Maybe you’ve heard this before: Jesus’ plans are always better. But that doesn’t always mean they’re easier, does it? Darren from We Are Messengers tells of the time Jesus asked him to give up a job and home that he loved with no backup plan… and the crazy things that happened when he did!
Read (from the New Living Translation)
Is it time to ditch your pride and recognize that His plans and His purpose are greater than anything you could think up? If so, read on and be encouraged. You are part of a much bigger story with a much better ending than you can imagine!
Luke 9:23-26, 57-62
Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but are yourself lost or destroyed? If anyone is ashamed of me and my message, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in his glory and in the glory of the Father and the holy angels…
As they were walking along, someone said to Jesus, “I will follow you wherever you go.”
But Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place even to lay his head.”
He said to another person, “Come, follow me.”
The man agreed, but he said, “Lord, first let me return home and bury my father.”
But Jesus told him, “Let the spiritually dead bury their own dead! Your duty is to go and preach about the Kingdom of God.”
Another said, “Yes, Lord, I will follow you, but first let me say good-bye to my family.”
But Jesus told him, “Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God.”
Note: If you’ve read the Bible before, you may notice there are no chapter or verse marks in today’s reading. We got this idea from the Immerse Bible. They’ve taken the entire story of Jesus and stripped it of all distractions – this way it’s a more relaxed read. Like you’re reading a beautiful story. You should check it out!
