When I was a child, our basement had a section that I rarely entered. I don’t think it had a light. If it did, I’m certain I would have turned it on. It was dark and damp. The only reason to go in there was potatoes were stored there. So, it’s dark, it’s damp, and the potatoes have every opportunity to start growing sprouts. It’s dark, it’s damp, and I’m sticking my hand into a basket with creepy tentacles growing off the potatoes. I really dreaded that room. I couldn’t wait to get what I needed and scamper up the steps (likely panting a bit.) The light at the top of the stairs was a welcome sight!

This side of heaven, life can be like that corner of our basement. It can feel like the darkness is all around us. I think of so many people who are without the comfort and peace that comes from knowing about Jesus, their Savior. As they struggle with life, they have need for God’s grace and may not know it. They work to find peace and happiness only to come up short time after time. Or they think that life can’t get any better than its current allotment of joys and sorrows. For some, they hear the message of God’s grace and it’s as if a light comes on. They have a totally new perspective on life knowing how dearly they are loved by Jesus, their Savior.

For believers, difficult things seem to come from all directions as well. Sometimes the struggles are with relationships and the impact of Satan’s cunning. We hear about challenges in our cities, in our country, all over the world. Peace, craved by all, can seem unattainable. The worst of the darkness is our constant, relentless battle against sin. It’s part of every day. The impact of sin and the guilt that we carry can be overwhelming. The world can feel like someone shut off the lights and we’re stuck in the basement.

Jesus. There he is. He is our Light. A Light so much better than the light at the top of my childhood stairs. He’s the Light that is never turned off. He is the Light that brings us, through faith, out of the darkness of sin. As that Light, he shows us the grace he has won for us. We have the Light but notice what the passage says, “Now you are light in the Lord.” Because of all that God has done for us, we reflect his Light, his grace, his love for others. God doesn’t say, “Now go try hard to be the light.” He says, “You are light.” As God’s dearly loved children, we are lights to others since Jesus’ light shines through us.

Jesus is your Light. He has done everything needed to remove your sin and be the Light to show us the way to heaven. Today, as you go about your daily tasks, you can reflect that Light out of gratitude for all that Jesus has done. Your joy, your loving care for others, your forgiving heart all reflect Jesus, the Light of the world to those around us. “This little light of mine—I’m gonna let it shine!”

There is a classic children’s picture book by Margaret Wise Brown called, *The Runaway Bunny. In the story, the little bunny tells his mother he wants to run away. Like any mother, she tells him she would run after him. His response? He will become a fish to escape. She responds that she will become a fisherman and catch him. The story goes on with the little bunny describing himself turning into a rock, a crocus hidden in the garden, a bird, a sailboat and on and on. Each time the mother responds with the lengths she will go to for her son. In the end, he concedes and finds himself snug in her care.

We are often like that little bunny in our relationship with our heavenly Father. We work so hard at doing things on our own. We constantly strive for what we want or even what we think we need. Challenges come and we address them with attempt after attempt at solving them on our own. We struggle with our disappoint over things in our life and especially over our own sin. Our wants often supersede what we truly need—God’s redeeming grace. It’s good to work hard at life, but not without also depending on God’s power and promises.

Today’s Bible verse is one that is known all over the world. You see it referenced on signs at a sporting event or on bumper stickers. It can become so familiar that we can miss the amazing message. “For God so loved the world….” God loved the world so much. Think about that. We don’t really have a lovable world. The evidence of sin is not hard to see all around us. When we reflect on ourselves, the perfection that God demands of us is nowhere to be seen. We can hardly put a foot on the floor in the morning without sin rearing its ugly head. And yet… God “gave his one and only son.” Why? A love that is beyond our comprehension. A love that makes no earthly sense. A love that is utterly undeserved and yet fully and freely given. God’s amazing love for his creation, for us. His love that sent his son, Jesus, “to save the world through him.” This is the message of John 3:16. God’s incomparable love to save those who can never save themselves from the grip and consequences of sin.

The mother bunny was relentless in her love for her little one. The love of parents for their children can be exceptional. None of this compares with God’s love for you, for me, for all. His love that sent Jesus because he wants us to believe in him, to trust in him, to know that he is all we need. His desire is for us to be with him at home in heaven. God so loved the world. God so loved you.

An eye-witness account counts for something. If you are sitting in a courtroom, you better believe that the jury and the judge want to hear from people who saw and heard the crime with their own eyes and ears.

