September 20, 2024 8:00 pm
A Facebook memory popped up, showing me a picture of my triumphant five-year-old when she’d won a fun and competitive game of Chutes and Ladders. I’d tagged my brother and sister in the post because we’d often played this board game when we were kids. Chutes and Ladders is based on a game that’s been played for centuries, helping people learn to count and providing the thrill of being able to climb a ladder and win the game by getting to 100 the fastest. But watch out! If you land on spot 98, you slide far down the chute, delaying—or even prohibiting—victory.
Isn’t that just like life? Jesus lovingly prepared us for the ups and downs of our days. He said we’d experience “trouble” (John 16: 33), but He also shared a message of peace. We don’t have to be shaken by the trials we face. Why? Christ has overcome the world! Nothing is greater than His power, so we too can face whatever comes our way with “the mighty strength” He’s made available to us (Ephesians 1:19).
Just like in Chutes and Ladders, sometimes life presents a ladder allowing us to happily ascend and other times we tumble down a slippery slide. But we don’t have to play the game of life without hope. We have the power of Jesus to help us overcome it all.
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Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread.
Our reading titled The Ups and Downs of Life was written by Katara Patton. A Facebook memory popped up showing me a picture of my triumphant five-year-old when she'd won a fun and competitive game of Chutes and Ladders. I tagged my brother and sister in the post because we'd often played this board game when we were kids. Chutes and Ladders is based on a game that's been played for centuries, helping people learn to count and providing the thrill of being able to climb a ladder and win the game by getting to 100 the fastest. But watch out!
If you land on spot 98, you slide far down the chute, delaying or even prohibiting victory. Isn't that just like life? Jesus lovingly prepared us for the ups and downs of our days. He said we'd experience trouble, but He also shared a message of peace. We don't have to be shaken by the trials we face.
Why? Christ has overcome the world. Nothing is greater than His power, so we too can face whatever comes our way with the mighty strength He's made available to us.
Just like in Chutes and Ladders, sometimes life presents a ladder allowing us to happily ascend, and other times we tumble down a slippery slide. But we don't have to play the game of life without hope. We have the power of Jesus to help us overcome it all. Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from John chapter 16 verses 31 through 33. Do you now believe? Jesus replied.
A time is coming and in fact has come when you will be scattered each to your own home. You will leave me all alone, yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me. I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble, but take heart, I have overcome the world.
Let's pray. Dear Jesus, thank you for the reminder that you've overcome the world. Help us to rely on your power to handle the ups and downs of life with grace, grit, and strength. Thank you, Lord. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Thanks for listening today. My name is Toni Collyer and today's encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread Ministries.
Whisper: medium.en / 2024-09-20 20:33:12 / 2024-09-20 20:34:36 / 1
