Food for Thought:

“HEYYYYYY NO FAIR! NO TAKEBACKS!”

One of the most fundamental playground rules as kids was “NO TAKEBACKS!” It was right up there with no cutting in line and taking turns. Basically it meant that, once you give a gift, you can’t take it back.

How many times in our walks with God do we give him something and then turn around and take it right back? We decide to finally give our finances, relationship, insecurity, addiction, etc to Him. You can almost see God taking our it in his hands with a smile of relief on his face that we finally trusted him to take care of it. But the next day, week, or maybe even 20 minutes later we take it back so we can “handle it”.

The reality is, before you were ever aware of it, God knew. He knew the answer before you even knew to ask the question. The big it in your life is 100% safe and better off in God’s hands than it could EVER be in yours.

And isn’t it exhausting carrying your it around all the time? So today, trust him with it. Put it down and walk away. No takebacks.

Verse of the Day:

Isaiah 40:31 NLT “But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.”

Write it Out:

Food for Thought:

Ok so we left the it with God. (If you picked it back up, march yourself on over to yesterday’s devo. Wash, rinse, and repeat as needed). Now what?

Before you get too caught up in what to do say this simple phrase to yourself: who before do.

It’s been said that the decisions we make today determine the outcome of our tomorrow. So if we make decisions today based on who God is and who he’s called us to be, the outcome of our tomorrow will be the plan HE has for us. Simply put: If we get the who, the do will follow.

Today, on Day 3, we’re focusing on who God wants us to be instead of what we think we should do.

So it begs the question, who does God want you to be?

Scripture makes it pretty clear that above all, God wants us to know Him, to follow Him, and to bring glory to Him in how we live, and relate to people. This is summed up best in this Scripture: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind, and love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matt. 22:37-39; Mark 12:29-31).

As Rick Warren said in his book The Purpose Driven Life, “Life is not about you.”. Ouch. Not going to lie, that kind of stings. Only when we start living with God as our true focus, will we begin to experience the true adventure of life.

Verse of the Day:

1 Corinthians 10:31 NIV  “…whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”

Write it Out:

How can you put God first in your life today? How can you use Him as the filter through which all of your decisions are made?

Food for Thought:

We gave the it to God and we’re focusing on the who. Now, there are still things left in our hands to manage. And maybe we’re still feeling a little crummy.

A lot of the issues we have stem from what’s going on in our minds. Romans 12:2 NLT says, “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”

Your challenge today: clean up the stinkin thinkin. Don’t allow one painful season of your life to define your life as a whole.

How often do we think, “Nothing is changing”, “This is the worst”, “Will it ever be different…”? Hello stinkin thinkin!

The reality is, God is responsible for the results of life. My responsibility is the hustle. Usually the results are what we stress over the most. Don’t take responsibility for what you have zero control over. Even though it may not always feel like it, you have control over the thoughts you allow yourself to dwell on.

So today, hustle. Put in the work to change the thought patterns of your life and watch how your experience changes! Use today’s Verse of the Day as a filter and put Romans 12:2 into practice!. If what you’re thinking doesn’t match up with this verse, throw it out and replace it with truth.

Verse of the Day:

Philippians 4:8-9 “ Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.”

Write it Out:

Food for Thought:

Can we just take a minute to celebrate? We’re on Day 5 of our 7 Day journey together! Let’s have a 10 second praise break!

Sometimes you just have to stop and buy the cupcake. Why? Because we need to celebrate! Practice gratitude today! Don’t be so focused on what’s not yet that you miss what is!

Romans 8:28 NIV “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

This is a promise for you that in ALL things, God is working. We can trust him! And while we’re waiting for him to open that door, let’s praise him in the hallway!

Today’s goal:

Practice gratitude. Play the Glad Game in every circumstance today. What do you have that you can be glad about? And if you can’t think of anything to thank God for, just read our verse for the day.

Verse of the Day:

Romans 8:38 NLT “And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Write it Out:

What do you have to be thankful for today?

Food for Thought:

Comparison. Oh boy comparison. It’s a tough topic…because the reality is, some comparison can be good.

Comparing growth is great! Where you are now is miles from where you used to be! But when we compare where we are to where someone else is, that’s where things get dicey.

Here are some facts about comparison:

• It leads to insecurity
• It leads to pride
• It robs you of your joy
• It makes you weary

God never compares what he creates. When God created you, he wasn’t thinking, “I wish I created them to be more like Brian from payroll…now he’s really something”. Nope. In fact, the Bible says in Ephesians 2:10 that we are his masterpiece!

Don’t compare your hustle with someone else’s harvest. Don’t compare your journey to someone else’s destination. Your social media feed can feed your pride or insecurity.

Celebrate what you see God doing in other people’s lives, but praise God for what he’s doing in your life. Remember, your life with God is a journey. You will never arrive. Oh, and by the way, cool isn’t even cool anyways.

Verse of the Day:

Psalm 16:11 MSG “Now you’ve got my feet on the life path, all radiant from the shining of your face. Ever since you took my hand, I’m on the right way.”

Write it Out:

What have I been comparing in my life that I should be celebrating?

Food for Thought:

In Joshua chapter 3, God’s people finally got to go to the land he promised them. They had been wandering in the desert for forty years! To get to the Promised Land, they had to cross Jordan River. The river actually stopped flowing and backed up so the entire nation could cross on dry ground! Once the people had crossed, God instructed twelve giant stones to be brought from the middle of the river to serve as a reminder of the miracle He did for His people.

Getting over it is a process. Honestly, every season of our lives will have an it. Today, on our last day of this seven day journey together, let’s find a stone for you to remember what God has done in your life. So that, in the future, when there’s another it, you can look back and remember what he’s brought you through.

Moving forward: continue to have a daily time with God. Bring the it before Him. Let Him lead you through your days/weeks/life.

Verse of the Day:

Galatians 6:9 NIV “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

Write it Out:

What “stone” are you taking from this journey with God that will remind you of His faithfulness?