If a group of students come running over to you at recess shouting about something that just happened, you are most likely inclined to want to hear from the people who actually saw what occurred before listening to hearsay.

An eye-witness account counts for something and that is one of the greatest blessings of God’s Word. It is full of eye-witness accounts.

I wish I could have been there for so many parts of the Bible. I mean, just think of the Jericho walls tumbling down, or the sky filled with stars as Abraham looks up at a promise from God, or the mouths of lions shut while Daniel stood right in front of them. To have seen these things, firsthand, would surely have been something to proclaim about.

I suppose one of the most unbelievable sights to see would have been Jesus’ Transfiguration. The definition of the word “Transfiguration” is a complete change of form or appearance into a more beautiful or spiritual state. That is exactly what happened to Jesus “when he led Peter, James, and John up a high mountain by themselves. There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light.” Matthew 17:1

In our verses for today, Peter is explaining that while this sounds unbelievable, it is most certainly true. He saw it happen with his own eyes. How gracious is God to give us a compilation of eye-witnesses to his miracles, his promises given and kept, his holy and perfect life. I wish I would have seen it with my own eyes, but I am grateful that so many others did and were inspired to record what they had seen and heard.

It’s field trip day! The first-aid kit is packed away, the chaperones have arrived, and the excitement of the students is on full display. All you need to do now is go over the expectations for the trip. You might say something like, “Make sure you stay with your adult.” or “Make sure we remember to use our walking feet out to the bus.” One last bit of encouragement that you give your class might sound something like this, “Boys and girls, when we are on our trip, please remember that we represent our school and most importantly God. Make sure to let your light shine.”

I always remember having a sense of pride in my students when we were on field trips. People would ask what school we belonged to and I proudly answered them. Then, inevitably, it would happen. A student would make a less-than-stellar choice and I would have to remind them of that final bit of encouragement I gave right before we left for the trip. I would also have to remind myself that my class was not perfect and my worth as a teacher didn’t depend on their behavior.

“You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” 1 Peter 2:9

We have been “called out of darkness into his wonderful light.” How incredible is that? We will fail day in, day out, but we are chosen by God and let our light shine because he puts us in that light of this forgiveness and grace.

Encouraging our class to let their light shine is a good thing. Whether they are in the classroom or on a field trip, we can always be encouraging our students to live as the chosen people we are. We are teaching little disciples, little witnesses to shine in their homes, in their neighborhoods, and beyond!

And when they fall short, because they will, give them the assurance of God’s grace. Encourage them to shine brightly again and again, because they are chosen by the One who shines the very brightest.

Alaska is on my bucket list. Alaska ticks a lot of boxes for me: snow, mountains, lakes. One of the things that fascinates me is the times of the year where the amount of darkness in given day is almost nonexistent. How do you get kids to go to bed and get a good night’s sleep when it’s light out almost all night long? On the other hand, days that are almost completely dark? I would love to experience both. Of the two options, the harder one for me would the time of almost complete darkness. There is something about the dark that can be unsettling even for adults.

Today’s verse talks about people walking in darkness. Imagine an artist’s depiction of that scene. People wandering, looking around in fear and confusion. However, the darkness referred to is far more frightening than a power outage or the darkness of a windowless room. The darkness is life without God. Sin or unbelief are like a blanket of darkness that covers people with despair, hopelessness, fear, or spiritual confusion. It’s that “middle of the night and I cannot sleep” kind of anxiousness but much more.

And then, there it is. A Light! Like the sun rising after a sleepless night, the Light brings hope. Again, the Light in this verse is far more than the sun or a lightbulb. The Light is Jesus. Just a few verses down from today’s reading we hear, “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6) This is a light that no other light can hold a candle to! It’s Jesus, our Savior who is everything we need. Read through the names again slowly. He’s our Counselor, our Mighty God who rules over everything, our Everlasting Father who loves us with an immeasurable love, and our Prince of Peace. That peace is the peace of knowing our sins are forgiven and the promise of heaven is ours. Jesus is the light that breaks the worst darkness we have and gives the greatest light there is through faith.

I’m not sure if I’ll get that trip to Alaska and experience the days of almost complete darkness. But even thinking about it reminds me that no matter how dark life can seem, how challenging a day can be, we have Jesus. He is our Light, our Counselor, our Peace. Not only do we get to bask in the light of his love and forgiveness for us, we also get to share it with others. May we all reflect that Light each day.

