Personal Confession

I set the course of my life today with my words:

I will greet this day with God’s love in my heart! It is the greatest secret to success no matter what life brings. It calms every storm. When the enemy persecutes my soul, love comforts it. When I face darkness, love brings light. When my heart is overwhelmed, love will inspire and encourage it! When my heart is distressed, love will remind me of God’s goodness over the years.

I Am God’s Workmanship

You weren’t an accident. You weren’t mass produced. You aren’t an assembly-line product. You were deliberately planned, specifically gifted, and lovingly positioned on the Earth by the Master Craftsman. — Max Lucado

The human body is fascinating. Not just in the way it looks but in the way it manages all of the systems. Take illnesses, for instance. When a foreign object, like a germ, gets into our body, our white blood cells congregate to eradicate the germ. Most of the time, the germ is annihilated and we stay healthy.

Or take a bone in the human body when it’s been broken. Bone repair begins within a few hours of the injury. A blood clot forms, cells are sent in to clean up the area, and new blood vessels are formed to expedite the healing process. Collagen moves in and forms a callus, which mimics a new bone, but is much softer. This holds it all in place while the new bone forms.

Does all of that just happen? No, this type of precision in forming the human body and the ways it works was created by God. And because of that, we are considered God’s workmanship, His masterpiece. We are literally God’s works of art.

But we don’t always feel like it, do we? On any given day, we…

...complain about our personalities.

God didn’t make a mistake in creating you. He did not miscalculate any part of bringing you into existence. He knew every aspect of your being before you took a breath of air outside your mother’s womb. He set your hair texture, eye color, height, and personality makeup. And in doing all of this in His perfect way, He knew exactly how He would use your unique composition to impact our world.

So, the next time you feel bad about yourself or wish you looked differently, remember that God did not make a mistake. Quite the contrary. You are His work of art. You are His workmanship.

Reflect

I Am Forgiven and Free From Condemnation

God’s forgiveness extends to the worst offenders and to anyone who wishes to receive it—not because of who we are, but because of who He is. — Charles Swindoll

People have a hard time extending forgiveness toward others. We hold hostage the forgiveness that we should offer someone else. Not only that, but we beat ourselves up over our poor choices and even struggle to accept that we can be forgiven.

God’s unexplainable love for us was displayed for us by His selfless act of sending His Son to earth. Jesus willingly left the comforts of heaven, next to His Father, in order to pay the most severe penalty for you and for me. He died on a cross and thankfully, rose from the grave on the third day. His sacrifice redeemed us and paid for any sin: past, present, or future. Because of God’s love for us, we are forgiven. Let that sink in: we are forgiven.

Not because we are good but because He is good. 

In addition to receiving God’s forgiveness, we are free from condemnation. What that means is that God does not condemn us in any way once we become Christ followers. The blaming voices we hear from others as well as our spiritual enemy hold no power—or they shouldn’t. We can't let any accusation keep us from living the lives God has given us.  As the Message version of Romans 8:1 says, “we no longer have to live under a continuous, low-lying black cloud.”

So, let’s try something different when we are bombarded with condemning thoughts. Let’s recognize them, and speak truth over our minds. Yes, we have all made mistakes and have not lived up to God’s standard. But, God lavishes us daily with His perfect mercy and grace. Because of that, we are forgiven and free from condemnation.

Reflect

I Am God’s Child

The child of God works not for life, but from life; he does not work to be saved but because he is saved. — Charles Spurgeon

Every human being who has lived has a biological mother and father. Whether we have met them or not, we have them. We are their offspring. Some of us have parents that chose us, and we became their children through adoption.

Remembering your upbringing as a child might evoke great memories and cherished traditions. For some people, your experiences conjure up negative thoughts. Maybe your relationship with your earthly parents has positively enforced your view of God, or maybe it tainted how you see God’s love for you.

Regardless of your past viewpoint of your family, your Heavenly Father longs to fill your life with love and peace. John 1:12 says that if we receive Jesus and believe in His name, we get the right to become children of God. So, we’ve all been adopted! We are God’s kids and nothing can change that. His love for us and commitment to us is steadfast even if we sin catastrophically. Because of Jesus, God’s vast love covers us every single day.

