January 10 Daily Devotional

Monthly Theme:

The theme of the month is spiritual war. Jesus won the battle not by might but by obedience. He is the source of salvation for all who obey him. When we have stood the test, we will share Christ's glory.

Bible Reading:

Matthew 16:24–28

Bible Text:

"lf anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me" (Matt. 16:24).

Devotional:

Jesus not only taught his followers that he would go to the cross and die. He told them that they too would have to deny themselves and take up crosses.

To deny ourselves means to say "no" to our basic desires of self-interest and self-preservation. It means becoming motivated by a love for God and people. When we do so we are Christ-like. And the cross—the rejection and shame we share with Jesus—is the usual result. Our cross is proof that we are at the side of Jesus. The cross is the cost of discipleship.

When someone in a Muslim community becomes a Christian, the cross-bearing is immediately clear and painful. The Christian is expelled by the community. But when you begin loving Jesus more than your peer group or relatives, you too might feel some pressure. When you work for a company that's drawing blood from the poor, you may have to get out and pick up the cross. In every age and place the faithful followers of Christ find that the cost of being a Christian remains high.

Yet we should not shift the focus of our faith to our cross bearing. Some people try to convince themselves that they are Christians by making sure they bear a cross. Don't look for a cross; look for Christ. Always and everywhere look for Christ, have his love, and do his will.

Then you'll surely find a cross, but you'll find it surprisingly easy to carry.

Andrew Kuyvenhoven's Daylight, a modern devotional classic, was originally published in 1994. This edition is copyright by Faith Alive Christian Resources, from whom may be ordered Daylight, the predecessor of Twilight.

A man of many accomplishments, Andrew Kuyvenhoven is probably best known for his contributions to Today (formerly The Family Altar), a widely-used monthly devotional booklet associated with the Back to God Hour. Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations for this edition of Twilight are from the New International Version

Be sure to read the "Preface" and the "Acknowledgments" by the author.