God’s not dead and he’s not done! Your life may look or feel like an unfinished painting—a huge mess with pieces missing.

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. – Jeremiah 29:11 ESV

God wants you to know that although you may not be able to see it, He is still at work. He’s still doing a creative and brilliant work in your life and in the lives of those you love. Just because you can’t see the finished product doesn’t mean that it’s not going to be a masterpiece.

And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. – Philippians 1:6 ESV

Philippians 1:6 refers to the unfinished work of God and tells us to be confident that He who began a good work will complete it. So, rest assured: God is still active and hard at work in your life.

For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly. – Psalm 84:11 ESV

Nothing and no one can stop God’s favor in your life! Even if you feel like your painting is a mess, God can use that mess to bless the people in your world.

There is more in mind for you—more favor, more blessing, and more good things!

Think about it: How does knowing God has unfinished work in your life give you hope?

PRAY: Thank you God for starting a good work in me and promising to bring it to completion. Your favor is flowing into my life and I pray you will help me recognize when it is flowing through my life to help others. Give me an opportunity this week to encourage someone in their journey. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

You may have heard it before: life is hard; God is good. This statement is far more than a cliché: it’s a strong and solid theological truth.

Some incredibly smart people have wrestled with such questions as, “if God is good, then why does this happen? Why is injustice allowed, and why can life be so hard?” Those really smart people concluded that life is hard AND God is good. One doesn’t cancel out the other. They call it “theodicy.”

Most people assume that because life is hard, God must not be good—but that’s not the case. It’s not an either/or scenario. A few years ago, I decided that even when I couldn’t answer the “why?” part of that statement (“If God is good, then why ____?”), I decided that I would eliminate the “if.” In other words, I choose to believe that God is good . . . no matter what.

I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”– John 16:33 ESV

You can anchor yourself in God’s goodness too.

Start watching for the goodness of God despite the circumstances. Maybe the door gets closed on one opportunity, but maybe God has something better in store that we have to walk through a different door in order to access it. This has happened so many times in my own life that now I expect it.

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. – Romans 8:28 ESV

When something doesn’t go my way, I remind myself of God’s track record and I start watching for the next opportunity that will uncover God’s ultimate plan through the process.

Being anchored in the goodness of God isn’t always going to be a rational thing. It’s a stubborn, unrelenting determination not to let the hardships of life downsize the bigness of God.

Think about it: What are ways you can remind yourself to watch for God’s goodness despite the circumstances?

PRAY: God, thank you for helping me get anchored in your goodness. Give me strength today to stop wondering and start watching for your favor in every situation. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

For you bless the righteous, O Lord; you cover him with favor as with a shield. – Psalm 5:12 ESV

Seeking God’s goodness daily helps us to expect good things to show up in our lives. God’s goodness isn’t hiding, and his favor doesn’t make limited appearances . . . we just have to have eyes that seek to find. We’re not always keenly aware of God’s favor, which is why the Apostle Paul prayed for his friends to be enlightened.

having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, – Ephesians 1:18 ESV

Paul wrote to the church of Ephesus and told them he was praying that the “eyes of [their] heart may be enlightened.” Here’s the deal: favor surrounds us. When I start looking for good things in my life, I realize they can be found everywhere even in unlikely places. Sometimes when God’s favor is the least visible, it is functioning at it’s best on our behalf. Train your eyes to see the good and watch the good revealed around every turn.

God’s favor can be drawn to you by your attitude and mindset, and it can be kept from you by the very same. Favor may be impartial from one person to the next, but that doesn’t mean it’s compatible with everyone’s attitudes and mindsets.

for he is like one who is inwardly calculating. “Eat and drink!” he says to you, but his heart is not with you. – Proverbs 23:7 ESV

When we choose to be a good finder, it increases God’s favor in our lives.

Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light, but when it is bad, your body is full of darkness. – Luke 11:34 ESV

Think about it: How can you begin to retrain your mind to focus on good things?

PRAY: Thank you God for giving me the ability to retrain my mind so that I can see more of the good that is part of my life. I want to become a good finder so that I can think and expect more of your favor daily. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

God’s favor flows as naturally into our lives as a father’s favor flows into the lives of his children. (And He is the greatest picture of a father you could ever dream of or imagine.) God loves you. He considers you his kid, and that makes you a generational recipient of his blessing.

and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.” – 2 Corinthians 6:18 ESV

Don’t feel like you need to apologize to people, or legitimize God’s goodness to those that may not understand or agree. There are always people waiting to criticize your victory or ignore your timely blessing, because they felt someone else was more deserving.

In fact, if you’ve ever felt that someone doesn’t deserve a blessing they’ve received (hey, we’ve all been there . . .), you’re probably right! But here’s a sobering moment of truth for all of us: we cannot resent undeserved favor in someone else’s life if we’re going to welcome it in our own.

When we start to understand that favor is an expression of God’s grace, we are able to comprehend that the favor that we receive—exactly like grace—is disproportionate to what we deserve.

even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. – Ephesians 1:4-6 ESV

Think about it: What are some examples in your life where you’ve received unexpected or undeserved favor?

PRAY: God, thank you for being a Father to me. No matter what my earthly dad has been like, you are a generous Father and have ongoing favor in store for my future. Teach me today to accept the family favor that you have put on me as your kid. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Some people assume God is angry most of the time and that his favor only lasts a moment, but the Bible tells us it’s just the opposite! You are always the apple of His eye even when you feel like spoiled fruit.

