve got to talk to yourself the right way. If you don’t talk to yourself, your thoughts will talk to you. Don’t let the negative, self-defeating thoughts play in your mind. Instead, declare that you are more than a conqueror, and you will boldly embrace the life of victory God has in store for you!

Monday, March 17, 2014

Make The First Move

by Dave

Today's Scripture:
“Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.”
(Colossians 3:12, NLT.)
 
Today's Word:
Too often, when something doesn’t go the way we expect, we make the mistake of telling ourselves, “It’s not fair. It’s not right. When that changes, when it improves, then I’ll have a better attitude.” No, you’ve got to make the first move. You do your part and God will do His part. Quit worrying about God changing another person, and allow God to change you first.
 
Is there something you’re letting overwhelm you? Maybe you think it’s too much. Why don’t you get up every morning and make this simple declaration, “God, I want to thank You that I can handle anything that comes my way today. I can handle a difficult boss. I can handle getting stuck in traffic. I can handle my plans not working out. Lord, thank You that I’ll have a good attitude wherever I am.”
 
Decide ahead of time that you are going to stay in an attitude of faith and expectancy. Choose to clothe yourself with mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Choose God’s ways and let Him order your steps all the days of your life.

Saturday, March 15, 2014

What God Calls You

by Dave

Today's Scripture:
“And the angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, ‘The LORD is with you, O mighty man of valor.’”  (Judges 6:12, ESV.)
 
Today's Word:
In Scripture, God called Gideon a mighty man of fearless courage. Now Gideon looked around and said, "God couldn't be talking about me. I come from the poorest family. I'm the least one in my Father's house." Gideon saw himself as weak, defeated and not able. But God saw him as strong, confident and more than a conqueror.
 
The question is: Are we going to believe what God says about us? Or are we going to believe what we feel, what we think, what the circumstances look like? You may feel weak today, but God calls you strong. You may feel like a victim, but God calls you a victor. You may be afraid, but God calls you confident. You may be in debt, but God calls you prosperous. You may be sick, but God calls you well. You may be addicted, but God calls you free. You may feel inadequate, but God calls you well able.
 
Today, get into agreement with God. No matter what the circumstances look like, you’ve got to dig your heels in and say, "God, I agree with what You call me. I’m free, forgiven and healed in Jesus’ name!”

Friday, March 14, 2014

Growing Through Difficulty

by Dave

Today's Scripture:
“These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold…”  (1 Peter 1:7, NLT.)
 
Today's Word:
One thing we have to realize is that God is not going to deliver us from every difficulty. He is not going to keep us from every challenge. If He did, we would never grow. The Scripture says, “Our faith is tried in the fire of affliction.” When you’re in a tough time, that’s an opportunity for your faith to shine.
 
Anybody can get negative and bitter, blame God, or lose their passion. That’s easy. But if you want to pass the test, if you want God to take you to a new level, you cannot be a weakling. You’ve got to be a warrior. Dig your heels in and say like Paul, “I can handle it. I’m ready for it. I’m equal to it. I know God is still on the throne. He is fighting my battles, and on the other side of this difficulty is a new level of my destiny!”

Thursday, March 13, 2014

You Were Not an Accident

by Dave

Today's Scripture:
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you…”  (Jeremiah 1:5, NIV.)
 
Today's Word:
God knew you before you were even born. What an amazing thought! He saw your unformed substance and said, “I have a purpose for this life. I have good plans for them!”
Then He breathed His life into you and sent you through your mother and father. They may have had issues, but that doesn’t have to stop you from becoming all that God intended for you to be. You have been handpicked by Almighty God to be here at this time in history!
 
Sometimes we hear parents say, “We weren’t expecting this child. They were a surprise. They were an accident.” No, that child may have been a surprise to the parents, but they weren’t a surprise to Almighty God. No child can be born without God breathing His life into them. You may think, “Well, I was unwanted. I was an unplanned pregnancy.” No, you wouldn’t be here if God didn’t give life to your seed.
 
In God’s eyes, there is no such thing as being illegitimate. Remember, He knew you before you were ever born! Find confidence in His love knowing that you are a person of destiny, and you are part of His mighty plan!

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Your Future isn't Defined by Your Past

by Dave

Today's Scripture:
“…If God is for us, who can be against us?”  (Romans 8:31, NIV.)
 
Today's Word:
I heard somebody say, “Don’t let your heredity stop your destiny.” In other words, don’t let the way somebody treated you, or what they did or didn’t give you keep you from pressing forward and becoming all that God has created you to be.
 
The people who raised you may have had addictions, but that doesn’t have to be your future. You can be the one to break that negative cycle. Your parents may have had anger issues or never amounted to much, but you don’t have to keep letting that curse be passed from generation to generation. You can be the one to say, “No more. This is a new day! I may have had an unfair past, but I’m not going to have an unfair future. I know God put a blessing on me before anybody could put a curse, and I’m not going to let my heredity stop my destiny.”
 