So, whenever we face situations where we feel utterly defeated, we must remember that we are chosen, children of God. Whenever we feel like no one loves us and feel completely alone, we must remember that we are chosen, children of God. Whenever we feel neglected and overlooked, we must remember that we are chosen, children of God. The Creator of the universe, the Great I Am, the Almighty God chose you. You are a child of God!

Reflect

Know Who You Are

Being consumed by what people think of you is the fastest way to forget what God thinks of you. — Craig Groeschel

Who are you?

When someone asks us that question, the first thing we typically mention is one of the duties or roles we perform daily. I’m a doctor. I’m a stay-at-home mom. I’m a firefighter. I’m a writer. But, that’s actually not who we are; that’s what we do.

It’s understandable that our response is to tell someone what we do. It’s as natural as breathing because what we do, well, it’s what we do every day. Whether we like what we do or not, it can’t be what defines us. If it is, our identity will be misplaced because our jobs and roles will change throughout our lives. And with a misplaced identity, we live a life with little contentment and one always striving for acceptance.

As Christ followers, our identity comes from who God says we are, not who others say we are. Yet, every day we believe things about ourselves that are untrue. These untruths don’t line up with the Truth about us according to the Bible. Not only is it easy to assume our identities from what we do—often, we’re labeled by those around us:

Loser

Those words, those people, and those descriptions are not who we are. If you’ve never understood your true identity as a Christian, this Bible Plan will help you begin this lifelong pursuit of knowing your real self.  God calls you:

His Child

Over the next nine days of this Plan, we’ll learn more about who we are in Christ. Knowing who we are as Christ followers is essential in our walk with Jesus. When we know who we are, we’ll know what to do.

Reflect

Today we are fasting from the thought that says, "I feel guilty."

JESUS DECLARES YOU: NOT GUILTY

This doesn’t mean that you’ve never sinned or done wrong. This means that He washed away all your sin and guilt with His blood. The Word of God declares Jesus as our guilt offering, thus declaring us free from guilt.

SEE WHAT GOD SEES

Accept Colossians 1:22, which says that through Jesus’ blood, "He presents you holy and faultless and unblamable in the Father’s eyes."When God sees you, He sees Jesus—like when Jacob went before his father Isaac with the hair, skin, and scent of his brother. The father saw Jacob as if he were Esau (Genesis 27:15-27). And He sees you as if you were Jesus—without guilt.

MEDITATE ON JOB 10:7

"According to your knowledge, I am indeed not guilty..." (NASB) When a person is born again, they are cleansed of sin and guilt by the blood of Jesus, and therefore not guilty.

WHEN YOU BLOW IT, DON'T DENY IT

Admit it. Confess it. 1 John 1:9 says, "If you confess your sin, He is faithful and just to forgive you and to cleanse you from all unrighteousness."

IT’S ALREADY DONE! BELIEVE THAT IT IS ALREADY DONE

The last words of Jesus on the cross were, "It is finished". At that moment, the price was paid for your sin and guilt. Hebrews 1:3 says, "He cleansed us from our sin."

STOP THINKING THAT YOU HAVE TO FEEL GUILTY TO BE FORGIVEN

Sometimes we think we owe it to people to feel guilty and bad for everything. Stop thinking that. You don’t owe anyone anything. Don’t think guilt somehow pays for something. The blood of Jesus paid it all. When we feel like we owe God guilt or we owe it to others to wallow in guilt, it’s an insult to His blood.

STOP BEATING YOURSELF UP ABOUT WHAT YOU HAVEN’T DONE

We often punish ourselves with self-condemnation. We will never do enough for God. That’s why Jesus did it all. He paid for sin, the curse, and our failure. Our job is to believe.

THINK IT AND SAY IT!!

Jesus has declared me not guilty. Even when I feel I don’t do enough, or that I’m not good enough, God says that faith in Him is enough. I don’t have to feel guilty to be forgiven. I am forgiven by faith in Jesus. Today I stop beating myself up about all that I’ve done or haven’t done. I don’t have to be perfect. He already is—therefore, I rest my faith in Him, in Jesus’ Name!

Today we're fasting from a negative attitude.

GOD IS A YES GOD

2 Corinthians 1:20—"All the promises of God are YES!" He says YES to everything He has promised. He’s a positive God. And you are made in His image.

CAN IT!

Success comes in CANS, not in cannots! Philippians 4:13 says, "I CAN do all things through Christ which strengthens me."

