Bible Verse of The Day – 9-16-24

Luke 9:23 (NKJV) 23 Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.

We often hear this verse quoted as a way of teaching us that following Jesus requires a sacrifice on our part.

It is true. There is a sacrifice required.

And sometimes that sacrifice is great.

But we must also look at another aspect of this!

As we take up that cross and follow Him daily, it moves us closer to Him.

We begin to better understand the sacrifice He made for us on that cross.

We get to feel the discomfort of persecution and making tough choices when we take a stand for His truth.

Our discomfort from carrying that cross puts us in fellowship with Him.

What happens when we move closer to Him and dwell in His presence?

He teaches us the meaning of joy!

Walking closely to our Savior helps us better understand what true joy is.

Psalm 16:11 (NKJV) 11 You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

No longer do we fret and worry about pleasing people.

Instead, our focus is on pleasing Him.

And knowing that we are living to please Him is the most satisfying thing we can do with our lives.

We cannot let the enemy fool us into believing that carrying our cross daily brings nothing but pain and misery.

Once we understand this, we will begin walking in fullness of His joy and pleasures that we never previously recognized.

Amen

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
49 N Lamplighters Walk
Hampstead, NC 28443

401-439-3780

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