Daily Devotional

Such tenacity only comes from right thinking, and it is the hallmark of all successful people. They keep trying, keep learning, and keep moving forward. They win the battle in their minds, and then it overflows into what they do.

Then one day they got a piece of advice from a teacher called Scolastico, who told them, "If you would go every day to a very large tree and take five swings at it with a very sharp axe, eventually, no matter how large the tree, it would have to come down." So Hansen and Canfield developed what they call "the rule of five."

A wise man once said, "Effort only releases its reward after a person refuses to quit." People who succeed "see" what others don't. It's what keeps them moving forward. "It was by faith that Moses left the land of Egypt, not fearing the king's anger. He kept right on going because he kept his eyes on the one who is invisible."

Too many of us stand on the dock waiting. We want the ship in place, the gangplank perfectly positioned, the weather right, and an engraved invitation before we're willing to launch out. It will never happen! Dreams don't move toward us, we have to move toward them.

Have you ever changed a baby's diaper? If anything else smelled that bad you would throw it in the trash, right? But not your child; you love them and you know that with a little help they are capable of outgrowing it and becoming something good. Like Mary and Martha, you may think it's too late for a miracle, but it's not. Your finances may stink, your relationship may stink, your prospects for the future may stink, but if you will believe you will "see the glory of God." John 11:39-40 NKJV

Some of us are like a closed book; people never get to know what's on the inside of us. Jesus was not afraid to be vulnerable. He wept openly at the grave of His friend Lazarus. So, can you show honest emotion?

Like Joshua, before you can move ahead, you must understand and live by these two principles.

The Henry John Heinz Company was incorporated in 1905, and today, over one hundred years later, it sells more than thirteen hundred products worldwide, ranging from ketchup to baby food. But there are other things you need to know...

When you have a dream, there are certain things you must be willing to give up. You can't keep all your options open; you have to narrow your focus to what's most important.

David said, "I insist on paying the full price. I will not take for the Lord…a burnt offering that costs me nothing." In order to fulfill your God-given destiny in life, you've got to pay full price.

Any habit you cannot break, or that you refuse to break, is a habit that has the power to break you. Are you dealing with appetites that are out of control? Do you struggle with compulsions that bring moments of pleasure followed by days of remorse? Do you go through periods of abstinence, only to be followed by seasons of indulgence that leave you defeated and condemned? Christ can set you free!

Have you been standing still, waiting for improved circumstances when God wants you to move on? Get going! While you are walking, God will be working. He will neutralize the enemy without and the "fifth column" within. Refuse to be depressed, deflected or derailed.

James Michener said he had a neighbor whose tree stopped producing apples, so he hammered rusty nails around the trunk. That year he got his greatest crop of apples. He said, “Hammering those nails in was a shock to remind the tree that its job is to grow apples.” Unscientific, maybe – but it worked!

God doesn't say, "If you don't surrender I will punish you." There's no arm twisting. You don't submit through clenched teeth because of fear; no, it's a response to a debt. Everything God asks is initiated by His giving. Your repentance is a response to His love. Your tithe is a response to His blessing. Your obedience is a response to His promises. You can't outgive God!

God's grace comes to us free and clear, with no strings attached. In fact, He's more tolerant and less judgmental than many of us are. We weren't worthy and didn't deserve it, but because we belong to Christ, "Out of His…(abundance) we have all received…one grace after another…spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing…favor upon favor and gift [heaped] upon gift."

Paul wrote to the believers in Ephesus: "Pray…that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me…that I will fearlessly make known…the gospel." Do you pray for your pastor? You should!

The difficulty you're dealing with right now may have to do with where you are in your faith walk with God. That doesn't mean if you're going through trouble, you don't have faith. But while it may not be a lack of faith that got you into trouble, it's the strength of your faith that will bring you through it.

Now you know that God is able, but don't you sometimes wonder if He's willing? Simply having a revelation of God's ability is not enough; you must also believe that He will, in order to put a solid foundation under your faith.

God’s power cannot be stored; it only comes in the measure required, at the moment of need, and as your faith places a demand on it.

Stop making your life an ongoing struggle to be something you weren’t meant to be. God made you who you are; when you try to be somebody else the best you can ever be is number two. Be yourself, everyone else is taken. Yes, be yourself; after all, who’s more qualified?