A Daily Devotional with Pastor Doug Crouse March 6, 2018

Finish the Work Scripture Reading – Mark 8:34b - 35 (NLT) “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, 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 and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it." 

These kinds of words are certainly not unfamiliar to those of us who call ourselves followers of Jesus. But as I think of them, especially in the light of the Garden of Gethsemane and the mysterious three-fold request of Jesus that if there was any way for the cup to pass Him by, it causes me to stop and think.

Of course Jesus lived the cross life perfectly as the One who came to give His life as the ransom for many. And when He said on the cross, 'It is finished', truly it was, and all of us who know forgiveness trust in the finished work of Christ and His blood shed for our eternal salvation, to His glory forever and forever...Amen.

Yet the challenge for you and I is to deny ourselves and as Dr. Luke reminds us every day to take up our own cross and follow the example of Jesus our Savior and Lord. Now in all honesty, it was not hard for me to give my sin burden and receive forgiveness freely from His abundant grace some 39 years ago. But the ongoing challenge for me, and I suppose all who will to respond to Jesus is this daily dying to self. My needs, my wants, my desires, my preferences and my ways. Not only for Jesus and the will of the Father, but also to the giving of my life for the sake of others, and in the effort of spreading the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus. In that regard, we should not expect that this bearing of the cross should come naturally or even be easy.

But as we look to Him, and daily receive His grace, we will indeed be able to, 'Finish the Work', that God has purposed in and through our lives in Christ Jesus our Lord. Then at the end of our race we too will hear the words, 'well done faithful servants, come and enter into the joy of your salvation'. 

Prayer My Father in heaven, today I want to know, grow and show forth Jesus more and more through my surrender and in my life. Holy Spirit, help me to die daily, and follow Your lead. May the life and love of Jesus shine through me for others to see I pray in Jesus precious name. 

Memory Verse:  Philippians 3:14 NLT “I ______ on to reach the _____ of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.”