Years ago, my son and I were playing rock, paper scissors. If you aren’t familiar with the game, you put your hand in a fist and say “rock, paper, scissors, shoot!” as you pound the fist on your other hand. At the end of the saying, you make one of the three objects with your hand, and the one with the more dominant object wins. So, paper covers rock, rock crushes scissors, and scissors cut paper. I had already beaten my little one a few times, and I could see his frustration growing. Well, as we began our final round, and neared the moment that we revealed our choice object, my son spread his arms wide and yelled, “God!” I giggled in stunned delight as he smiled from ear to ear because He knew he’d won. (In case you’re wondering, God, trumps everything else:))
You see, the problem with that game, as with life, is that every choice has a weakness. Every weakness can be exposed. And as it is exposed, each object can be defeated.
Except God. Who wasn’t even an option…until an innocent five-year-old included Him.
Y’all, I think we forget that God is always a choice. And not just a choice. The choice. The Lord is always there. The name of Jesus is always available. A sacred weapon that we take for granted and do not remember until we are desperate, as my little one was to win our game.
I can’t help but think about this as I watch the news and see the incredible political division in our country. As I see Facebook posts about teenagers facing life-changing addictions and depression and harmful relationships. As I read article after article about the harmful effects of technology and the sex trafficking industry and other hard, scary topics. And not just general topics, but personal situations that are close to our hearts and those we love.
I feel like we approach these hard things with limited options. Rock. Paper. Scissors. When really, the most powerful choice over all of these is Jesus.
I am so guilty of looking at these situations with earthly eyes. With such a limited viewpoint that allows me to let fear take over. To become anxious over things I have little control over.
What Will You Choose
But y’all, we must choose to “set our minds on things above, not on earthly things” (Col.3:2). We must choose to put on the armor of God daily and, when hard things come, proclaim victory in the name of “Jesus!” with outstretched arms!
I encourage you to post these verses, memorize them, claim them, and say them whenever the lies of the enemy enter your mind:
- Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. Psalm 91:1-4 NIV
- Simon Peter answered him, “LORD, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” John 6:68 NIV
- “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 NLT
- For “Everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved.” Romans 10:13 NLT
- “Give thanks to the LORD and proclaim his greatness. Let the whole world know what he has done.” Psalm 105:1 NLT
My sweet friends, if you are struggling today and you feel like your options for victory over your situation are few, do not forget that calling on the name of the Lord is ALWAYS an option!
Defeat can seem unavoidable. Evil can appear as if it’s winning. But because you know the Savior, remember you will have victory in the end. That one day, after all of the rock and paper and scissor moments of your life, if you call on the name of Jesus, He will be there.
In all His might. In all His power. For you.
Maggie Meadows Cooper
Maggie Meadows Cooper is a wife, mother, educator, and blogger with a longing for women to grow a heart for Jesus and others. She is the author of the children’s book Bumper, helping others to see that the heart is what counts most. She blogs at The Little Moments and contributes to IBelieve Truth: A Devotional for Women, Devotional Diva, and the Connecting Ministries Blog. ! She lives with her husband, three children, and two rambunctious dogs in Opelika, Alabama.