Names are pretty important. When a child is about to be born, parents can spend countless hours discussing the perfect name for their child. Some name the child as soon as they know the gender. Others want to hold the child before making that final decision. Some names come from a special relative or friend. For others, the meaning of the name makes all the difference. Our last name identifies us as a member of our family.

Jesus, as you may know, was referred to by several names. We most often hear him referred to as Jesus, just as he is in today’s reading. The name Jesus means “The Lord is salvation.” What a perfect name for the Savior of the world. Jesus is also referred to as Jesus Christ. Christ is not meant to imply a last name. The name, Christ, is a title with significant meaning. It means “The Anointed One.” In the Old Testament, pouring liquid (typically oil) over someone’s head signified that they were selected for a special task. Kings were anointed. For example, as a young shepherd, David was anointed to be the next king.

In today’s reading, we hear about Jesus’ baptism. The Bible doesn’t specify how exactly the water was applied but it’s clear that water was used to anoint Jesus. Jesus was sinless and didn’t need baptism for forgiveness. However, his baptism signified that Jesus truly was the promised Savior, anointed as God’s special servant and our Savior. This was confirmed by the voice from heaven saying, “This is my Son.” There was no doubt. God had kept his promise.

So what does that mean for you and me? Jesus’ baptism confirms for us who he was—God’s Son who fulfilled God’s promise to send a Savior for us. We can think of our own baptism as an anointing as well (though not as a king or ruler.) Rather, through baptism the Holy Spirit names us as God’s dear child, washed clean from sin, a member of God’s family for eternity by his grace.

The name your parents chose for you is important. Being named as one of God’s own children is a blessing that is immeasurable. While we may not hear God’s voice speaking in an audible way, God calls us and says, “This is my child, whom I love.” You are now named as his own.

My favorite part of teaching has always been reading aloud to my students. I love watching their faces as the plot twists or hearing their laughs during a silly story. One year, we even got to watch some of our favorite characters come to life as we had a special “Book Character Dress Up Day”.

Just like my favorite childhood read-alouds, the Old Testament is amazingly filled with many different characters, but truly all of them point to one specific character- Jesus. He is the one common thread that keeps showing up and weaving hope into a people in dire need of saving. These words of hope were all God’s people had as hundreds of years passed with no end of waiting in sight.

Today in John, we see that this Word of prophecy and promise finally becomes flesh. No longer a foreshadowing and not someone playing “dress up”, but Jesus is here—true God and true man come to save us from sin, death, and the devil.

Jesus, God’s only Son, came for us. The wait is over and we finally get to watch the real thing. “We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son…” We get to see the incredible story unfold of the baby in the manger, the perfect life, the innocent suffering and death and the glorious resurrection. Sometimes I find myself thinking I’m reading a story and not an actual account in history. It all can seem too big, too extraordinary, too good to be true.

Praise God that it is all true. This Word truly became flesh and came to dwell among us. Jesus came to his people not with fire and brimstone, but “full of grace and truth.” His desire is to save us from our sin and give us the best ending ever written—a perfect home with him for eternity.

On the calendar, it seems that Christmas is over. Maybe you are spending the next week undecorating your classroom and hallways. The songs and recitations are tucked away, and the tree is put back in the attic. But in many ways, Christmas is just beginning. This is one story that never ends. God still dwells among us; therefore, the pages are still being written in our lives and in the lives of our students. Let us continue to grow in our own faith, equip our students for lives of service to our Savior, and never stop telling the best and truest story of all time! He is born—our Savior!

Did you know that throughout their lifetime, the average person spends five years waiting in lines? That’s a long time to wait! We wait in line at the grocery store, at the gas pump, at a stoplight. We are people that are used to waiting.

Today, God’s Word encourages us to wait for the Lord as farmers wait for the harvest. Why a farmer, you ask? Well, I think we have a lot to learn from farmers and the way in which they wait.

You see, farmers are some of the most patient and skillful “waiters” in society. They are forced to wait for months to see the fruits of their labor. They don’t just sit around and do nothing, but rather they work while they are waiting. They trust in God’s provision while they wait. They don’t give up waiting when times are hard. Farmers have a lot to teach us about waiting.