For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning. – Psalm 30:5 ESV

God has moved on from that bad thing you did or that terrible thing you said. He may have been angry or disappointed in the moment, but He’s moved on. Have you? You don’t have to worry about falling out of favor because of a failure.

God’s goodness is ongoing and never runs out. His favor is always around us, on us, and with us; God’s favor is forever!

In fact, goodness does not exist apart from God; it did not originate on it’s own—aside of, or apart from him. It’s definitely not something that originates with human beings (Do you have to train your children to be bad, or good?).

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. – James 1:17 ESV

God is the source of all goodness and all good things. Some people still separate good from God, which can deteriorate mankind’s need to thank, honor, and worship him.

This study is about starting the journey to train your eyes to see the otherwise unseen goodness of God and what his favor looks like in your everyday life. For the next 5 days you will begin to see your life through the lens of God’s favor.

I will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn away from doing good to them. And I will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me. – Jeremiah 32:40 ESV

Think about it: What are some good things in your life that are easy to overlook?

PRAY: God, thank you for being present in my life. Help me to open up my eyes to see that you are the source of all good things and that you bring favor into my life everyday. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

How does the Spirit of God change us? He enrolls us in the University of Godly Thought. Little by little, day by day, year by year, he creates a new person!

We learn to:

• Take thoughts captive
• Test each message against the truth of Scripture
• Interrupt poisonous thought threads before they infect us
• Think and act like Jesus

Does this appeal to you? More faith, less fear? More grace, less guilt? More love, less lust? More security, less insecurity? It is yours for the asking.

Ephesians 4:22-24 ESV put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

Remember who you are! You aren’t just anyone; you are a covenant partner with God, a full-fledged member of his kingdom development program.

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” (1 Peter 2:9 ESV).

God has pledged to remake you by changing the way you think. He has equipped you to tame your thoughts.

Being a disciple comes down to letting God change the way we live by changing the way we think. Good actions follow good thoughts. Behavior takes its cue from beliefs. If our belief is wrong, our behavior will be wrong. But, if our belief is godly, our behavior will be godly.

Let God lead you. Pray specific prayers about your specific thought patterns. Identify the tendencies that steal your joy and pilfer your peace. Take them to Christ like you would take a broken chair to a carpenter. “Can you please fix this?”

Psalm 139:23-24 ESV Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!

Christ has a grand dream for you, my friend. He is shaping you into an image of one worthy of walking the streets of heaven. And it all begins with a simple choice: Tame your thoughts; think about what you think about.

I hope you will.

Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for giving me the ability to retrain my brain. Thank you for equipping me to tame my thoughts and change my life. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Giant-sized challenges are won not with bigger biceps but with better thought management. Your mindset is your most valuable tool. It’s time to screen thoughts, interrupt thoughts, extract and replace thoughts. And I know just the fellow to help us.

God called him “a man after my own heart” in Acts 13:22. Such words were never said about Abraham or Moses. Paul was called an apostle; John was called “beloved”—but never “a man after God’s own heart.” God crowned only David with this title. Why? What was unique about this son of Jesse? A case can be made for this answer. He made this six-word motto his mantra: “The battle belongs to the LORD” (1 Samuel 17:47).

1 Peter 5:8 ESV Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

What giant seeks to liposuction the life out of your life? Does he come in the form of a disease? Is he wearing the garb of debt? Or defeat, one put-down after another? Is it time for you to use some thought management tools?

Psalm 34:17-20 ESV When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all. He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken.

David resolved to shift his gaze away from the mess that surrounded him and focus on the God who sustained him. He meditated on God’s works. Maybe he made a list of miracles. Counted his blessings. Recalled God’s goodness. He took thoughts of death captive and replaced them with thoughts of life.

Negative thoughts lead to negative feelings. Thoughts of faith create feelings of hope. Be God-minded! Meditate on him.

Prayer

Father in Heaven, bring me peace when I am overwhelmed. Thank you for hearing my cries no matter where I am or what overwhelming giant I am facing. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Hebrews 12:1-2 ESV Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

The joy Jesus offers is unlike the one promised at the car dealership or shopping mall. He is not interested in a joy that depends upon circumstance.

Did his joy hinge on the approval of others? No, even his family didn’t believe in him. Did his joy depend upon possessions? He didn’t even have a place to lay his head. Was his joy based on the loyalty of people? Peter denied him. Judas betrayed him. The Romans murdered him. Yet, “for the joy set before him he endured the cross”.

Jesus enjoyed a resilient joy.

What about you? Have you buried a dream? Have you buried a marriage? Buried a friend? As you look at these burial plots of life, is your joy buried there as well?

If so, you may have anchored your vessel of joy to the wrong place.

During my single years, I lived on a houseboat that was docked on the Miami River. The water level would rise and fall with the tide. The boat would rock back and forth with the river traffic. But though the river changed and the boat rocked, we never drifted. The boat was anchored to a concrete wall.

Courageously joyful people have done something similar. They have tethered their hearts to the foundation of God.

Is that to say your life will be storm-free? No. “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.” (James 1:12 ESV).

Is that to say no sorrow will come your way? No. “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33 NIV).

Is that to say you will never cross the drylands of sorrow? No. But that is to say your sorrow will not last forever. “Your sorrow will be turned into joy” (John 16:20b NKJV).

The boat will rock. Moods will come and go. But will you be left adrift on the Atlantic of despair? No, for you have found a joy that remains courageous through the storm.

Prayer

Father in Heaven, Help me anchor my soul in Jesus and find complete joy. Thank you for your constant guidance. In Jesus’ name, amen.