Delmar answers, “come on in boys, the waters fine!"

Why God Laughs

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“He Who sits in the heavens laughs...” (Psalm 2:4, AMP)

Have you ever imagined God laughing in the heavens? Think about it for a moment. Right now, God is on the throne. He’s not mad. He’s not worried about the economy. He’s not upset with us. No, God is full of joy and laughing on the throne. It goes on to tell us in Psalm 37 that He’s laughing because “He can see the destruction of the enemy coming.” In other words, the reason God laughs is because He knows the end of the story. He knows the final outcome. The good news is that you and I win. God always causes us to triumph!

Imagine watching the Super Bowl when you already know the outcome. You already know who is going to win. No matter how far behind the winning team falls, no matter how bad it looks for them, you wouldn’t get upset. You wouldn’t be worried. Why? Because you’ve got inside information. You know the final outcome. That’s what God is saying to us today. When it gets tough and things don’t look like they’re going to work out, we know that with God we are on the winning team! Today, you can laugh with Him knowing that He has favor, strength and victory in store for your future!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father in heaven, I choose to rest and trust in You. Thank You for bringing victory in every area of my life. Give me opportunities today to share Your joy and love with the people around me. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Joy in His Presence

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand” (Psalm 16:11, NIV)

Do you need more joy in your life today? God promises that joy is found in His presence. If you’ve accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, then His presence lives inside of you! Joy will manifest when you focus your mind and heart on the Father and begin to praise Him for what He’s done in your life. The Bible says that He inhabits the praises of His people. When you praise and thank Him, you are in His presence where there is fullness of joy!

It doesn’t matter where you are or what’s going on around you, you can access the joy that’s inside of you anytime, day or night. And know this: God wants you to experience His supernatural joy and peace at all times. That’s why He chose to live inside of you and give you an endless supply. Don’t waste another minute feeling overburdened and discouraged. Let the joy of the Lord be your strength and move forward in the victory He’s prepared for you!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father in heaven, thank You for an endless supply of joy. Today I choose to cast my cares on You and give You the praise, glory and honor You deserve. Let joy flow through me today so that I can be a witness of Your goodness to those around me in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Be Joyful in Hope

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer” (Romans 12:12, NIV)

God has given you everything you need in order to enjoy your life. Think about that for a minute. What is keeping you from living life to the full? You may not be in the home you want. You may not have the exact job you would like. Maybe you’re single and really want to be married. If you focus on these temporary things, it opens the door to comparison and frustration.

It’s good to have big dreams. It’s good to want to increase. But if you start comparing yourself to others, it opens the door for the enemy to steal your joy. If you don’t learn to be happy where you are, you’ll never get to where you want to be. But if you’ll choose to be happy, refuse self-pity and refuse to complain, then you are sowing good seeds for God to take you where you want to be in your future.

Friend, realize today that God is directing your steps. You have a future and a hope. Take joy in knowing that He is working all things together for your good according to His divine plan. Stay in faith, focus on Him and obey His commands. Soon, you’ll see those new doors open so you can walk boldly into the place of blessing God has in store for you!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father, today I choose to put my hope and trust in You. I know that You are working all things together for my good. I refuse self-pity. I refuse to compare. I choose joy and the divine plan You have prepared for me in Jesus’ name! Amen.

Do You Want to Live Happy ?

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes” (Psalm 19:8, NIV)

I have a friend who is going through treatment for cancer. He’s a young man, very talented, very athletic. If he had not told me, I would have never known anything was wrong. I’ve never once heard him complain. He’s always friendly, upbeat and enjoys life. I asked him the other day how he could keep such a good attitude during such a difficult time. He said, "when I get up in the morning, I ask myself, ‘Do you want to be depressed today or do you want to live happy?’ I choose to live happy.”

Understand that if you’re going to be happy, you have to be happy on purpose. Happiness is not going to fall on you. You have to choose it by choosing right thoughts and focusing on the Father. You have to set your day in the direction that you want to go. You have to choose to meditate on His Word because His Word lights your path and gives joy to your heart. Today, choose to live happy, set your focus on Him, and embrace the blessing He has in store for you!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father, today I set my heart and mind on You. I receive Your Word which is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. I will store Your Word in my heart and receive the joy it brings me. Today I choose to live happy in Jesus’ name! Amen.

