Becky Crenshaw

Jesus & Joe: A Coffee Devotional

In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.  For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor heights nor depth nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.  Romans 8:37-39 emphasis mine

I stood against the railing of the bumper cars, watching my boys duke it out at Dollywood a few weeks back.  Round and round they went, chasing each other down in this timeless ride of rubber madness.

But it didn’t take long for my attention to turn to this older lady in the white hat.  Well over fifty-years-old, no one had to give her a refresher course on how to operate her car or remind her the rules of the game.

No one could catch her and no one could bump her.  She was feisty and as aggressive as any fourth grader on the track.

What struck me most about her was honestly not her fiery flare for bumper cars, but it was her passion to play the game.

She did not passively drive her car.

She sat in her seat as a conqueror and she rode to win the race.

Spiritually speaking, our lives are much like this round and round game at the county fair.  Sometimes our cars get jammed and we sit stuck until we can turn our wheels hard enough to push ourselves free.  Somedays we laugh and ride and enjoy the fun of the fair.  Lots of days we are blindsided by a whiplashed blast from behind, an aggressive opponent who, without us knowing, has chased us down from the start, waiting for the right time to strike us hard.

But what if we took hold of God’s Truth as aggressively as the lady in the white hat?  What if we remembered that we can do all things today through Christ who strengthens us (Phil. 4:13)?!  What if we proclaimed that we are God’s very own possession, a royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:9)?!  What if we believed that if God is for us than who can be against us (Romans 8:31)?! What if we believed that we are more than conquerors through Christ who loves us and nothing can separate us from His love (Romans 8:39)!?

What if we strapped on our seat belts and chased down our sin, whiplashing it with the resurrected power of Christ Jesus that live within us!?

Today you are not a quitter.  Today you aren’t too old. Or too tired.

Today, victory is yours.

So whatever it is – if you are stuck or tired or conflicted or defeated – strap on your white hat, sit in your seat as a conqueror and ride to win the race.

Jesus & Joe  is a daily devotional through the month of August.  Subscribe, share and invite a friend!