A Place at the Table - 13 - Coca-cola
A Place at the Table - 13 - Coca-Cola
God, we thank You for the freedom that is found in Christ. All other masters seek to oppress us and steal our joy. You, though, have come to restore us to be the people that You created us to be. Walking away from our comforts is hard. Give to us from Your strength the faith to follow You onto the path that leads us to You. Help us to depend on You, to secure ourselves to You and Your truth that walks alongside us with our questions into the unknown. Cause a craving deep within us for the sustenance in the land of promise. Amen.
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I resonated with how Seay started out today’s devotion - talking about his addiction to BBQ Kettle Chips. I love those as well - especially the ones in the organic section of Kroger - the Boulder Potato Chip company ones. Amazing.
But I have another food addiction. Coca-Cola (hereon referred to as Coke - just to be sure that we are talking about the same thing). I have drank for a VERY long time and often a LOT of it. Even in spite of the info about how unhealthy soda is for you, the pictures of how soaking a dirty penny in a glass of coke will get it shiny and clean, etc. Coke has been my source of caffeine in the morning for a long time. But often, that wasn’t the only time I had one. Maybe one with lunch, maybe another during the mid afternoon, and maybe one while out to dinner some night. I do really love the taste. But between all the stuff that is in it, the unhealthiness that it promotes, and the empty calories that it brings, I have tried several times to stop drinking it. A few times I was successful for a while, but only for a while. I am in another of those attempts right now. After a slow phase down over the last month or so, I am on day 3 of no Coke at all. So far so good. No headaches, but there is a craving - not necessarily for a Coke, but for something really sweet. I could go for one of those cookies with a TON of frosting on it. Yeah…
Um…back to reality. Masters…addictions…yup, we all have them. Continuing his look at Exodus, Seay focuses on the release from the masters that the Hebrews have labored under. What that can mean, what it would feel like, what promise God offers. But here’s a key point. When we give something up, with what do we replace it? I remember reading about John Daly (the golfer) giving up alcohol, but replacing it with smoking. Weight loss programs also say this - if you want to stop eating something, you need to replace it with something better and healthier. My replacement thus far has been drinking tea - something with some more flavor than just water. Working so far…
When the Hebrews were set free from Egypt, they were to follow a new master, God. When we want to turn over the addictions of our lives to things like sin, we need to shift to our master…God.
BTW - this picture is of the empty bottle from the last Coke I had a few days ago...