Answer the Door

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“...Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning” (Psalm 30:5, NKJV)

When you wake up each morning, God sends you a special delivery of joy. It’s like it comes knocking at the door of your heart every day. The problem is that some people never answer the door. It’s right there, month after month, year after year saying, “Come on! Let me in! You can be happy! You can cheer up! You can enjoy your life!” The way to answer the door is to get up and choose an attitude of faith and expectancy by declaring that “today is going to be a good day.” When you start the day like that, you are choosing to receive the gift of joy that God sent to you.
Today, make up your mind to answer the door to joy! Get up every morning and say, “Father, thank You for another beautiful day. I’m going to be happy. I’m going to enjoy this day because You are faithful. I’m going to brighten someone else’s life. I am choosing to receive Your gift of joy and passing it on to others because I love You, and I know that I am called for Your purposes!”

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father, thank You for the gift of joy every single morning. I choose right now to set my focus and heart on You. Help me, by Your Holy Spirit, to put You first each and every day so that I can know Your love and joy in everything I do in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Be Full of It

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full” (John 15:11, KJV)

Jesus came to give you joy and joy to the full! When your joy is full, it can be seen by others. Joy is supposed to be displayed. As believers, we should have a smile on our face and a spring in our step. We should be kind and friendly. We should be fun to be around. We should be full of His supernatural joy!

Have you allowed the pressures of life to push you down? Have you been more focused on your circumstances than on your God? If you’re not enjoying your life or relationships, it’s time to refocus and tap into the full joy within. It’s time to draw the line in the sand and say, “That’s it. I’m not going to live another day negative, discouraged, sour or grumpy. I’m going to put a smile on my face. I’m going to let my joy be seen so I can brighten somebody else’s day. I’m going to live my life happy and full of joy!”

Friend, when you take that step of faith and choose to trust God with your future, something changes on the inside. Your feelings will soon line up. Your faith will tap into His supernatural joy. And when you tap into joy, you tap into His strength and victory so you can live the full, abundant life He has prepared for you!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father, thank You for the gift of joy. Thank You for lavishing Your love and grace on me. Fill me with Your power, strength and virtue so that my joy will overflow and be a blessing everywhere I go in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Dr. Mike:

Have I ever told you how much comfort I get from reading this thread each day? Thank you and God Bless You, my friend.

Thanks Nmysys...I appreciate that!

A Picture of God

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us” (1 John 4:12, NLT)

If you’re like most, you have photos in your home of the people who mean the most to you. You may enjoy showing these photos to others and reliving the special moments captured. But have you ever thought about having a picture of God in your house? It may not be in a frame on the shelf, but today’s scripture tells us that when we love others, we are creating a picture of God. We are showing others what He looks like because God is love.

Understand today that God wants us to know Him, and He wants to reveal Himself to the world through us. He wants us to display His love and share it with others. First Corinthians 13 tells us what love looks like. Take a few minutes each day and let that scripture sink down into your heart.

Remember, you are never more like God than when you are loving others. Love is the greatest thing. Everything else will fade away, but His love is a picture that will last forever!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father in heaven, today I invite You to show me Your everlasting love. Reveal Yourself in and through me. Help me to love others the way You do so that my life can be a perfect reflection of You, in Jesus’ name! Amen.

The Position of Power

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“Good sense makes a man restrain his anger, and it is his glory to overlook a transgression or an offense” (Proverbs 19:11, AMP)

Every day, we have opportunities to get upset, be frustrated or get offended. Maybe you had plans that didn’t work out, or someone was rude to you at the office. Maybe you were doing something that should have taken one hour, and it ended up taking three. Life is full of inconveniences, but even though we can’t always control our circumstances, we can control our reaction. I heard somebody say, “Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you respond.”

We should always go out each day with a positive attitude, full of hope and expecting God’s favor. But at the same time, we should recognize that most days are not going to go exactly as we planned. Remember, we were created to live in peace. Peace is our position of power. If you get stressed because you got off schedule or upset because your child wouldn’t eat his breakfast, or frustrated because somebody offended you, you’re are giving away your power. Instead, make the decision to release those offenses and disappointments so you can live in peace and enjoy the day as a blessing God prepared for you!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father in heaven, today I release every care, concern, offense and disappointment to You. I choose to keep the peace that You have given me. I look forward to today knowing that You are with me and leading me in victory in Jesus’ name! Amen.