The Devil Wants to Distract You! Don’t Let Him.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles (Hebrews 12:1).
The devil wants to weigh our hearts down with distractions and sin and dead weight—things that are not important or crucial to the plan of God for us.
Dead weight can include things like watching too much secular content on YouTube, TikTok, or Netflix, or playing too many video games. It could also be strife with your family and friends. Many times in my life, I knew God was working mightily in me, but then I would make a mistake and get sidetracked by a distraction. The Bible says:
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart (Hebrews 12:1–3).
Here, God clearly tells us to throw off the distractions and instead run an all-out race toward God and His purposes for us. God wants us to be strong in spirit, not chunky in the flesh. Following after the flesh—allowing the distractions and dead weights—will only cause us to gain excess spiritual chunk that slows us down. It’s time we cut out the parts of our lives that weigh us down. We need to be spiritually fit to be in the army of the Lord.
If you have pride about your life and think you have everything figured out and you don’t need any change—you are in the wrong. We must have a spirit of humility to become what God wants us to be. To shed the excess weight, we need to be humble enough to admit we need a better workout and a healthier diet. When we do, God will be our trainer and get us spiritually fit for His army.
Declaration
God, thank You for today. I do not want to be weighed down in life. Reveal to me any sin or weight that is slowing me down. I want to run for You, Jesus. I will run my race and finish my course. I see You today, Jesus. I set my eyes above and not below. I have a heavenly mindset.
Scripture Reading: Hebrews 12
Built Different
Gabe Poirot
Keeping Your Joy
…For the joy of the Lord is your strength (Nehemiah 8:10).
One of the most powerful witnesses of our salvation in Jesus Christ is the joy that we possess. Should the locker room of a team that just won be silent in depression? No. And as Christians, after receiving the victory Jesus Christ won for us on the cross, we should not allow ourselves to wallow in sadness and depression. Ain’t nobody got time for that. Instead, in the Bible, Nehemiah told the people of Israel,
Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength (Nehemiah 8:10).
Many people think joy is an outcome of their circumstances. When things are going well, you will have joy. When things aren’t going well, no joy. But God wants you to know that you already have the joy of the Lord. And you have a choice about whether you will walk in that joy.
During my sophomore year in high school, as I was walking down the hallway, I felt a tap on my shoulder. When I turned around, I was shocked to see a kid I used to bully in middle school. (Let’s just say Gabe did not live a committed life for God back then.) He asked me a simple question: “What happened to you?” He said he saw such a difference in my life since middle school, that I carried a joy that he hadn’t seen before. In response, I told him about how Jesus had changed my life, and I invited him to a Bible study. I realized that day that the most powerful witness for Jesus often is not in our words, but in our actions and our smile.
Jesus did not die on the cross with nails in His hands and a spear in His side so that we could live a depressed life. Jesus was crucified and rose again so that we could experience His joy—the kind of joy He possessed. Every day, we have a choice: What will we focus on? Will we choose to focus on all the issues and problems, or will we instead place our eyes on Jesus and the salvation He has freely given us? Will we choose to focus on our (possibly) annoying siblings, or will we focus on the unconditional love that God has provided us? I don’t know about you, but I am going to focus on my mansion in heaven. I am going to focus on those eternal rewards. I am going to focus on the love of our Father. Join me. Let’s have the joy of the Lord every day. Rejoice, and again I say rejoice!
Declaration
I have the joy of the Lord. Father, I choose to focus on Your word today. I focus on the salvation You have given me. I choose to focus on my mansion in heaven. Thank You for loving me unconditionally. I refuse to accept depression. I am not sad. I am full of light. I am full of life. I am full of love. I am full of joy. Nothing is going to steal my joy. The joy of the Lord is my strength! [Say that three times!]
Scripture Reading: Nehemiah 8
Ain't nobody got time for boring Christianity!
With 1.7 million followers on TikTok, Gabe Poirot has brought the gospel to life with funny, thoughtful, and honestly, pretty random videos that are now making an impact in a 90-day devo.
God didn't create you to be basic. When He shoots, He never misses. He created you to be BUILT DIFFERENT. Unlike that mad, boring geometry class, this life He gave you is meant to be fun. Ain't nobody got time for boring Christianity.
Follow along in this win of a book because you will grow in your walk with God and be entertained at the same time. Filled with scripture and daily declarations, it is thick with God's goodness.
In Built Different, Gabe breaks down topics like…
You can hear God talk [for real]
How to get a miracle
How to beat worry
Love? dating? relationships?
When you feel like quitting
Getting high? [it's free]
God is NOT in control
Take 90 days to meet with God, discover His incredible plan for you, and see how exciting life with Him can be!
