STRIPES
I watched the movie “Stripes” with my son, Jacob, about a zebra who thought he was a racehorse. So, he trained for the Kentucky Derby. After training much like Rocky did in unconventional ways, he was ready. Right before the big race, however, the purebred horses ganged up on him and beat him up. He also found out he was a zebra! He was devastated. “Why didn’t anyone tell me?” he asked.
Like all great happy-ending kid movies, Stripes became determined to win the race, and he won! Against all odds, a zebra won the Kentucky Derby. Well, sure, it’s a kids’ movie, but it had a life-lesson.
After the movie Jacob looked at me and said, “You are going to write a devotional about this aren’t you, Mom?”
“You know I usually do, son,” I answered.
We both laughed, but deep down we both knew I would write a devotional about Stripes.
Join me for a moment, however, and let’s bring this message to the cross. I am reminded about how people laughed at Jesus when a young girl died. Everyone was sad. When Jesus got there He told them that the girl was not dead but asleep (Matthew 9:24; Mark 5:39). Then, they all laughed at Him.
They laughed at Him, but He was telling the truth. They would later deny Him, put stripes across His back, and crucify Him on the cross.
The zebra in the movie named Stripes truly thought he was a racehorse, until one day he found out that he wasn’t. It was too late, however, because inside He already believed He was a pure breed top-notch racing horse. His inner belief about who he was rose up, bubbling out to victory.
Jesus was the pure, living Son of God who was crucified, shedding his pure and holy blood on the cross for us. People tried to tell Him He was not the real-deal, but that did not change who He was nor did it change the race He was assigned to run on this earth. He won in the end, knowing full well that the stripes on His back were not markings of a counterfeit.
I encourage you to watch the movie Stripes whether you have kids or not. It will rekindle some child-like faith within you. Afterward, thank God for the stripes He suffered so that we could be free from condemnation.
By His Stripes we are healed.
Kristina Seymour loves to encourage and equip women through the Word and through community. She is the author of The Warrior Mom Handbook, The Warrior Mom Leadership Manual, and The Warrior Wife Handbook; they are available at Amazon.com. Kristina's Bible studies are for women who desire to live by faith in the midst of their everyday lives. She has learned that women can't survive on caffeine and animal crackers alone; women in the Word and in community are united and able to stand firm. To learn more about Kristina, please visit her recently founded Share & Company Publishing House http://seymourkristina.wix.
Kristina Seymour loves to encourage and equip women through the Word and through community. She is the author of The Warrior Mom Handbook, The Warrior Mom Leadership Manual, and The Warrior Wife Handbook; they are available at Amazon.com. Kristina's Bible studies are for women who desire to live by faith in the midst of their everyday lives. She has learned that women can't survive on caffeine and animal crackers alone; women in the Word and in community are united and able to stand firm. To learn more about Kristina, please visit her website, https://kristinaseymour.com/. God loves to share His story of love and grace through us all, and Kristina believes that everyone has a story to tell.
Originally published Tuesday, 11 April 2023.
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