Focus On God Not Your Problems!!!

Today in Joel Osteen's daily word he talked about having the wisdom of God so that we'll know what to do in difficult situations...we all need guidance and wisdom from God so that we can live the abundant life that He has ordained for us.

The Beginning of Wisdom

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE

"The reverent fear and worship of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom…"
(Psalm 111:10, AMP)

TODAY'S WORD from Joel and Victoria

Do you need more wisdom in your life today? The Bible says that the reverent fear and worship of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. That word fear in this instance doesn't mean "to be afraid;" it means to have honor and respect. It means that we revere Him because He is God. When you truly respect Him for who He is and worship Him out of a grateful heart, then supernatural wisdom will operate in your life. You'll know just what to do in difficult situations, and you'll be a voice of godly counsel with your friends and family.

Start reverently worshiping Him today by declaring His goodness and faithfulness in your life. Declare that He is your Provider, your Healer, your Redeemer. When you focus on your God instead of focusing on your problems, you are honoring Him. As you honor Him, wisdom will flow through you, and you'll be empowered to live the life of victory He has planned for your life!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father in heaven, I choose today to honor and worship You. I choose to put You first in my life. Thank You for filling me with Your wisdom today so that I can live in victory the way You intend. Help me make wise choices and honor You in all that I do. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

- Joel & Victoria Osteen

 © 2010 Joel Osteen Ministries

Passage from http://www.thetotalman.com/Newsletter-Archive/Focus-on-Gods-promises-not-your-problems.htmFocus on God's promises...not your problems

When God wants to bless a man He gives him a promise. Huh?! A promise? Yes, a promise. You might well ask, ‘In all His glory and omnipotence why doesn’t God just snap His fingers or use a magic wand to change someone’s life?’ Because that’s not how God works. Could He if He wanted to? Sure He could, but He doesn’t. You see God has established this world in such a way that it is governed by both physical laws and spiritual laws. Physical laws are principles that don’t necessarily require your faith or understanding for them to work. For example, if you throw a book out the 7 th floor of a building it’s going to speedily plummet and hit the ground. But spiritual laws require faith and allow us to operate past the confines of the earth’s physical realm. When Jesus said “My kingdom is not of this world”John 18:36, He was referring to another realm in which He operated – a spiritual kingdom in which the source of everything that was and ever will be emanates from. It is from this realm that God even allows physical laws to be bypassed. For example when Jesus beckoned Peter to come and walk on water Peter was able to do so for a short time because his faith made him believe he could.

I’m just trying to illustrate that God works from a very different kingdom than that which we actually see with our eyes. And it is from here that God has established His promises. A promise is quite simply ‘a declaration that one will do or refrain from doing something.’ It means that someone is giving grounds for expectation based on their word. That’s why God gives His promises in the form of a Word. Words can travel through and coexist in both the spiritual and physical realm. It is through words that God created the world and it is through words that God continues to sustain the world. Hence it is God’s promises that are suppose to sustain our spiritual lives so that our physical lives can blossom. God says that you and I have been given “…exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature” 2 Peter 1:4. Whoa! Do you know what that means? God is saying that He’s not going to use a magic wand to change your circumstances, but He is going to give you a promise and that promise is going to change your nature from the inside out and eventually bear fruit in your life. That divine nature is the nature of Christ.

When God gives you a promise or rather when you get a revelation of God’s promise in your life, you need to hold on to it. It is the devil’s aim to take from you your faith in God’s promises. Just as the seeds that are sown by the wayside are eaten by the birds (Matthew 13:19), so Satan wants to take God’s promise from you. It is inevitable that each one of us will face challenges, trials, temptations and the like through life. The devil will want you to think these problems are too much, life is too hard, there’s just no point! While God will say to you “My son, my daughter, hold onto My promises for nothing is too difficult for me. I’m going to see you through. Focus on My promises…not your problems.” King David said “I cling to Your testimonies; O Lord do not put me to shame!” Psalm 119:31. In effect he was saying I’m not letting go of your promises, they mean everything to me and I need to see them work in my life; please don’t let me end up looking like a fool! We also need to cling to God’s promises, kind of like a baby clings to his or her mother. In that mother’s arms there’s assurance, safety and protection. God’s promises act not only as assurance, but also as a shield from the lies of Satan (Proverbs 30:5).

God’s promises deal with all aspects of our life - our health, relationships, finances, family, work, love, etc. You have to search God’s Word, find His promises and hold onto them. Speak His promises over your life. Thank Him for His promises that are in your life. Whenever you speak God’s promises on your life, its manifestation draws nearer. Whenever you thank Him for them, you remain in His will. So if, for example, the devil tries to tell you something like ‘You’re sick and you’ll never be well.’ you say ‘No I don’t think so, God promised me that...by His stripes I was healed.’1Peter 2:24. Then you turn your attention to God and say ‘God I thank you for your promise…it’s in you I put my trust.’ Even at times when it seems the hardest, don’t give up. Don’t entertain Satan’s thoughts. He’s not worth your time!

If you ever came to a place in life and felt you had absolutely nothing but a promise from God, then you have enough. Always strive to focus on God’s promises and not your problems.

God bless and protect
Chidi

http://www.thetotalman.com/

Quote of the week:
“For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.” – 2 Corinthians 1:20

Here are a few keys to help us maintain our focus on God’s promise . . .http://www.lifepointeforyou.org/sermonoutlines/SermonOutlines/gods_promise.html

Key #1: Take time to find the promise in God’s Word that provides a solution or reveals your destination. Search God’s Word until a promise speaks to your heart. Then write it down and begin to see yourself living in what the promise said you could.
Key #2: Find a way to keep God’s promise where you can see it as much as possible. One way is to make a card with God’s promise on it and carry it with you so you can read it as often as necessary. Carry a small New Testament with you. Put cards with the promise up around the house, your vehicle, or your work place.
Key #3: Affirm the promise of God’s Word with your mouth more than you do talking about the problem. When thoughts crowd in, speak God’s promise. Close your eyes and see yourself living the promise as you say it. It is a fact that what you talk about consistently and continually is where you end up.
Key #4: Keep seeing yourself living the promise of God’s Word. Imagine what it would be like or feel like. Spend time meditating upon the reality of living in the promise until it seems real to you. Again, spending only 3 minutes a day concentrating on the promise will help you to eventually receive it!

Hope this helps!

Stay Blessed and Focused on The Solution Not The Problem!!!