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Writer's pictureontrakk

A daily Devotion for Thursday, Jan. 11

Luke 9:23-24


Then he said to them all; "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it."


This just occurred to me this morning: when I hear "take up your cross" I think of Jesus carrying his own cross to his death. But the disciples do not have this memory. They do know that prisoners and others condemned to death were forced to carry their own cross. So this expression, "take up your cross" must have held some sense of death, or knowing death was coming. When Jesus says this to his followers, he is asking them to be willing to die for him. I believe I am willing to die for Jesus, but I know it is unlikely that I will be in that particular position when I die. The disciples knew differently. They very well could die for their surrender.


Holy Lord, you know my heart. My life is yours, and I want to live for you. I will try to listen more closely. Amen


Becky, transforming

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Luke 9:23-24

This is my third time trying to post so here’s to 3rd times the charm…I just can’t imagine being ask to give up my life and follow, give up everything, without knowing or even understanding what to comes, that alone is trust and faith, I don’t know that I could or would follow…This too reminds me of the song Day by Day…

Dear Lord,

Help me I come to you for your help, and understanding to see you more clearly and follow you more dearly Day by Day… Amen.

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Thursday, January 11th, 2024

Luke 9:23-24

And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will safe it.


We have studied these verses three different times. I have realized exactly what these verses are telling me. God calls us, His precious children, to fully surrender to Him. Not because He is interested in controlling our lives quite the opposite. Jesus came so that we could have a life with obedience, love ,trust and without sin. We say the words Thy will be done countless times, but do we…


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Gil
Gil
Jan 11

I like “My life is Yours, and I want to life for you.” Me too!

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Tom
Tom
Jan 11

Luke 9:23-24

Jesus never flinched in the face of hard teachings. He makes it plain to His disciples and to us, His followers in the 21st century after His own encounter with a Roman cross: discipleship and self-denial are inseparable. This does not mean a life of miserable subservience. Jesus also makes it clear that losing our egocentrism for His sake gains us all we will ever need in this life and a welcome from the heavenly host into the next.


Prayer - Lord Jesus, Your words this morning remind me of the title of Gale Sayers’ autobiography. The Chicago Bears legend called his book “I Am Third.” In his world, God was first, family second and his own life…

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Gil
Gil
Jan 11
Replying to

Thank you for sharing your insights with some good key words: “Discipleship and Self-Denial,” “I Am Third.”

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