Always remember, when circumstances seem overwhelming, don’t look at what’s happening around you; look to God. He is the author and finisher of your faith. Choose to trust that He is the one who is ordering your steps. Find security in knowing that He is making your crooked places straight and your rough places smooth. Trust in Him and live in the blessing and everlasting life He has prepared for you!

When you make a mistake, unfortunately, the critics and naysayers come out of the woodwork. People will tell you, “You’re all washed up. It’s too late.” If you wear that label, it will keep you from the amazing future God has in store. God says, “My mercy is bigger than any mistake.” God says, “I can still get you to your destiny.” God says, “I will give you beauty for those ashes. I’ll pay you back double for the unfair things that have happened.” You wouldn’t be alive unless God had another victory in your future. Why don’t you take off the “washed up” label? Take off the “failure,” “guilty,” “condemned” labels and put on some new labels: redeemed, restored, forgiven, bright future, new beginning.

Always remember, you have been made in the image of Almighty God. God did not make any mistakes. You are the perfect size. You have the right personality, the right gifts, the right looks, the right skin color. You are not an accident. God designed you precisely for the race that is laid out for you. You are fully equipped for this life, and His mercy is greater than any mistake you could make. Embrace the truth and the victory He has in store for your future!

Are you struggling with trying to make a dream come to pass? Are you frustrated in a relationship, trying to make someone else change or live right? You may mean well, you may have good goals, but if you are trying to orchestrate things to happen your way, on your timetable, you are only going to frustrate yourself. At some point, you have to turn those circumstances over to God and trust that He has your best interest at heart.

How do you turn things over to God? Start by making the choice and declaring your resolve. Simply say, “Father, I choose to let You be God of this situation. I take my hands off. I trust You.” Then, choose to worship Him. Worship is one of the best ways to set your heart and mind in the right place. You can’t worry and worship at the same time! Worship is a sign that you are trusting God; worry is a sign that you are trying to control things.

Today, take the pressure off yourself and turn things over to God. Give Him control and let Him take your setbacks and turn them into comebacks. Remember, the God who holds the universe holds you in the palm of His hand. Trust Him and let God be God in every area of your life!

I believe that God has planted seeds of greatness on the inside of every one of us. We all have dreams and desires, things we want to accomplish; things we want to see changed. But so many times, life has a way of stealing our dreams. We go through disappointments, face adversity, things don’t turn out as we would like. Too often, people just end up settling for second best. But God doesn’t want us to settle for second best. He wants us to be determined, press on, and pursue the greatness that’s on the inside. We should never let “good enough” be good enough!

I want to encourage you today to stir yourself up and get your fire back. Start speaking victory over your future. If one dream has died, dream another dream. Put yourself in a positive, faith-filled environment. Get around people of excellence who live passionately. Fan the flame that is in you so you can move forward into all God has in store for you!

We all have dreams that we’re believing God for and situations we want to see turn around. Too often, we put God in a box and tell Him how to do it, when to do it, and who to use to do it. We’ve got it all figured out: how God is going to bring us out of debt, how He is going to change our loved one, how we’re going to meet the right person. We pray that things will unfold according to our plan. But we have to realize that God’s ways are not our ways. He is supernatural. His ways are higher than our ways.

When God does something, it may not always make sense to our minds. If you have preconceived ideas of how you’re going to be promoted and how you’re going to get well, it can limit what God can do. You have to stay open. You may only see one way that it could happen, but God always has an option you can’t see. Why don’t you surrender your plans to Him today? Put your trust in Him because He is faithful. Let Him direct your steps because His ways are higher, and He knows how to lead you into the life of blessing He has for you.