My friend, if your child asks you for bread, would you give him a stone? Certainly not. You would give him the best bread you can find. How much more then, will your heavenly Father give good things to you when you ask Him!

Joel Osteen Ministries

Today’s Word
Today’s Scripture

Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it.
Romans 12:2, MSG

Jesus dealt with this question simply by asking another question: “If earthly fathers, imperfect as they are, know how to give good gifts to their children, don’t you think that your loving Father who is in heaven will be even better?”

Set a New Standard
So often we let our environment, how we were raised, and other people’s expectations of us set the limits for our life. We adapt to what’s around us. If you take an oak tree seed and plant it in a two-foot pot, that oak tree will never become what it was created to be if you leave it in the pot—not because there’s something wrong with the seed, but because of the environment that it’s in. It’s so easy to just fit in and be like everyone else. But God didn’t create you to be average. He created you to stand out, to go beyond the norm, to leave your mark on this generation. You have seeds of greatness inside. You’re supposed to go further than the people who raised you and set a new standard. You may be in an environment where people have addictions, low self-esteem, depression, and poverty. You can’t stop that. But here’s the key: Don’t let that become the norm in your thinking. If you accept that as who you are, it will keep you from your destiny.

A Prayer for Today
“Father, thank You that I don’t have to let society squeeze me into its mold. Thank You that my life can stand out as uncommon for You. I’m not going to be pressured into compromising, and I’m not going to live like everyone else. I’m going to live by a higher standard. In Jesus’ Name, Amen

How do we know that God is a good God and a good Father?

My friend, if your child asks you for bread, would you give him a stone? Certainly not. You would give him the best bread you can find. How much more then, will your heavenly Father give good things to you when you ask Him!

Beloved, know in your heart that God is a good Father to you. So if you need something today, just ask Him for it. And as you ask Him, believe that you have received it from Him, and you will have it (Mark 11:24)!