GET RID OF THE NEGATIVE PSYCHIC IN YOU

The "negative psychic" in you presumes you know what people are thinking about you and it’s usually bad. "She thinks I’m an idiot"; "I can tell he’s always judging me" ...etc. The only person’s thoughts that matter about you are God’s, and THEY ARE GOOD.

STOP SEEING GIANTS AROUND YOU. AND START SEEING THE GIANT IN YOU!

Greater is He that is in you. Begin to see yourself conquering everything!

BE A THERMOSTAT, NOT A THERMOMETER

A thermostat SETS the temperature. It doesn’t read it. Set the thermostat of your attitude to "ABOVE ONLY" thinking. Deuteronomy 28:13 says, "You will be ABOVE ONLY and not beneath." The NIV says, "YOU WILL ALWAYS BE AT THE TOP."Refuse to accept any other way of thinking or living.

MAKE YOUR GREATEST DISCOVERY TODAY!

The greatest discovery in life is that you can change your life by changing the attitude of your mind. In Mark 9:23, Jesus said, "If you can believe, all things are possible."

THINK IT AND SAY IT!!

My life is getting easier not harder! I focus on the good things God has done in my life. I believe all things are possible! I look for opportunity to come my way because of my hope in Jesus. I’m above ONLY and not beneath. I am the head and not the tail. My attitude of faith and expectation in God takes precedence over all other facts... beginning today, in Jesus’ Name!

Today we are fasting from the feelings and thoughts that say, "I'm overwhelmed!"

CAST YOUR CARES UPON GOD. HE WILL CARE FOR YOU

How? Be honest. Tell Him what’s wrong. Ask Him to carry it for you and believe He will. Remember, after you give Him your cares, don’t run to pick them back up. Trust Jesus to carry the load for you.

SEE YOURSELF ATTACHED, OR YOKED, TO GOD

He holds you up and pulls you up when you are weak and overwhelmed. You are one with Him. When you feel weak and burdened, remember that He is carrying you.

BEGIN TO BELIEVE THAT YOU CAN HANDLE ANYTHING

Start believing this today. Mark 9:23 says, "All things are possible for those who believe."

FEAST ON THIS THOUGHT: NOTHING IS TOO DIFFICULT FOR GOD

If nothing is too difficult for Him, and He lives in you, then nothing is too difficult for you. You will make it!

GOD WILL COMPLETE THOSE THINGS THAT CONCERN YOU

As you surrender those concerns to God, they become His responsibility. He will complete, fulfill, perfect, and bring those things to pass. He will lift your burden and finish what He started in your life.

THINK IT AND SAY IT!!

I can handle anything today, because I am yoked to Jesus. Today I refuse to be overwhelmed. I cast all my cares on Jesus. He cares for me and will carry my load.

Today we're fasting from the thought that says, "Things aren't getting better, they are getting worse!"

THE PATH OF THE RIGHTEOUS GETS BRIGHTER AND BRIGHTER UNTIL THE FULL DAY

Expect it to get brighter today!

YOU HAVE A COVENANT OF INCREASE FROM GOD

Psalm 115:14 says, "May the Lord give you increase." Deuteronomy 1:11 says, "May the Lord increase you a thousand times and bless you as He has promised." Expect!

ELIMINATE THE "HALF EMPTY GLASS" MENTALITY

In fact, don’t accept it "half full" either! Think: My cup runs over!

YOUR LIFE IS GOING TO END UP BETTER THAN IT STARTED!

Ecclesiastes 7:8 says, "Better is the end of a thing than the beginning." Haggai 2:9 says, "The latter days of this house shall be greater than the former."

LOOK AT HOW GOD DOES THINGS

He takes us from law to grace; from sin to righteousness; from sickness to health; from defeat to victory; therefore, expect things to get better and better in every area of your life.

EXPECT THE BEST TODAY!

In Luke 15:22, the father said, "Bring the best robe, and put it on my son." You are God’s child. He wants the best for you. Believe for goodness and mercy to follow you all the days of your life.

THINK IT AND SAY IT!!!

No matter what is happening in this world, things are getting better and better for me! God has made me righteous through His blood; therefore, my path is getting brighter and brighter every day.

My inner man is being renewed, day by day. I have a covenant of increase and God is increasing me, and all that I have, more and more. I expect the best today. He has saved the best for last, and therefore I expect my coming days to be better than my past days, in Jesus’ Name!