In 1985 Tim Burke saw his boyhood dream come true when the Montreal Expos baseball team took him on as a pitcher, giving him an annual salary of $600,000. (Back then, that was big money for a player.) After four years in the minor leagues, he was finally given a chance to play in the big leagues. And he quickly proved his worth by setting a record for the most relief appearances by any rookie pitcher. Along the way, however, Tim and his wife, Christine, adopted four children who needed additional support – two daughters from South Korea, a disabled son from Guatemala, and another son from Vietnam. All of the children were born with very serious illnesses or defects, and neither Tim nor Christine was prepared for the tremendous demands such a family would bring. And with the gruelling schedule of major-league baseball demands, Tim was seldom around to help. After searching his soul and deciding on his life’s true priorities, Tim did something that amazed everyone – he gave up his dream career in major league baseball. When reporters asked him to explain this unbelievable decision, he simply said, ‘Baseball is going to do just fine without me. But I’m the only father my children have.’ Heroes are in short supply these days. And Tim Burke is one of them. Dad, you can be another one. Most investments in life involve risk and can lead to regret. But you will never regret a moment of the love, time, and effort you invest in your children. So, be a father. (And if you don’t have children, why not pray for fathers who you know.)

© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.

The Bible likens the Christian life to a marathon. The writer of the book of Hebrews said: ‘Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured’ (Hebrews 12:1-2 NKJV). Paul wrote to the Philippian believers: ‘There is one thing I always do. Forgetting the past and straining towards what is ahead, I keep trying to reach the goal and get the prize for which God called me’ (Philippians 3:13-14 NCV). Chances are you aren’t at the starting line, nor are you at the finishing tape. You’re somewhere in the middle. When running a race, the start is always filled with such enthusiasm and energy. And the finish holds such promise as we run the final stretch and reach our goal. But the middle of the race – when we are long past the start and not sure how far away the finish might be – is what often tests us. That’s why the prophet Habakkuk wrote: ‘O LORD, revive Your work in the midst of the years!’ It’s in ‘the midst’ or the middle of the race that we need encouragement, that we need our second wind, and that we need to refocus on the prize that awaits us. Those who have run before us have passed the baton through the centuries, from generation to generation – without dropping it. What are you to do? Take the baton, run, and keep running!

© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.

God is the giver of dreams. ‘For God does speak…in a dream, in a vision…when deep sleep falls on people’ (vv. 14-15 NIV). Unless you want to spend the rest of your life being unfulfilled and uninspired, take your dream out of the closet and blow the dust off. It’s easy to get caught up in the ‘have tos’ of life – working; caring for children, spouses, and ageing parents; taking care of homes, etc. But you must believe that you can resurrect your life and your dreams and believe you have the ability to tap into the enthusiasm you once felt for life. You must have the courage to face the disappointments of the past, take a good look at how you got off the path, and see where you are headed. Then you have to silence the voice in your head that says: ‘This is all there is. Who are you to want more from life? You can’t do it; it’s too late for you.’ We give up on our dreams because we think that’s what grown-ups are supposed to do. But as we mature, we realise that reaching for our dreams is what makes us feel alive. The truth is that with love, prayer, and great attention, your dream, like Lazarus, can be resurrected (see John 11:43). The secret of recapturing dreams is to enjoy the pursuit of the dream rather than focus on the outcome. Achievement in this case is not about position, fame, or financial compensation, but about doing what you love. That’s what Jesus promised: ‘I am come that they might have life, and…have it more abundantly’ (John 10:10 KJV).

© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.

