All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

ISBN: 9781098316341

Day one

Today’s scripture reading:

Genesis 1 – Genesis 2:3

Thought for the day

Gen. 1:1

In the beginning God created the heaven and earth …

Let us make Man in our own image …

utilize your Creativity Today

Today’s thought comes in the form of a question: Where is your creativity? Have you put your creativity to use, or have you buried it, like the man who buried his one talent? God has given you your gift of creativity to bring it to fruition. What if the only question God asked is, what have you done with the creative ideas He placed inside you? Sadly, many would admit that they have buried them all.

Your level of creativity may not be the same as mine, but it is still very valuable. Creativity takes a variety of forms; it may be creative planning, cooking, creative dancing, or simply building a project in your garage, but it’s still your gift. Think of an idea that you have been wanting to put together, or the dream you once had but have since placed on the shelf. What can you do to bring it to pass? If you are filled with doubt, here’s a quick encouraging thought; this book you are holding in your hand began with a creative thought in my mind. I silenced my doubt, faced my fears, and began working to bring it together. It took some effort, but what began in my mind as just an idea is now a reality. Don’t smother your creativity, cultivate it!

Your ideas are worth giving birth to. Don’t let society intimidate your mind with doubt. Pray for a plan and then start working to bring your creative ideas to life. Trust me, your life will never be the same. Your ideas may not come together easily or quickly, but I can assure you that if you keep working, they will come together. You may have to keep your day job until your idea or dream can support itself, but working towards your own dream is so fulfilling! All it takes is faith. So stop dreaming and start living. The world is waiting to see the results of your creativity.

Day two

Today’s scripture reading:

Genesis 2: 4-25

Thought for the day

Gen. 2:16-17

‘…You can eat of any fruit… except from the tree of knowledge… if you eat it, you will die… ‘

Today, understand that God has set some boundaries for your own good.

I’m sure you can think of a time when your mom or dad told you not to do something that you deeply wanted to do. It’s not until after you burned your hand, or tripped and fell that you discovered the reason your parents told you no. It’s not that they hated you, or didn’t want you to have fun; they understood that pain comes from not respecting boundaries. Their reason for establishing boundaries is the same reason God establishes boundaries; He doesn’t want us to live a life filled with turmoil.

Although God is a loving God, there are times He will allow you to experience the chaos and pain of consequences to teach you to trust and obey His boundaries. True freedom comes from having boundaries.

Today, consider trusting God’s boundaries beyond what you feel or see. It may look good or even feel good to you, but if God set the boundary in place, it’s most likely because there are painful risks associated with it. Today, choose to trust God’s stop sign, even when your flesh is pulling you towards sin. Everything that looks good to you may not be good for you. Some things feel good, like getting revenge, cheating your way to a certain goal, or having sex with someone who isn’t your spouse. It may feel good in the moment, but there are horrific consequences associated with the action. Some are more painful than we can bear. God has boundaries in place for a reason. Trust God’s boundaries, even if they don’t make sense to you right now. You will discover that respecting God’s boundaries yields God’s blessings.

Day three

Today’s scripture reading:

Genesis 3: 1-24

Thought for the day

Gen. 3:1

… Did God really say …

Today, be cautious of how you use your Free will

Many of us are unaware that we possess the ultimate power to affect our destiny. The power I speak of is the power of choice. Whether you choose good or bad, right or wrong, at the end of the day it’s still your choice. The greatest thing about choice is that no one can force you to do anything you don’t want to do. The choice begins and ends with you.

The only real power someone has over you is the power of persuasion to choose one thing over another. Our enemy subtly works to entice you into things that are detrimental to your future. He comes to steal, kill, and destroy. Our adversary cannot take anything from you, but he can persuade you to willingly give it up. The only one who can give him power in your life is you. Don’t give him the power to steal your joy, kill your dreams, or destroy your future. Every choice has a consequence, whether good or bad.

Today, remember to be careful with the things you choose. A choice made today can have lasting consequences for your life tomorrow. Today, I encourage you to choose to acknowledge God. When you find yourself getting frustrated, choose to pray. Choose to show your co-workers or classmates, wherever you may find yourself, that you have the light of Christ inside of you. Today, choose to be happy no matter what your boss, your peers, your teacher, your professor, or anyone else throws at you. Today, choose to smile. Today, choose to demonstrate godly character!

Day four

Today’s scripture reading:

Genesis 4: 1-26

Thought for the day

Gen. 4: 1-2

Now Adam slept with his wife and she became pregnant…

Later she gave birth to a second son…

Today, thank God for your family