MAXIMUM JOY

Consider it maximum joy, my brothers, when you get involved in all sorts of trials. (James 1:2 | Berkeley)

“The reason the devil is putting pressure on you is because God’s got a blessing for you!” -Mark Hankins

I played on the championship football team in high school. We were undefeated, so we always went out fully expecting to win. One day the coach told me, “Now Hankins,” as he grabbed me by my shoulder pads, “you might be able to go around the tackle, but by the time you go around him, what you’re looking for already went by.”

Then he said, “The only way you can play defense is not to avoid the pressure the tackle is putting on you. You can’t go around him–if you do, you will miss what you’re after. You’ve got to fight through the pressure.”

The reason the devil is putting pressure on you is because God’s got a blessing coming for you! So when pressure comes from every side, face it and get happy right in the middle of it! The devil is saying, “Hey, give up and just go around.” You say, “No. I am not going around. I am going through this tackle!”

Confession: The Lord God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds’ feet, and he will make me walk upon my high places. (Habakkuk 3:19)