Stretch Further

Stretch Further

Today's Scripture:

Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back…
Isaiah 54:2, NIV.

Today's Word:

God doesn’t want you to just barely get by in life. He wants you to experience His abundance. He wants you to constantly be increasing. He wants you to be happy in your marriage. He wants you to enjoy your work. He wants you to be continually rising to new heights. If you’re in sales, God wants you to lead that company. If you’re an athlete, God wants you to set new records. If you’re a mom, God wants you to be the best mom that you can possibly be.

We serve a big God with big plans for your future. Maybe some things haven’t worked out the way you thought they should because those plans were too small. Maybe it’s time to stretch yourself further and get a bigger vision for your life. If you’re not sure how to do that, start by asking God to increase your thinking. Ask Him to increase your capacity to receive from Him. Ask Him to enlarge your tent stakes. Continue to meditate on His Word and spend time in His presence, then watch what He will do as you stretch and grow in Him.

Prayer for Today:

Father, thank You for Your grace and mercy in my life. Thank You for believing in me, for giving me a hope and a future. Today I choose to stretch; I choose increase; I choose to rise up higher so that I can be all You’ve created me to be in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

***

Can’t See the Future? Rely on God

14 hours ago

by Rick Warren

                                    

“He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way.” (Psalm 25:9 NIV)

 

The Bible says there are several things we need to do to receive guidance from God, but the very first thing is this: We need to admit we need a guide!
Most of the time we don’t want to follow God or anybody else. We want to go our own way. We don’t want to admit we need direction or that we need a guide. 
Sheep, by nature, tend to wander off the path. The Prophet Isaiah says, “All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own” (Isaiah 53:6a NLT).
Another thing about sheep is that they have poor vision. They can’t see very far ahead. That’s why they need a shepherd.
God made you so that you would not be able to see into the future no matter how much you try. Why did God do this? He did it so you would depend on him.
Proverbs 14:12 says, “There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death” (NIV). We’ve all made decisions that at the time seemed right but later on turned out to be wrong. Some paths lead to dead ends and we end up off track. That’s why we need to admit, “God, I need help.”