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

Make Room for Something Greater

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many are called, but few chosen.” (Matthew 20:16, KJV)

Before we are promoted in life, before we can be moved ahead, we have to be prepared. Sometimes it’s a spiritual preparation. Sometimes it’s a physical preparation, but we all go through seasons of preparation.

Too often, people miss their appointed time simply because they are not ready. They haven’t prepared. They look around at others and think, “Well, so-and-so is more qualified than I am.” No, if you’ll get ready, if you’ll outgrow where you are, then God will make room for something greater.

Don’t worry about who’s in line in front of you. You just keep growing, learning and getting prepared, and the right doors will open. The fact is that God may not want you to have your supervisor’s position. That may be too low for you. God may be about to thrust you right past them into a whole new level. You just be faithful to develop what God has placed in you, and He will take you further than you can ever imagine!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father, today I open my heart and mind to the great things You have in store for my future. I choose to be faithful. I choose to prepare. I won’t look to the left or to the right, but I will keep my eyes on You, Jesus, the Author and Finisher of my faith in Jesus’ name. Amen!

The Completion Date is Set

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:6, NIV)

God will always finish what He started. The moment God placed a dream in your heart, the moment that promise took root, God not only started something in your life but He also set a completion date. Scripture tells us that God is called the Author and the Finisher of our faith. God wouldn’t have given you the dream; the promise wouldn’t have come alive if God didn’t already have a plan to bring it to pass.

It doesn’t matter how long it’s been or how impossible it looks. Your mind may tell you that it’s too late. You’ve missed too many opportunities. It’s never going to happen. No, God is saying, “It’s not over. I have the final say. I’ve already set the completion date.” So if you will stay in faith and not talk yourself out of it, it will just be a matter of time before it comes to pass!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father, thank You for completing what You’ve started in my life. I choose to trust You. I choose to wait on You. I put my faith in You knowing that through faith and patience every promise will come to pass in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Always Rise to the Top

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“And the Lord was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man..(Genesis 39:2, KJV)

In scripture, many heroes of the faith started out at the very bottom. Think of Joseph. He was thrown in a pit and sold into slavery by his own brothers. But even as a slave, he developed his skills. He was so valuable that he was put in charge of his master’s whole household.

When he was falsely accused and put into prison, he was so valuable there that they put him in charge of the whole prison. What is that? Cream rising to the top. When Pharaoh needed someone to run the country and administer the nationwide feeding program during the famine, he didn’t choose a cabinet member; he didn’t choose his department head. He chose Joseph, a prisoner, a slave. Why? Joseph developed his skills right where he was. His gifts made room for him, and he was always rising to the top.

Friend, there’s never an excuse to not keep rising. It doesn’t matter if you don’t like your current job; it doesn’t matter if other people don’t treat you right. God is saying, “It’s time to get out of the pit.” It’s time to shake off the past. It’s time to rise to the top!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father, thank You for the gifts and talents that are within me. I choose today to have an excellent spirit. I choose to shake off the old; I choose to forgive. I take my eyes off of my circumstances and lift my eyes to You knowing that You are the one who lifts me up in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Get Noticed

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“Do you see a man skillful in his work? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before obscure men.” (Proverbs 22:29, ESV)

There was an article out recently that talked about how to reduce the risk of being laid off. There are three main things that employers look for when deciding who to keep. They want to keep people who are positive, people who are versatile, and people who are always improving.

Are you focused on developing your gifts in such a way that your company cannot make it without you? Do they notice that things don’t run nearly as smoothly when you’re not there? If you take a week off and nobody misses you, all the work gets done and sales are just as good, unless you’re the owner, it’s time to sound the alarm. If you’re not being missed, then maybe you’re not needed. You need to kick it into a new gear and start producing more than you have been.

Scripture is clear, when we sharpen our skills, when we work with a spirit of excellence, we will stand before great men. Leaders will take notice. Promotion comes. Like cream rising to the top, you will rise higher as well. Remember, as you keep doing your best, as you stay faithful and keep growing, God will cause you to be noticed and move forward in the life of blessing He has prepared for you!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father, thank You for the gifts and talents You’ve given me. Help me to see the areas where I can rise higher. I desire to serve diligently with an attitude of excellence so that I can bring You glory in everything that I do in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Harvest is Coming

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“I will give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase and the trees of the field yield their fruit.” (Leviticus 26:4, AMP)

God has set up seasons in our lives. It’s easy to get frustrated when our dreams aren’t coming to pass on our timetable, but every season is not harvest season. There are plowing seasons. There are planting seasons. There are watering seasons. Sure, we would love for every season to be a time of increase left and right, good breaks here and there. But without the other seasons, we wouldn’t be prepared. For example, 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. Keep a good attitude and do the right thing even when it’s hard. When you do that, you are passing the test, and God promises that your due season of harvest is coming. Be encouraged because your appointed time of increase, favor and promotion is on its way, and He will fulfill every desire He’s placed within your heart. Remember, harvest is coming!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father, I bless You today. I thank You for preparing me for the blessing and promotion You have in my future. I surrender my heart, mind, will and emotions to You so that I can live as a testimony of Your work in my life in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Get Your Fire Back

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.” (2 Timothy 1:6, NIV)

Have you ever wanted to do something really great? Maybe you had a big dream; maybe you believed you could start a business. Maybe you wanted to lose some weight or go back to school. Now, it’s been so long. You tried and it didn’t work out. The loan didn’t go through. The medical report wasn’t good. Now, the “never” lies are playing in your mind... “I’ll never get well.” “I’ll never get married.” “I’ll never accomplish my dreams.”

