God’s “Let” Diary (Part 101) — Let Him Deny Himself, and Take Up His Cross

Daily Scripture Threshing for Wednesday, September 23, 2020

Today’s Text: Matthew 16:20-28

Key Verses: Matthew 16:24 (KJV) — “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.”

We all probably know that discipleship is an uneasy lifelong journey; but perhaps we do not all have a clear picture of the characteristics of a true disciple. Our Lord watched His disciples grow in their love and admiration for him. He had sent them out in twos and had seen the excitement that greeted their return. Yet, He knows they needed one more discipleship drill to make sure their growth towards spiritual maturity is whole, wanting nothing, and in nothing. Possibly, He saw into the future — to our own very sagging generation, and saw how we’d rather prefer books and messages such as: _Christianity Made Easy_, and how heart-searching truths of God’s kingdom shall be neglected for mundane pleasure. And so that we are not all deceived into believing that faith in Christ simply means receiving blessings from Him; He teaches us that following Him is the hallmark of a genuine disciple. The spirit of the text is clear: a disciple gives himself up to Christ without a faintest sense of loss.

By now some of us are already thinking about poverty, adversity, infirmity and liabilities, but no; we must know that all these are already part of the burdens of life even if we were not Christians at all. Job 5:7 explains how afflictions are not taken by us but take on us; and all humanity is so commonly naturally exposed to various troubles, as it were. But for the cross, Jesus said it must be taken up — by each of us, and each his own. Each believer has his own journey, his flesh, his realities and temptations. And each must take up his own cross, not another. Of course the cross is not something chosen, but yet it must be cheerfully taken. It is not something known but as it comes by-and-by. For some it’s adversity and for others prosperity. There is the cross today, and there may be another tomorrow, but whatever it is, each must deny himself and take up his cross daily.

Quote for the Day: "Discipleship is laying down all that cling to the flesh and taking up that which seems to sting it.” (Simon Olatunji)

Prayer: Master, Your light is the only light I need as I traverse life's fleeting journey.

Teach me to hear Your word. Help me to bear the cross. And please Lord, draw me to follow You for the rest of life. Amen.

With all my love and prayers,

Rev Simon Wale Olatunji, PhD

The Darling Bishop (DaBishop),

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