Today, know that God is for you! Seek Him with a humble heart and break free from the bondages of the past. When you choose to put Him first in your life, then nothing can stop your destiny!

Monday, March 10, 2014

Who's Your Daddy?

by Dave

Today's Scripture:
…the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father.’”  (Romans 8:15, NIV.)
 
Today's Word:
There used to be a billboard that asked the question, “Who’s the father?” It was advertising DNA testing. They can take a child’s DNA and test another person’s DNA to see if it matches in order to scientifically prove if two people are related. Out of the billions of people on earth, the chances of your DNA matching someone that’s not your family is so small that it’s inconceivable.
 
When you gave your life to Christ, the Scripture talks about how you became a new creation. You were born into a new family. You entered into a new bloodline. Now imagine that somehow we could do spiritual DNA testing. They took a sample DNA from your Heavenly Father and then a sample DNA from you. They ran all the tests. The good news is, it would come back a perfect match. Proven beyond all doubt that you are His child! You have His DNA. You come from a royal blood line.
 

Saturday, March 8, 2014

Do Outsiders Respect You?

by Dave
Today's Scripture:
“So that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders…”
(1 Thessalonians 4:12, NIV.)
Today's Word:
When others look at your life, what do they see? Does your daily life win the respect of others? As believers, we are Christ’s representatives on the earth. We are called to a higher standard. The way we live our lives should bring glory to God the Father.
Notice this verse doesn’t say, “Go out of your way to do something major so that everyone will respect you.” It doesn’t say, “Win a gold medal or Pulitzer prize so that people will glorify your Father in heaven.” No, it says that your daily life should win the respect of others. That simply means to always take the high road and live a life of excellence. It means doing the right thing even when no one is looking. It means finding common ground in order to be a peacemaker. It means going out with an attitude of faith and thanksgiving.
Remember, you will become like whomever you spend the most time with. If you are committed to spending time with God the Father every day, you’ll develop His character. You’ll win the respect of outsiders and bring glory to your Father in heaven!

Thursday, March 6, 2014

Created for Greatness

by Dave

Today's Scripture:
“For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:10, NIV.)
 
Today's Word:
It’s easy to go through life thinking that we’re average; we’re ordinary. “There’s nothing special about me. I’m just one of the six billion people on earth.” No, when God created you, He put a part of Himself in you. You could say that you have the DNA of Almighty God. You are destined to do great things, destined to leave your mark on this generation. The truth is, there is nothing average about you; but too many times we don’t realize who we are. We focus on our weaknesses or what we don’t have. We focus on the mistakes we’ve made or the family from which we’ve come. We end up settling for mediocrity when we were created for greatness!
 
If you’re going to break out of average, you need to remind yourself every day, “I have the DNA of the Most High God. Greatness is in my genes. I come from a bloodline of champions.” If you’ll have the attitude of a champion, you’ll live the life of a champion and boldly embrace the blessings He has in store for you!

Monday, March 3, 2014

Daily Benefits

by Dave

Today's Scripture:
“Blessed be the Lord, who daily loads us with benefits…”  (Psalm 68:19, NKJV.)
 
Today's Word:
When you live a life that honors God, when you obey His Word and you’re a person of excellence and integrity, the scripture says that God’s blessings will chase you down and overtake you. You won’t be able to outrun the good things of God. He daily loads us with benefits!
 
People get confused sometimes and think they have to go chasing after the blessings. But really, when you chase after God each and every day, when you make Him your highest priority, the blessings will automatically follow.
 
Today, make pleasing the Lord your top priority. Let go of anything that would hold you back or weigh you down. Be willing to deal with issues as God brings them to light. Don’t give in to compromise and temptation that will keep you from God’s best. Then get ready because His blessings will chase you down as He daily loads you with benefits!  

Sunday, March 2, 2014

Victor's Mentality

by Dave

Today's Scripture:
“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”
(Romans 8:37, NIV.)
 
Today's Word:
In scripture, Paul went through hard times. How did he come through? He wasn’t complaining, living in self-pity or despair. No, he shook off that defeated mindset and chose to have a vision of victory. This is what we have to do, too!
 
Remember, you’re not a weakling. You’re not lacking. The most powerful force in the universe is breathing in your direction. Every morning you need to remind yourself, “I am ready for and equal to anything that comes my way. I am full of can-do power.”
 
Listen, that sickness is no match for you. That relationship issue is not going to keep you from your destiny. The loss of that loved one did not stop God’s plan for your life. Don’t let it overwhelm you. You can handle it. You’ve been armed with strength! Keep a victor’s mentality because a victor’s mentality becomes a victor’s reality!