JESUS4TRUELIFE

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Get Excited About Your Future!

"But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn,

which shines brighter and brighter until full day"

(Proverbs 4:18, ESV)

TODAY'S WORD

No matter what is happening in your life today, as a believer in Jesus, you have a reason to be excited about your future! If things seem dark right now, know that the dawn will soon appear. The key is you have to remember that you are not here by accident. You have a purpose and destiny to fulfill, and He isn't finished with you yet. Your best days are not behind you; your best days are out in front of you.

One thing I know is that God is a God of increase. He has greater things in store for your future than you have experienced in your past. His dream for your future is so much bigger than your own. He wants to take you places that you've never dreamed and open up doors that you've never imagined. He wants to bring talent out of you that you didn't even know you had. He wants to increase you and cause you to be a greater blessing to the people around you.

Today, get your hopes up and get excited about your future! Begin to thank Him for what He has in store. Keep standing, keep believing and keep moving forward because God has explosive blessings in store for you!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Heavenly Father, I humbly come to You giving You all that I am. I trust that You have good things in store for my future. I choose to keep my eyes on You no matter what's happening in my circumstances. I know that You are faithful, and I receive the blessings that You have in store for me. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Responding to Thorns

Responding to Thorns
By Michael Youssef, Ph.D.

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers,
whenever you face trials of many kinds."
(James 1:2)

      Just as the apostle Paul experienced a thorn in his flesh, you may be experiencing a thorn right now.

      Thorns aren't easy. As strong as Paul was, he begged God three times to remove his thorn. Yet he was still able to turn his weakness into an opportunity to bring glory to God. "Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong"(2 Corinthians 12:8-10).

      We are always ready to brag about our own strengths and successes. But how often do we talk about our weaknesses and how God helps us overcome them? How often do we share about the strength of God's continuous power in the midst of our suffering?

      Do you see your setbacks as a doorway for God's power to work in your life? Be open with God. Are you wrapped up in your problems? Has your thorn caused deep disappointment in your life? If you are still holding on to pain, resentment, or hopelessness, seek God's healing in your spirit. Allow Him to turn your scars into stars so that they may reveal His glory.
      Prayer: God, help me to see my trials the way You see them. Show me how You want me to respond to them. God, I pray that You would be glorified through my trials. Amen.