Sometimes, we want God to go by our own timeline. We can begin to think that he has forgotten us. In truth, there is so much beauty in the wait. God is growing and strengthening us, just as the crops, as we wait for his timeline to be revealed.

God also has work for us to do in the wait. Just as the farmer works the fields in the wait, we also have important work to do as we wait for Jesus’ return. We are spreading the seed and watering the faith of ourselves and those around us while we look for the coming of the Messiah.

While we wait, we can trust that God will provide for us just as he sends rain for the farmer’s crops. Even when times are hard, we need not give up, because we know God’s promises are always true and that he is coming to take us home with him in heaven.

Advent is a time of waiting. As humans, we are used to the wait, but that doesn’t always make it easy. Scripture gives us incredible encouragement today in James.  “…be patient, and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near.” Brother and sisters, find beauty in the wait, work in the wait, trust in the wait. Rest assured that God keeps his promises. The Messiah is coming for us!

I hope I planned it just right. While my class was gone for Thanksgiving break, I pulled out my Christmas tree and lights. I found the ornaments, tinsel, and candy canes for them to hang on the tree. I got out my special Advent calendar to help us count down to Christmas. I planned special projects and songs. I hope that when my little ones walk into our classroom, they are filled with Christmas joy.

Joy: what a wonderful Christmas word! When the apostle Paul wrote these words to the Philippians he was imprisoned in Rome, and yet, throughout his letter, he repeatedly used the words joy and rejoice. Paul knew something that gave him joy. He exclaimed, “The Lord is near.” No matter what our situation, we have that same knowledge. Jesus is near. That’s what we look forward to each Christmas and throughout the year. Jesus gave up his heavenly throne to be born in a stable so that he could be near us. He lived for us and ultimately died for us. And even now he is with us, guiding us. Yes, we have joy!

Knowing that Jesus is near gives us reason to be gentle. Jesus has always been kind and loving to us, in spite of our disobedience and sin. Now we look to each other. We find gentle words to comfort and encourage. We forgive and work together to restore joy. And when anxiety and worry strike, we encourage each other in Jesus’ almighty power and everlasting love. We bring our cares and concerns to God and thank him for the many blessings he showers on us.

And don’t forget another beloved Christmas word: peace. That’s what Jesus brought when he was born. He brought the peace of knowing that we have forgiveness for every sin, big and small. He brought the peace of knowing we have his unconditional love every day of our lives. And when the world is anything but peaceful, we know the Savior is on our side. He will take us to the perfect land of peace, where we will be with him forever.

I have a feeling that I’ll hear some squeals of joy as the children see the tree and hang the ornaments. I pray they’ll feel the peace of their Savior as we ponder the Christmas story. This Advent season, may you revel in the joy and peace only our Savior can bring.

The little boy was excited. “Watch how fast I can run in my new shoes!” he shouted as he raced across the playground. When he turned to check to see if I was watching, he collided with another child. After ice packs helped both bumped heads, the little boy was more careful to watch where he was running.

Isn’t this what happens to each of us? As we run the race of life, our eyes wander from our ultimate goal and settle on earthly treasures. Then our hearts follow. Jesus reminds us, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 5:21). We are headed for collision.

But Jesus doesn’t leave us on our own. He picks us up and lovingly brings us back to him. He gives the comfort of forgiveness and reminds us of the faith God put in our hearts in the first place. Over and over again he puts us back on the heavenly path.

He tells us “Be faithful, even to the point of death.” (Revelation 2:10). Jesus doesn’t leave us to do this on our own. He gives us wonderful tools: God’s Word, baptism, and the Lord’s Supper. He guides us in worship, Bible study, and prayer. And he even asks that we share the good news of salvation with the people around us. We get to tell little ones and their families about Jesus, and in that process our faith is also strengthened.

With the command to be faithful, God makes an amazing promise: “I will give you life as your victor’s crown.” Any earthly crown will tarnish and eventually decay, but the crown God promises lasts forever. We will be with our triumphant Savior in heaven and will face no more temptation, sin, or trouble. We will have the ultimate victory. Our eyes will never leave our beloved Savior.

“Therefore, . . . let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:1-2) Keep your eyes on Jesus and look forward to the victor’s crown.

I have always loved teaching throughout the month of October. Pumpkins. Leaves. The change in weather. I just love everything about it. Every year, I carve a couple of pumpkins with my class. Our principal even comes and carves something elaborate. He is so skilled in that way. Me? Not so much. I usually stick to the same, easy design each year. A cross.

