Luke 9:23-25
“And he said to them all, If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for My sake, the same shall save it. For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?”
I have always loved stories. Any story that begins, “Once upon a time” has me hooked. I am anxious to discover what happened “Once upon a time.” Most of these same stories conclude with the statement, “They lived happily ever after.”
I hate to be the one to bust your bubble, but it just does not work that way. As long as we are in this world we will encounter troubles and disappointments. If we make happiness our objective, we can be sure that we will become discouraged at some time and in fact very often.
It has been my experience to come in contact with people who, shall we say, “struck it rich!” All of their lives they had struggled to make ends meet and now it would appear that they owned both ends. Without exception I have witnessed that the happiness and satisfaction they were seeking could not be found.
Jesus said it all in today’s Scripture. “Whosoever will lose his life for My sake, the same shall save it.” It is in serving Christ that we find that joy and peace that we find the everlasting joy that so many are searching for. Have You found it?
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
360-570-0074
PastorCecil@Daily-E-Votional.com