Today is the day to get your fire back. Today is the day to get a new perspective. The Creator of the universe has already set the completion date for the dream He’s placed in your heart. And, just because it hasn’t happened yet doesn’t mean that it’s not going to happen. God has already lined up the right people, the right breaks, the right answers. Everything you need is already in your future. Now you’ve got to shake off the doubt; shake off the discouragement. Whether it’s been a year, five years or fifty years, what God promised you He still has every intention of bringing it to pass. Keep standing, keep believing, keep hoping and keep moving forward. Get your fire back and let Him fulfill every dream He has placed in your heart!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father, thank You for every dream and desire You’ve placed within me. Today I choose to press forward. I choose to stand in faith. I choose to be diligent with everything You have placed in my hand in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Something Better in Store

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:6, NIV)

Sometimes when things don’t turn out the way you thought; when they don’t happen on your timetable, it’s easy to get discouraged and feel like God has let you down. But, I believe that simply means that God has something better in store for you.
If you’ve been praying, obeying His commands and standing in faith but you didn’t get the answer yet, now is not the time to back down. When one door closes, God always has another door.
We have to remember that the enemy is the one who is trying to bring discouragement. He’s trying to get you focused on the closed door instead of the open door just ahead. Don’t fall for the trap! Keep moving forward. Keep praising God in the hallway. Stay in faith knowing that God has something better in store for you!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father, thank You for Your faithfulness in my life. I trust You even when things don’t turn out the way I had planned. I know that You are working behind the scenes and bringing something better into my life in Jesus’ name. Amen.

It’s Never Too Late

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.” (2 Peter 3:8, NIV)

Have you ever thought, “It’s too late for me?” That’s what two sisters in the scripture thought, Mary and Martha. Their brother, Lazarus, was extremely sick. They sent word to their good friend, Jesus, to come to their city and pray for him. A day went by and Jesus didn’t show up. They asked the messengers, “Did you tell Jesus it was us?” “Yes, we told Him.” “Did you explain how sick Lazarus was?” “We explained it to Him.” They couldn’t understand why Jesus wouldn’t come immediately. Lazarus ended up dying. Four days later, Jesus showed up. Mary said, “Jesus, if You had been here sooner, my brother would still be alive.”

Have you ever felt like God showed up too late? If He’d just got there a little sooner, maybe things would have worked out. That’s the way these sisters felt. But Jesus spoke to Lazarus, and he came back to life.
The sisters wanted Jesus to come and heal their brother. But Jesus wasn’t thinking about a healing, He was thinking about a resurrection. A healing would have been good, but Jesus had something better in mind. Always remember, God has another option. No matter how bad your circumstances look, it’s never too late with Him!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father, today I choose to trust Your timing. I trust that my days are in Your hands. I ask that You breathe life into my circumstances as I give You the glory for everything in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Walk Through

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” (Psalm 23:4, NIV)

Sometimes in life, you’ve got to play in pain. In other words, you’ve got to keep going even when you don’t feel like it. You have to keep pressing forward even when it’s not easy. Every voice will tell you, “You’re done. There’s nothing good in your future.” No, don’t believe those lies. God sees your effort. It’s one thing to do the right thing and make good decisions when everything is going your way. That’s great. God honors that. But when times are tough and nothing is going your way, when you’re hurting, when you should be on the sidelines nursing your wound but instead you’re still in the game; you’re still getting to work on time; you’re still being good to someone, you’re still expecting God to turn it around, that gets God’s attention in a new way.

I believe God has a greater reward for people who are faithful in the tough times. If that’s you today, know that God has His hand on you. He’s walking with you through the valley. He’s preparing streams in the dessert. He’s leading and guiding you in paths of righteousness for His name sake. Keep praising. Keep believing. Keep moving forward knowing that God is with you, and His comfort will guide you to the place of blessing.

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father, thank You for being my Good Shepherd. Thank You for walking with me in the valley, in the tough places. Thank You for restoring my soul and leading me to a place of victory and blessing in Jesus’ name. Amen.

He Remembers You

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“Then God remembered Rachel; he listened to her and enabled her to conceive.” (Genesis 30:22, NIV)

Our God is so loving, so merciful, so faithful. Even when we become too discouraged to believe, God does not forget what He promised. Maybe you feel discouraged today. Maybe your life hasn’t turned out the way you had hoped. Maybe you prayed, believed and worked hard, and it didn’t work out. Now you’re thinking, “Hey, I’m never going to be happy again. I’ll never be married. I’ll never accomplish my dreams.”

Remember today, not only does God remember you, He remembers the promise He placed within you. He knows what He’s destined you to do. You may have already said, “Forget it; it’s never going to happen.” The good news is that you don’t have the final say. God has the final say, and He says, “What I started in your life, I’m going to finish.” That dream you gave up on, God didn’t give up on. He remembers you, and He is with you, leading you and guiding you to the place of victory.

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father, thank You for Your faithfulness even when I am unfaithful. Thank You for drawing me close to You when I feel discouraged. Today, I choose to lift up my eyes to You for You are my source of strength and help. You are the Author and Finisher of my faith in Jesus’ name. Amen.