It was the summer after my freshman year in college when my buddy and I worked in Shreveport, Louisiana (158 miles from our home in Hamburg, AR). I was working for Coca Cola as a “helper” on the routes. My job was moving the different drinks from the truck to the store and moving the empty bottles from the store to the truck. (in the 60’s Coca Cola would purchase back the empty drink bottles to clean and refill). It was hot and tiring work, but it was much better than shoveling in the rice field.

I was assigned a route salesman/driver who told me he had a special assignment for me this week. I was working at Coca Cola’s largest retail store in Shreveport. He explained the store was running a weeklong special on Coke products and I would be responsible for keeping the display full & straight. “Take care of them…if you see we are running low call back to the plant” were his words. I remember it was so important we left a full truck of drinks that morning,

The week started great but ended when the store manager demanded I be fired. The first thing was when a lady dropped a glass ketchup bottle, and I told her, “No problem, I’ll clean it up.” Little did I know the store manager thought I had made the mess. But later it all blew up when I asked the store manager if he wanted me to order more drinks to get the store through the weekend. Seems I was not supposed to know the sale was being continued for another week. He called the Shreveport Coca President demanding I be fired and pay for the things he thought I broke. Suddenly the plant manager & the route salesman/driver came to the store and asked me to step outside where I was able to tell them what had happened. The Coca-Cola plant manager told me, “As far as the store manager is concerned, you are fired, but you are not. You can never come in this store again.”

The “Accuser,” Satan, shows up in our life. We should not be surprised. He continually reminds us of our past failures, creates doubt and lies. Jesus tells us in John 8:44, “He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies.” But Good News, we have The Advocate, The Truth, The Almighty King of Kings that has defeated Satan. Jesus stands before the Father and pronounces us “Not Guilty!” From Revelation 12:10, “Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser (Satan) of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. 11 And they overcame him by the Blood of the Lamb and by the Word of their testimony…”

All Believers have the Promise found in Romans 5:9 “And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, He will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. The Hope is found in His Word, the Bible. It is His Living Word, His Love Letter. From Psalm 40:7, “Then I said, “Look, I have come. As is written about me in the Scriptures.” Isn’t time you discovered His Hope, His Way…His Peace?