Our scripture today is Matthew 16:24 (MEV).
Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.
Jesus speaks about His coming death and resurrection. Now He adds this call to give up the way we have lived before, shoulder the cross of discipleship, and follow Him into the coming of His kingdom. When we stand with Him against evil, we can expect evil to come after us. Jesus never promised it would be easy. In John 15:18 He tells us “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you.” Proclaiming our faith can make us a target, but through faith we have His strength with us.
Gracious God, we know that following Christ will involve difficulty, but we know that Your love will conquer hate. Bless us to go boldly in Your name to spread the Good News everywhere. Amen.