During rest time, I put a little battery-operated flame inside of the pumpkin and a light shines through. I love the reminder that we can always let our light shine. I want my students to hold tightly to the one thing that endures forever.

God’s Word has stood the test of time. Our children are being taught the gospel, in its truth and purity. God has been so gracious to keep his Word pure throughout the ages. He has been so loving to consistently present a harvest of his abundant love in our classrooms.

In the verse above it says, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.” In a world that’s grip is getting looser and looser to God’s teachings, it is so important to hold tightly to the Word of God. Our students are growing up in a world where learning about Jesus and going to him in prayer is counter cultural. Praise God for our schools and their leaders who see the importance and value of Christian education. Praise God for our teachers, staff ministers, and pastors who work faithfully to keep the emphasis of Jesus’ everlasting love throughout every school year.

My simplistic cross carving is enough. The cross is enough. What better to hold tightly to than the message of salvation? And what will it do? It will “set you free”. This world is always changing, and always reaching for something of substance. We have it! We have substance in the Word of God, and it will carry us through all the way to heaven. We will be free from the ways of this world and from sin that causes so much pain and suffering. Whatever strife holding tightly to God’s Word causes us here on earth, freedom in him will overshadow it. So, hold tightly and don’t let go.

Like the familiar hymn says, “God’s Word is our great heritage”. What a privilege it is to teach his Word and prepare the next generation of believers. Hold onto God’s truths with a firm grip, never letting go of the pure message of faith in Jesus Christ.

Can I have a snack? Are we there yet? Can I watch a show? When is recess? Can you help me?

Oh, kids. They have a lot of questions, and they sure can be persistent when we don’t answer them right away.

In the verses above, God is telling us to be persistent. To ask. He wants to hear from us. He wants us to go to him on all occasions. He wants us to ask, ask, ask. And in our asking, he will listen. Every single time.

In asking, we are learning his will. We should always ask knowing that his will be done. Sometimes in our asking, we throw in our own two cents as to how we think a situation should go. Well, the truth is, the Good Lord does not need our advice. For when we go to him with our prayers, we are going to the God of the universe—the one who sharpened the tops of the Tetons! The one who hung the moon and stars in the night sky. The one who knit you together in your mother’s womb. He knows what is best for us. He knows our comings and goings and what he has for our future. So we can take the pressure off ourselves and completely rely on him to answer our prayers as he sees best.

Once, my youngest son asked me for a snack…wait for it…while holding a snack in his hands and eating it. It wasn’t his best moment. Sometimes, in our requests to the Lord, we can be just like my son. We don’t even realize that God is taking good care of us right in that exact moment. We ask for more when we have all that we need.

Then, there are other times when we go to the Lord and simply just say his holy name. We can’t even formulate the words that are on our heart. He hears us. He knows our hearts and our minds, and he listens to our cry. Our prayers don’t need to be elaborate. He just wants to hear from his children.

Be persistent. Go to God throughout the entire day with all of the highs and the lows and everything in between. He wants to hear from you. He’s waiting with a listening ear.

We can have confidence approaching our Father in heaven. That’s powerful. The one who sits on the throne of grace wants to hear from you. So speak.

So, how is it going? You are a couple of months back into the routine. How is it working out for you? Are you still tackling each day as if it were your first? Are you still excited to welcome the students into your classroom each morning? How’s your energy level? How’s your attitude?

What an incredible privilege it is to be a teacher. Think of how easily your students proclaim their love of their Savior. They know that they love him, but most importantly, they are learning how much he loves them! Their faith in Jesus overflows with such joy and gratefulness, that one could only hope for an attitude like that!

Is this devotion too positive for you? Are you wanting me to be a little more “honest” in my writing? I understand. Every day is not rainbows and butterflies. Dealing with hardships, both in life and in the classroom, can make this privilege feel more like a duty. Something that we “have” to do. Something that we don’t always feel worthy or qualified to do.

The devil would like for us to forget who we work for. Every good deed, every detailed lesson plan, every newsletter, and so on, is done for Jesus. We can delight in our job even when things aren’t easy. Our hearts can burn for our Savior the whole year through and the ability to do that doesn’t come from ourselves. No, we don’t just pull up our bootstraps and be better—God is better. God is best! We don’t complete our duty through our own ability, but rather through his.

