Let’s Roll!
Let’s Roll!
Categories: WEEKLY DEVOTIONALS
Tim Clinton, Ed.D. and Max Davis
Todd Beamer…Remember him? We should. None of us should ever forget. A true hero of September 11th, 2001, he led the guys that stormed the cockpit of United Flight 93 and took down three terrorist hijackers. Their courageous choice to fight back foiled the plot to missile the Boeing 757 into the White House. Instead, the plane crashed into an open field outside of Shanksville, Pennsylvania. The heroic act surely saved hundreds, if not thousands of lives. It came at a price though, the sacrifice of their own. After becoming aware that three other planes had flown into the Twin Towers and the Pentagon, the 38 passengers and crew, made the choice.
Before taking action, Todd had conversed with GTE in-flight telephone operator Lisa Jefferson. She could hear shouts and commotion in the background as Todd explained their plans to overtake the hijackers. The pilot and co-pilot had been wounded or killed and were unable to fly the plane. While panic and confusion filled the background, Jefferson noted that extreme peace emanated from Todd.
When the time arrived, Todd, Jeffery Glick, Thomas Brunett Jr., and Mark Bingham, all in their thirties, knew for certain what had to be done. Todd prayed a short prayer with Jefferson, asked her to tell his family that he loved them, and left the line open. Not long afterwards, Jefferson heard Todd’s voice saying, “Let’s Roll!” Then there was silence.
It took courage, confidence, and faith for Todd Beamer to take action and lead in that moment. The phrase “Let’s Roll” was not a spur of the moment thing. No. According to his wife Lisa, he always said that. It was Todd’s mantra, a part of his lifestyle. And it rubbed off on those around him. “My boys even say that,” Lisa said. “When we’re getting ready to go somewhere, we say, ‘C’mon guys, let’s roll.’ My little one says, ‘C’mon, Mom, let’s roll.’ That’s something they picked up from Todd.”
Todd Beamer lived his faith in the little things. He was engaged in the daily fight. Then, when it was his time to take action in a big way, to throw a knockout punch, it was only a natural extension of who he was as a man. Todd could respond courageously, because courage was in his core and that’s what this devotional has been all about . . . having the courage to get back in the fight and stand firm in the face of the enemy until the very end. Our goal in life should be to finish strong, not disengage or quit. The enemy’s goal is to get us to quit the fight. If we give up, he’s got us. You may be bone weary, but don’t give up. Reach down deep. You’ve still got some punches left. Let God refresh you, empower you, train your hands for war, and fingers for battle! Like Todd Beamer “Remember the Lord, great and awesome, and fight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses” even if that means laying down your life.
Regardless of where you are in your personal journey, God can redeem the time. Joel 2:25 states that God “will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten KJV…” Throw yourself back in the ring! Trust Him again and you too can say along with the Apostle Paul, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.” Hopefully, on this 40-day journey you have picked up some valuable tools to assist you in your own fight. Now “Let’s Roll!”
This devotional is an excerpt from Ignite Your Faith by Dr. Tim Clinton & Max Davis available at https://www.aacc.net/product/ignite-your-faith/.