READY:
"We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose."
-Romans 8:28

SET:
Life is like a roller coaster ride. There are ups and downs, fast parts and slow parts, twists and turns, fear and excitement.  In our sports we ride this same roller coaster. One play we are up, the next we are down.  One game we win, the next we lose.  It is one crazy ride.

Faith is no different. There are highs and lows, times of feeling near and times of feeling far, times of excitement and times of disappointment. However, when we ride the roller coaster of faith we can trust that the ups and downs are "for the good."  We can take our hands off the safety bar knowing that whether we feel high or low, it is for a purpose--His purpose. We can trust the ride because we can trust the Creator of the ride. The Maker of the ride we are on is the same One who created the universe.  That's how big He is, and that's how much we can trust Him.

If anyone knew about this roller coaster of faith it was Jesus' disciples. Beginning as average men doing simple jobs, being called by God's only Son to follow and learn from Him personally, seeing miracles, seeing Jesus laughed at, being in the storms, seeing Him walk on water, watching Him die and seeing Him rise again. . . Talk about some emotional highs and emotional lows! One disciple, Peter, went from total devotion to the point that he was willing to go to death for Jesus, to denying Him three times, to living his life in
such a way as to let nothing stop him from sharing Christ's story.

Even those closest to Jesus experienced this roller coaster, even more, in fact, as they grew closer. But still they were willing to go on His ride because they knew they could trust Him. They knew whose ride they were on, and they saw that it was better than their own.  They saw the joy and excitement that outweighed the trials and defeat. They trusted that His purpose was greater than their own.

The twists and turns that may seem crazy to us can be enjoyed. We know whose ride we are on, we know who has called us, we know He is trustworthy and we know He has purpose in both the ups and downs.  Knowing that, why not enjoy it? Why not throw your hands up in the air and enjoy the ride!

GO:
1. Whose ride are you on? Are you taking His ride or your own?
2. Where are you on your ride? Are you up or down?
3. Are you enjoying it? If not, how can you start?

WORKOUT:
Job 1
Psalm 70:4
Matthew 5:11-12
Romans 5:1-5
Philippians 4:4-7

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
After graduating from UC Santa Barbara, Loren Thornburg is now studying counselor education and serving as a pitching coach for the Augusta State University softball team.