Home > Reading > NALC Devotions – June 19, 2017

Today’s readings: Deuteronomy 4:9-14; 2 Corinthians 1:1-11; Luke 14:25-35

Great crowds accompanied Jesus. They walked with him along the way while he taught and ministered in the power of God his Father. He tells the crowd that they must hate their families and the life they have chosen before they can be his disciples, his followers, learning from him. Just as Jesus will take up the cross, he says, “One must bear his own cross.”

Our cross is not our aches and pains, or the inconveniences and tragedies of life. Our cross is God’s call on our lives. To deny ourselves and hate our families, means we are to give up our own priorities and replace them with God’s priorities for us. We have to give up our dreams for ourselves and yield to God’s plan for our lives. Knowing he will always want the best for us, we also know he will help us love our families more and find joy in our God-given vocations.

Our biggest joy and our real life comes in salvation, the gifts and fruit of the Holy Spirit, and our relationship with the Father’s Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Our biggest challenge is to stop believing the devil’s lies, and to trust God above all else.

Prayer: Lord God, Help us remember how much you love us and how you will lead us into everything good for us for Christ’s sake. Amen.

Today’s devotion was written by David Hefner, Pastor of Shiloh Lutheran Church in Hickory, NC.

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