Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a You Tube video of three friends, Clay Crosse, Bebe Wynans, and Bob Carlisle singing I Will Follow Christ, declaring, the desire of the faithful Christian to do life Christ’s way - NO MATTER WHAT!!
Highlight Passage: Numbers 7:9 [NKJV] …
9 But to the sons of Kohath he gave none, because theirs was the service of the holy things, which they carried on their shoulders.
… To one group of Levites, the sons of Kohath, God called them to carry a special and very personal burden.
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Highlight Context – Numbers 7:1-9 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… To some God asks that His offerings be carried with more personal challenges.
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Reference Passage #1 - Luke 9: 23 [NKJV] …
23 Then He (Jesus) said to them all (His followers), “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me. ..."
… Sometimes following Christ means setting aside my way and doing life His way.
Reference Passage #2 - Romans 8: 28 [NKJV] …
28 All things work together for god to those who love the Lord and are the called according to His purposes.
… Sometimes following Christ doesn’t seem fair; but is for our good as Christians.
My Journal for Today: Today’s Our Daily Bread author, Marion Stroud, told a personal story to illustrate his teaching; and he relates his family taking on two foster children. And when it came time to decide their future direction, it became obvious that God was calling the author’s family, who already had three children, to adopt these two foster children. This had not been their original plan; and it seemed like an unfair and undo burden to take on.
Then the ODB author made reference to today’s highlight passage and wrote: “I wonder how the Kohathites felt?” Amy wrote. “All the other priests had ox-carts [see attached photo] to carry their parts of the tabernacle through the desert. But the sons of Kohath had to trudge along the rocky tracks and through the burning sand, with the ‘holy things for which they were responsible’ on their shoulders. Did they ever grumble inwardly, feeling that the other priests had an easier task? Perhaps! But God knows that some things are too precious to be carried on ox-carts and then He asks us to carry them on our shoulders.”
Jesus, told those who were following Him [see Luke 9:23] that being His disciple would come at a cost [see also Romans 8:28], many times a personal cost of self-denial and maybe even carrying a cross; but as my friend Clay Crosse and his buddies sing in the linked song above, NO MATTER WHAT the cost, we, who are “real-deal” Christians are called to follow Him; … and that may mean doing what seems unfair - from human terms - for His glory.
So, dear one … are we in for the long haul? … I say, we go for it!!
My Prayer Today: O, Heavenly Father, … Show us the way, Lord, and even if the burden is heavy, we will follow!! Amen
Blogger Note: Everyday during this year, my daily devotional blogs are influenced by the reading and study of the online devotional blog entitled Our Daily Bread, distributed online via email by RBC Ministries. If you GO TO THIS LINK on the date of my blog, you can read/study the ODB blogs; or you can subscribe to the blog via email at that site.
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