Daily Bible Study

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Day 7 Promise 452 Matthew 16:24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. 25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. 26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? Many people believe taking up their cross is resigning themselves to a terrible future. They believe they need to deny everything they love and do the ‘honorable’ thing. What is the honorable thing? Everyone has their own definition of what they ‘need’ to do in life to ‘earn’ their way to heaven. Let’s look at the honorable thing in Scripture and what God requires of us. Psalm 37:3 Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. 4 Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. 5 Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. 6 And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday. (KJV) Micah 6:8 He hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. (KJV) 2 Timothy 2:15 Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman who needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. As Christians, the first thing you need to do is seek God in everything you do. Your first step was when you accepted Jesus as Savior and Lord. David showed the next three things you need to do—Trust, Delight, Commit. When you do, God will reward you. Remember, His rewards are blessings. Then you need to study God’s Word. When you read and study God’s Word daily, He will bless you beyond measure. And over all these things, you need to pray. Prayer is your first line of defense against the enemy, Satan. When you put these steps into practice daily, your life will be a blessing. You will find your life is full of joy and meaning as you enjoy the things you love. You will also find new meaning in the things you love as you share them with others. Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. (KJV) When you line up God’s will with your desires, you will find Him directing you in those things you love most. Your desires have been with you your whole life. He won’t take them away from you and give you something else. He will enhance them and make them more than you dreamed possible. Put God first. Your cross isn’t something morbid, but it is a life of joy doing God’s will and He will bring fruit out of everything you do. However, if you leave God out of your plans, you will lose everything, including salvation. God first, and everything else will follow. Salvation isn’t earned. It’s free. Bought and paid for by the blood of Jesus Christ. Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. (KJV) Let’s pray: Father, You showed me what I must do, not to earn salvation, but to receive the blessings You have for me. Help me put You first in everything I do. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. Copyright © 14 August 2020 by Valerie Routhieaux Image courtesy of Pixabay