The Daily Path

Then He said to them all, "If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me. - Luke 9:23

For Christian believers, every day begins and ends with God and His Son. Christ came to this earth to give us abundant life and eternal salvation. Our task is to accept Christ's grace with joy in our hearts and praise on our lips. Believers who fashion their day around Jesus are transformed: They see the world differently, they act differently, and they feel differently about themselves and their neighbors.

Christians face the inevitable challenges and disappointments of each day armed with the joy of Christ and the promise of salvation. So whatever this day holds for you, begin it and end it with God as your partner and Christ as your Savior. And throughout the day, give thanks to the One who created you and saved you. God's love for you is infinite. Accept it joyously and be thankful.

#alln4Jesus

Prayer from the Blogger:
Heavenly Father,
Once again we thank you for Your Son, and His gift of life, which is abundant and salvation, which never ends. Give us a heart that is fixed on you; one that will accept the grace which You, Christ Jesus, extend to us daily. Give us words of praise that we may return them to You and Your Father. Thank you because we do not see the world like those who choose not to believe in You.
Amen

Digging Deeper:
Read the following passage:

Luke 9:21-27

New Living Translation (NLT)

Jesus Predicts His Death

²¹ Jesus warned his disciples not to tell anyone who he was. ²² “The Son of Man must suffer many terrible things,” he said. “He will be rejected by the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He will be killed, but on the third day he will be raised from the dead.”

²³ Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me. ²⁴ If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. ²⁵ And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but are yourself lost or destroyed? ²⁶ If anyone is ashamed of me and my message, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in his glory and in the glory of the Father and the holy angels. ²⁷ I tell you the truth, some standing here right now will not die before they see the Kingdom of God.”

Meditate on His Word:
1. How do you deny yourself and pick up your cross daily?
2. How do you give up your life for the sake of Christ?
3. What does it look like to be ashamed of the Jesus and His message? Is that you?

The Believer's Daily Challenge:
Deny yourself today for the sake of Jesus and His kingdom, and enjoy the satisfaction of following your Savior and God.