It does not matter what your circumstances are; the instant you begin to thank God, even though your situation has not changed, you begin to change. The key that unlocks the gates of heaven is a thankful heart. Entrance into the courts of God comes as you simply begin to praise the Lord.

If you are serious about becoming like Christ, He is going to put you in circumstances where your only true choice is to become like Him.

Even if all we have is a little, the Lord desires us to be joyfully generous, so that He will have for His church an abundance for every good work. Let us not be selfish or deceived by money. In a real sense, money is not a blessing; it's a test.

Any time we open ourselves up to fear, we fall prey to his deceptions and intimidations. Yet, if we submit our hearts to God and stand in faith, we can resist those first fearful thoughts. As we yield to God we can master our reactions to fear and the enemy will soon flee.

The thankful heart sees the best part of every situation. It sees problems and weaknesses as opportunities, struggles as refining tools, and sinners as saints in progress.

How easy it is to blame others for our unhappiness, but we are only unhappy when something other than Christ has become our life.

We will never become holy by criticizing others, nor is anyone brought nearer to God through finding fault... Find God, and once you have Him, determine to live the rest of your life in pursuit of His glory. As you touch Him, something will come alive in you: something eternal, someone Almighty! Instead of looking down on people, you will seek to lift them up.