Take Up Your Cross Daily and Follow Me - I Samuel 7-9 and Luke 9:18-36
Once Samuel became the spiritual leader of Israel, he called them to turn back to the Lord with all of their hearts and to serve Him only. This was the only recipe for having a good relationship with God and having His blessing. The people listened to him, and they were able to defeat the Philistines. The Ebenezer stone was set up to remind them that they were only able to do this with God's help. However, when Samuel became old, the people decided they wanted to be like the other countries and have a king. This distressed Samuel. He knew they needed to follow God, not a king. God told Samuel not to take it personal. They were rejecting Him, not Samuel. Isn't that sad? God had blessed them, but now they wanted to go their own way. They forgot what they had done before, when they told God, they would follow Him with all of their hearts. Have you made that kind of commitment to the Lord? Are you continuing to follow Him, or are you going your own way now?
Jesus made it very clear in Luke 9 that He was the Messiah sent from God, and that He would suffer and die for us. Then, He would be raised from the dead the third day. What should our response be to Jesus? We should give our lives to Him. We should take up our cross daily, which means to die to self, and we should follow Him with all of our heart. Anything else is unworthy of a God who would die for us. That is why the Lord spoke to Peter, James, and John on the Mount at the Transfiguration. Basically, He told them that Jesus was His Beloved Son, and they should listen to Him. Why did He have to say that? He knew how easy it was for us to do things our own way. If we follow Him, we receive life in the fullest. If we go our own way, we lose everything. It only makes sense to follow the One who loved us enough to give Himself for us. It is only reasonable for us to give ourselves totally for Him.
Tomorrow, I intend to read I Samuel 10-12 and Luke 9:37-62.
Jesus made it very clear in Luke 9 that He was the Messiah sent from God, and that He would suffer and die for us. Then, He would be raised from the dead the third day. What should our response be to Jesus? We should give our lives to Him. We should take up our cross daily, which means to die to self, and we should follow Him with all of our heart. Anything else is unworthy of a God who would die for us. That is why the Lord spoke to Peter, James, and John on the Mount at the Transfiguration. Basically, He told them that Jesus was His Beloved Son, and they should listen to Him. Why did He have to say that? He knew how easy it was for us to do things our own way. If we follow Him, we receive life in the fullest. If we go our own way, we lose everything. It only makes sense to follow the One who loved us enough to give Himself for us. It is only reasonable for us to give ourselves totally for Him.
Tomorrow, I intend to read I Samuel 10-12 and Luke 9:37-62.