Marcial Losada is an organisational psychologist who studies the power of positivity. He argues that we need a negative feedback loop to survive. Without midcourse corrections, we mindlessly make the same mistakes. But if you want to thrive, you also need a positive feedback loop. His studies have produced what is known as the Losada ratio: it’s the ratio of positive feedback to negative feedback in a system. It doesn’t matter whether that system is a church, a family, or your workplace, there needs to be at least 2.9 positive feedbacks for every one negative. So, what’s your ratio as a spouse, a parent, a worker, a friend? Part of the reason for the disparity is that negative feedback tends to carry more weight and last longer, so it has to be counterbalanced. A pretty good rule of thumb is this: dish out three compliments for every complaint. Instead of looking for faults, train yourself to catch people doing things right. And here are a few more things you can do to stay positive. 1) Memorise and meditate on the promises of God’s Word and anchor yourself to them. 2) Keep a gratitude journal. It will let you know how blessed and how well-off you are. 3) Cultivate the habit of sending a heartfelt note to people you appreciate. It’ll only take you two minutes, but you can make someone’s day, or even someone’s year! 4) Find a way to share ‘wins’ with your family and in your workplace. It has the power to shift the focus and shift the culture. It’ll also anchor you to your kids and to your colleagues in a powerful new way.

© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.

Fanny Crosby, the noted hymn writer, said she never attempted to write a hymn without first kneeling in prayer. Given that she wrote about 8,000 songs, she was obviously a woman of prayer! Beloved hymns such as ‘Blessed Assurance’, ‘To God Be The Glory’, and ‘I Am Thine, O Lord’ were born from times of prayer. But like many creative people, she was often under pressure to meet deadlines. One time she tried to write lyrics for a tune composed by W.H. Doane. She couldn’t seem to find the words, but then she remembered she had forgotten to pray. As she rose from her knees, she dictated – as fast as her assistant could write – the words for the famous hymn, ‘Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross’. Another time she had run short of money and needed exactly five dollars for a particular purpose. There was no time to call upon her publishers, so she simply prayed for the money. As she ended her prayer, she began to pace back and forth in her room, trying to get into the mood to write. Just at that time, an admirer called upon her. The two chatted briefly, and in parting, the woman pressed something into her hand. It was a five-dollar bill! Fanny fell to her knees in a prayer of thanksgiving, and, upon rising, she wrote one of her most famous hymns, ‘All the Way My Saviour Leads Me’. The secret of Fanny Crosby’s success is not a ‘secret’. Before she attempted anything for God, she first sought God’s help. So, the word for today is – pray about it!

© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.

Before leaving the leaders of the church at Ephesus for the last time, Paul told them: ‘The Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that chains and tribulations await me. But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy’ (vv. 23-24 NKJV). There are two ways to deal with a problem: 1) Pray and believe God to remove it, like He did with the walls of Jericho. 2) Outgrow the problem. In the 1920s, an English adventurer named Mallory led an expedition to try to conquer Mount Everest. His first two attempts failed. On his third attempt, he and most of his team were wiped out in an avalanche. Upon their return to England, the few who had survived held a banquet to honour Mallory and those who had perished. As the leader of the survivors stood to speak, he looked around the hall at the framed pictures of Mallory and the others who had died. Then he turned his back to the crowd and faced a large picture of Mount Everest, which stood looming behind the banquet table like a silent, unbeatable giant. With tears streaming down his face, he spoke to the mountain on behalf of his deceased friends: ‘I speak to you, Mount Everest, in the name of all brave men and women living and those yet unborn. Mount Everest, you defeated us once; you defeated us twice; you defeated us three times. But we shall someday defeat you, because you can’t get any bigger – but we can.’

© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.

The Lord charged the church at Ephesus with having ‘left your first love’ (see Revelation 2:4) and the church of Laodicea with being ‘neither hot nor cold, but lukewarm’ (see Revelation 3:15-16). R.T. Kendall said, ‘The greatest opposition to what God wants to do next comes from those who were on the cutting edge of what God did last.’ Read the following Scriptures carefully and prayerfully: ‘Do not say, “Why were the former days better than these?” For you do not inquire wisely concerning this’ (Ecclesiastes 7:10 NKJV). ‘The path of the just is like the shining sun, that shines ever brighter unto the perfect day’ (Proverbs 4:18 NKJV). ‘Let us know, let us pursue the knowledge of the LORD…He will come to us like the rain, like the latter and former rain to the earth’ (Hosea 6:3 NKJV). ‘When He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you’ (John 16:13-14 NKJV). ‘Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know’ (Jeremiah 33:3 NKJV). ‘May [you] be able to comprehend…the width and length and depth and height – to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God’ (Ephesians 3:18-19 NKJV). The word for today is – God has more in store for you.

© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.

Just as Jericho was a stronghold in Canaan, we have strongholds in our lives. Paul wrote: ‘The weapons of our warfare are…mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God’ (vv. 4-5 NKJV). A stronghold is an ‘argument’ or a ‘high thing’ that ‘exalts itself against the knowledge of God’. It is a conviction, outlook, or belief that attempts to interfere with the truth. A stronghold is a false premise that denies God’s promise. It ‘sets itself up against the knowledge of God’ (v. 5 NIV). It attempts to magnify the problem and minimise God’s ability to solve it. Does a stronghold have a strong hold on you? Do you speak the language of impossibility? God could never forgive me (the stronghold of guilt). I could never forgive that person (the stronghold of resentment). Bad things always happen to me (the stronghold of self-pity). I have to be in charge (the stronghold of pride). I don’t deserve to be loved (the stronghold of rejection). I’ll never recover (the stronghold of defeat). I must be good, or God will reject me (the stronghold of performance). I’m only as good as I look (the stronghold of appearance). My value equals my possessions (the stronghold of materialism). Many Christians don’t even recognise the strongholds in their lives. But you don’t have to be among them. God has given you the weapons of prayer, Scripture, the Name of Jesus, the blood of Jesus, fellowship, etc. And collectively, they have ‘divine power to demolish strongholds’ (v. 4 NIV).

© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.

Someone said: ‘The secret of success is to be like a duck – smooth and unruffled on top, and paddling furiously underneath.’ Niccolò Paganini, the well-known nineteenth-century violinist, illustrated the truth of this. His most memorable concert was marked by ‘furious paddling under the surface’ rather than easy success. The concert was performed with a full orchestra before a packed house in Italy. Those who heard him play say his technique was incredible and his tone fantastic. Towards the end of the concert, he was astounding his audience with a very difficult composition, when one string on his violin suddenly snapped and hung limply from his instrument. Paganini frowned only briefly, shook his head, and continued to play, improvising beautifully. Then, to everyone’s surprise, including Paganini’s, a second string broke. Shortly thereafter, a third string snapped. It seemed like a slapstick comedy routine as Paganini stood before the awed crowd with three strings dangling from his Stradivarius violin. But instead of leaving the stage to repair his instrument, he stood firm. He calmly completed the difficult number on the one remaining string – a performance that won him applause, admiration, and enduring fame. Here’s another saying: ‘It’s when the going gets tough, that the tough get going!’ Paul was such a man: ‘Forgetting the past and straining towards what is ahead, I keep trying to reach the goal and get the prize for which God called me through Christ to the life above.’ All of us who are spiritually mature should think this way too. So don’t give up; keep going!

© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.

Paul asked: ‘Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?’ And the answer is nothing! Then he came up with a laundry list of worst-case scenarios, from trouble to danger and anything in between: ‘Trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword’ (NIV). When Paul wrote ‘hardship’, he was back in the Mediterranean Sea during a terrible typhoon. ‘Persecution’ pinged his memory of being stoned at Lystra and left for dead. ‘Trials’: Paul stood trial before Nero himself. He also went without food, was bitten by a poisonous snake, and had the clothes stripped off his back so he could be flogged. This did not happen only once or twice. Five times he received the maximum sentence – forty lashes minus one. Paul’s back was whiplashed and crisscrossed with 195 scars. Hardship has one of two effects: it either hardens or softens our hearts. And it’s that hardening or softening that makes us or breaks us. Research in psychology shows that between half to two-thirds of people who survive extreme hardship or crisis later experience positive personal changes – a phenomenon known as post-traumatic growth. It’s the tough times that test our love. But that’s also how it’s proved. The love of Christ wasn’t proved by His miracles – it was proved on a Roman cross. And it has proven to be fail proof. So no matter what trouble, hardship, or persecution you face, this too shall pass. More importantly, Jesus is with you and Jesus is for you. Nothing, absolutely nothing, can separate you from His love!