Wake Up and Smell the Jerky

I accidentally made a new discovery recently. I left the coffee pot on all day, and when I checked it before bedtime, an entire pot of coffee had been reduced to a layer of tar in the bottom of the pot. It was black and sort of chewy-looking. I sniffed it—just out of curiosity—and I think it gave me a little bit of a caffeine buzz.

That’s when it hit me that I might have something. What if I peeled it off the bottom of the pot and cut it into plastic-looking strips? Voila! Coffee Jerky! Just think what this could mean to all those heavy-eyed weekday commuters. Instead of sloshing scalding coffee in their laps and all over their nice leather seats, they could just pop out a hunk of coffee jerky. I’m thinking it would be a great way to make a pot of coffee last all day, too. It would take several hours just to get it all out of your molars. Residual caffeine!

This discovery might help to keep our entire society more alert!

Alertness is a good thing. First Peter 5:8 instructs us to “Be self-controlled and alert,” and then tells us why: “Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” Creepy, isn’t it? It would terrify us if we didn’t have the rest of Scripture to tell us that our Heavenly Father is infinitely more powerful than the Enemy. We even have the next verse in the passage to charge us to, “Resist him, standing firm in the faith.”

There’s also powerful instruction in the verse right before: “Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.” (Verse 7)

Casting all your anxiety on Christ doesn’t mean you have to slip into a vegetative state. In java jargon, “stay perky.” “Self-controlled and alert,” remember? It’s when we surrender our troubles to Him that we are truly freed to be alert to Christ-centered things—the things that count. It’s better than anything caffeinated yet it won’t keep you up at night. As a matter of fact, giving your anxieties over to Jesus is exactly what you need for a peaceful night’s sleep. Put that in your pot and perk it!

I’m hoping I don’t lose a lot of sleep mulling over marketing plans for my coffee jerky. But the next time you hear it mentioned, it just might be followed by the words, “Operators are standing by.”

Rhonda Rhea is a radio personality with a recurring role on Focus on the Family’s Weekend Magazine radio program and a conference speaker for events all over the country. She is the wife of First Baptist Church of Troy, Missouri’s pastor, Richie Rhea, and has authored several fun and fruitful books, including High Heels in High Places and The Purse-uit of Holiness. Her newest book, Whatsoever Things Are Lovely—Must-Have Accessories for God’s Perfect Peace, was just released in September. Find out more and sign up for Rhonda’s e-newsletter at www.RhondaRhea.org.