Try making it a habit to thank God for this position that he has you in right now. Thank him for the privilege it is to teach the Gospel message to the littlest of his lambs. And remember that sometimes it’s not actually saying the words, thank you, but rather doing thank you, through your daily duties. Know that even your least delightful duties are a delight in the eyes of the Lord.

If only. Do you ever have that thought? If only the one child would be calm for a few minutes. If only we had more children to enroll. If only our staff was full. If only the budget was balanced. If only her health were better. What’s on your list? The list is different for each one of us, but we all have a list. If only these were solved, we could be at peace. We wouldn’t have to worry.

Worry is a beast, isn’t it? Take a couple of minutes and read the verses just before today’s reading. Matthew 6:25-34 takes us to task on the topic of worry. The illustrations have always struck me. “Look at the birds of the air.” True. God provides for them each day as they flutter about. My sinful nature wants to challenge that illustration. They don’t have to pay bills. They don’t have relationship challenges. They don’t… you get the picture. And then I read on. “Are you not much more valuable than they?” My heart is convicted.

He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Romans 8:32

He, my heavenly Father, created and redeemed me and you. He designed each one of us for a purpose. His purpose for each one of us includes sharing his message of grace with others. If God created us and gave us life and redeemed us, won’t he also provide for what we need? It makes no sense that God would give us physical and spiritual life and then have no concern for us. His love for us is immeasurable and is demonstrated so clearly in sending Jesus as our Savior.

God also created us to praise him. We do so when we seek him and his kingdom and are in the Word learning and growing in faith. We do so in our lives of service to others, reflecting his love and grace. We do so in our example of gratitude for the blessings God has given each of us. We do so as we trust in him to provide for our needs.

Our biggest if only… that our sins were forgiven and that we would have peace with God our heavenly Father. That “if only” is complete. That peace that comes from sins forgiven was taken care of on the cross and on Easter morning. Might we still have a couple of “if only’s?” Sure! If only more knew about God. If only more had the peace that comes from faith in Jesus, the Savior.

My friends, take your worry to your Father in heaven. Go with gratitude for the gifts he has given you and with confidence knowing how dearly he loves you. Seek him as you continue to learn about him through the Word and leave “all these things” to his loving care.

Sharing toys. Sharing snacks. Sharing time with grownups they love. Young children have so many things to learn about living in a world with others. They learn that being part of a world with others means that they give up a little to get a lot. It’s not an easy lesson for young ones nor for us. Today we hear what Jesus tells us about being one of his followers.

In our reading for today, Jesus is continuing to teach the crowds that follow him. At times they had questions for him. Jesus often used parables or illustrations to teach. Today’s question—what does it take to follow Jesus? His answer is not sugar coated by any means. Take a couple of minutes to read Luke 14:25-35. In these verses he lays out three conditions for following him and none of them are easy.

• Family: Yes, family is a gift and important. However, in verse 26 Jesus’ strong words teach us that our relationships with others are never to be more important than our relationship with him. It is, of course, God pleasing to be a loving member of your family. However, our time and focus on Jesus must always take first priority.
• Cross: Followers of Christ will carry a cross (verse 27). If you and I were living in the times of Jesus, these words would have vivid meaning as people were familiar with how the cross was used. Following Jesus means complete dedication. Satan loves to challenge believers to distract them from their faith. We face persecution, doubt, hardships. However, we also have the promise of our heavenly Father that he is with us in all things with his love and protection. Our crosses can help us grow in faith and in our relationship with God.
• Possessions: All earthly possessions—verse 33. What? Is Jesus saying we need to own nothing—no home, no furniture, no car, no material items at all? No. Jesus is again reminding those listening that nothing should ever come before our faith in him. God blesses us with earthly blessings and wants us to view them as just that—blessings from him to be used out of thankfulness to give glory to him.

Family. Cross. Possessions. That’s a lot. Our human nature wants to resist on all points. But it’s nothing compared to what Jesus has given us. Following Jesus comes at a cost. However, we have a treasure that is beyond anything this world can offer. We have Jesus. We have his promises, his forgiveness, his unfathomable love for us, his gift of the endless days of joy with him in heaven.

“Take the world, but give me Jesus! Oh, the height and depth of mercy! Oh, the length and breadth of love! Oh, the fullness of redemption, pledge of endless life above!” (CW ’21 699/CW ’93 355)