Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of images from three vocalists, Clay Crosse, Bebe Winans, and Bob Carlisle singing … I Will Follow Christ … powerfully singing of how, as disciples of Christ, we must follow Him thru life.
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Highlight Verse[s]: Matthew 11:29 [NLT] … 29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
… Following Jesus allows His strength (i.e. yoke) to help us carry life’s burdens.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Matthew 11:25-30 [NLT] …USE THIS LINK …
… Jesus prays His thanksgiving to the Father for those who follow Him as true disciples.
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Reference Passage : … Proverbs 3:5-6 [NLT] …USE THIS LINK …
… We will never follow anyone we don’t trust.
Reference Passage : … Luke 8:23 [NLT] … 23 Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me.
… Our work needs to reflect the work God is doing in us.
Reference Passage : … 2 Corinthians 11:1 [NLT] … 1 And you should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ.
… Paul knew that others could follow him because He was following Christ.
Reference Passage : … 2 Timothy 4:7 [NLT] … 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful
… Paul ran his race of life, follow Jesus, and so at the end he knew he had remained faithful.
My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Monica Brands, used a story from high school cross country running to illustrate how we must do what it takes to follow Christ. … The ODB author wrote: My high school cross-country coach once advised me before a race, “Don’t try to be in the lead. The leaders almost always burn out too quickly.” Instead, he suggested I stay close behind the fastest runners. By letting them set the pace, I could conserve the mental and physical strength I’d need to finish the race well.
Leading can be exhausting; following can be freeing. Knowing this improved my running, but it took me a lot longer to realize how this applies to Christian discipleship.
Good word picture of Christian discipleship, don’t you think? Running the race of life will be tough, like running a cross-country race; and we need to do all we can to follow leaders who will keep us on track and on pace to finish. And as Christ’s disciples, anything we can do to follow Him is good strategy for running our race of life. The Apostle Paul knew that others were following him in life, but he had confidence that he had lived his life following His Lord in all things; and others could follow him in their race because He faithfully followed Christ (see 2Cor. 11:1 and 2 Tim 4:7).
Jesus commanded us, as His disciples, to deny our way and follow His way (see Luke 9:23). So the question from today’s ODB is … Are we?!
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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Lord, Jesus, thank You for leading the way for me to follow.
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My Prayer Today: Abba Father, … King Jesus, … Precious Spirit … Lord, lead the way, Your way, and I 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 youGO 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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