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Matthew 15-16 (ESB) by Wordle*

Today’s reading is Matthew 15:1-16:28.

“Then Jesus told his disciples, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it’ ” (Matthew 16:24-25).

Perhaps this more than anything other than simple unbelief keeps folks from becoming a disciple of Jesus Christ. I mean, let’s face it, the picture of a cross carrier is not exactly the first idea on our list of marketing logos for anything we are persuading others to do. Carrying a cross is hard work. It is sacrifice. It is painful. It means giving up control of our lives. Jesus said it means losing our lives. Again, that probably isn’t going to make it on to the top ten list of any marketing company’s suggestions for how to get folks to follow you. Yet, there it is.

Carrying a cross. Losing a life. That’s tough. That means I need to start giving up stuff.

I need to give up my goals, my desires, my plans, my day, my control, my pride, my rights. I need to pursue Jesus’ goals, desires, plan, day, control, humility, responsibilities. That is tough. I can absolutely see why many folks just refuse outright to do this. It’s a tough sell. But I can tell you from experience that when I have actually pulled that off, Jesus has always provided better for me than what I was providing for myself. I don’t mean that in a monetary sense. I mean that in a fulfillment, meaning, happiness, joy sense.

Yes, I absolutely get why many folks don’t want to pick up a cross. To them it looks like death. But on this side of picking it up, I can tell you without equivocation, carrying a cross looks like death on the one side. On this side, it looks like life. I have days of cross-bearing and I have days when I put the cross down. I can tell you without a fear of ever being successfully contradicted, I’ll take my worst day of cross-bearing over my best day of being out in the world on my own any day.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

P.S. What struck you in today’s reading? Click the following link to add your input: Post a comment.

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*Today’s illustration was generated by the creative tool at Wordle.net. You can find all my wordles here.

Luke 11-12 (ESV) by Wordle*

Today’s reading is Luke 11:1-12:59.

“Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before god. Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows” (Luke 12:6-7).

Look in the mirror today and say, “I am worth something. I am valuable.”

Isn’t that what we are all searching for? Significance. Value. Worth. Meaning. We want to know that our existence has a point. We want to know that we are more than a waste of space. Sadly, if you are like me, you have searched for it in all the wrong places. Perhaps if you have a great GPA and graduate at the top of your class. Maybe if you follow your parents occupational dreams for you. Maybe if you were the star quarterback. Maybe if you dated and married the right person. Maybe if you accomplished some goal for which man proclaimed your greatness. If you made it on radio or TV, if you became the American Idol, or the Nashville Star, then you would be worthy. If your name became a household word synonymous with greatness, then perhaps you would have value.

Or you codependently strive to make yourself invaluable in someone’s life. Enmeshing yourself in their problems so that at least one person has to learn that they can’t live without you. Then you feel you have value. But, the problem is you aren’t the ones invaluable here, the other one is. If the other person ever learned to live on her own, you would go back to being worthless. And you know it, at least subconsciously.

But for most of us, the dreams are never realized, the codependency never fulfilling, and we squander our existence in anonymity and misery, feeling abandoned by all. We place no value on ourselves and can’t imagine that anyone else does either.

But here is the good news. You are valuable. Not because of your accomplishments. Not because of your grades. Not because of your looks. Not because of your fame. You are valuable because God values you. God, the most powerful being in existence, values you. He values you so much He has numbered the hairs of your head. He values you so much, He sent His Son to die for you so you could be set free from all that enslaves you.

Today, don’t worry what your family thinks of you, don’t worry what your friends think of you, don’t worry what the world thinks of you. Today, take comfort that God notices you. God values you. God said you are worthy. You are valuable because you are God’s creation and God’s love.

Look in the mirror today and say, “I am worth something. I am valuable.” But don’t just say it. Believe it.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading?

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*Today’s illustration was generated by the creative tool at Wordle.net. You can find all my wordles here.

Have you ever wondered why God sent Jesus into the world to die? Yes, I know He came into the world to die so we could be saved by His sacrifice. But why is that what was needed?

Think about it. God created the world. He then created the plan by which we could be saved. He could have come up with any means to save us. But He came up with the plan to sacrifice Jesus so we could be saved. Wow! I know we could talk about the meaning of sacrifice, we could talk about God’s justice and mercy. But, in reality, it doesn’t matter what we say about it, the sacrifice of Jesus works because God says it works. If God had said something else could work, then it would work. God got to decide what would work for our salvation and He set up this plan of sacrifice.

With this in mind, I find a great deal of comfort in Hebrews 2:14-18. Jesus came to share in flesh and blood because God decided that was what was needed. But was it needed because God somehow needed to know what our lives were like? Was it needed because God needed to learn what it was like to be us? Of course not. God created us; He knows. Rather God did this so that we, in our finite minds, could grasp that He knows. No doubt, without the incarnation, we would always wonder if God could know what it was like to be us. Now we can know that He knows and therefore, we know we can go to Him for help. 

He has faced what we face and overcome. He has experienced what we experience and been victorious. He has lived what we live and come out unscathed. Who else would we remotely want to turn to for help but the one who has been there, done that and knows the way through. When you are faced with temptation, don’t feel alone. Turn to Jesus for help. He knows how to overcome and He will provide strength and help. Even if that help is in the form of greater knowledge of His word or help from His people. He knows how to deliver you from temptation. Turn to Him. Don’t face temptation alone.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC