Have you ever watched someone doing resistance training? They get stronger every day as they press more and more weight. That’s how to view the verse “resist the devil.” Satan is out to do three things: “Kill, steal, and destroy” (John 10:10). Destroy what? Everything God has given you! And he doesn’t play fair. Using a whole arsenal of weapons, he’ll attack your mind, your health, your marriage, your children, your finances, and your character. And if you’re a spiritual weakling, he’ll crush you! Satan studies you. He knows your quitting points, and he’ll push you to the brink every chance he gets. So what should you do? Push back—and keep pushing! Use every spiritual weapon God has given you—prayer, praise, His Word, and fellowship. It’s time to turn the tables on the enemy and start using him as your spiritual gym! The Amplified Bible talks about “the sword that the Spirit wields, which is the Word of God” (Ephesians 6:17 AMPC). When you’re filled with God’s Spirit, He will fight in you, through you, and for you. When that happens, Satan reaches the place where he knows he can’t defeat you on a particular front, so what does he do? He attacks you on a different one! But with victory after victory being chalked up, you develop the boldness and strength to defeat him on that front too. With enough resistance training under your belt, you’ll experience the joy of walking in the truth of this wonderful promise: “God…will soon crush Satan under your feet” (Romans 16:20 NIV).
Resistance Training - December 11
“Submit…to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7
December 11, 2019 • Bob Gass
This year, get out of your rut! - December 31
December 31, 2019 • Bob Gass
A biologist experimented with what he called “processional caterpillars.” He lined up caterpillars on the rim of a pot that held a plant so that the lead caterpillar was head-to-tail with the last caterpillar, with no break in the parade. The tiny creatures walked around the rim of the pot for a full week before they died of exhaustion and starvation. Not once did any of them break out of line and venture over to the plant to eat. Food was only inches away, but their follow-the-crowd instinct was stronger than the drive to eat and survive. The same thing happened to an entire generation of Israelites. They walked in circles in the wilderness for forty years, even though they were only eleven miles from the Promised Land. If you’re in a rut today, ask yourself these three questions: (1) Is this rut of my own making? You choose a rut because it’s comfortable and requires no risk. And getting out of it requires courage and a willingness to make tough choices you follow through on. (2) Who am I following? You adopt certain patterns because someone has taught them to you directly or by example. Instead of mindlessly following the crowd, seek God’s will for your life and commit yourself to doing it. (3) Where am I going? The Bible says, “Where there is no vision, the people perish” (Proverbs 29:18). If you want to get out of the rut you’re in today, ask God to give you a vision for your life—He will! And when He does, pour yourself into it.
Taking responsibility and risks (3) - December 30
December 30, 2019 • Bob Gass
Guess which big company felt like “choking on its own candies” after it elected not to feature one of its products in the 1982 blockbuster film E.T.? If you said M&M’s, you’d be right! How did it happen? Turns out the Mars candy bar company executives decided nothing could be gained from allowing their M&M’s candies to be used in what some of them considered “a silly movie.” Consequently, the little boy Elliott wound up luring the loveable alien E.T. with Hershey’s Reese’s Pieces. That one scene drew millions of customers worldwide into candy stores in quest of Reese’s Pieces! Thanks to this movie mega-hit, Hershey’s sales shot up 65 percent! It’s interesting that the Mars executives who said “No” probably lived in big houses, drove big cars, and earned big salaries. Yep, doubt and fear stalk the rich as well as the poor; you’ll find nay-sayers at the top and bottom of the corporate ladder. Recall these words from the famous poem by John Greenleaf Whittier: “For of all sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these, ‘It might have been.’” Think of all the times opportunity knocked and nobody answered. Are you standing before a door of opportunity today? Are you afraid to walk through it? Don’t be. God is with you. His Word says, “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” When God gives you a gift, He gives you the grace and grit to use it. So step out in faith, “commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed” (Proverbs 16:3 NLT).
Taking responsibility and risks (2) - December 29
December 29, 2019 • Bob Gass
In 1975, a low-level Hewlett-Packard engineer called Steve Wozniak, whom nobody had ever heard of, shared a dream with his pal, Steve Jobs. It was about building an easy-to-use personal computer to sell to the masses around the world. The pair worked around the clock to create their compact PC. But when they offered it to Hewlett-Packard, one of the world’s great companies, the powers-that-be failed to see its incredible potential and gave it the thumbs down. So Wozniak and Jobs went off on their own and founded a little company called Apple Computers—and revolutionized the computer industry! There’s no shortage of people who will tell you, “It can’t be done” or “It won’t work.” There’s a name for those people: dream killers—and if you listen to them, you’ll give up before you even begin. Behind every major accomplishment you’ll find ordinary people with dreams who are willing to take responsibility and risks. They are the people who enjoy the rewards! Jesus wrapped up one of His parables with these words: “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!” In spite of your failures, your struggles, and your limitations, if you’re willing to disregard the naysayers, step out in faith, and use the gifts God has given you, He will see to it that you succeed.