December 31, 2021 Daily
"Deny Ourselves..."
Matthew 16:24-26
New International Version
24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. 26 What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?
Jesus gives us the key to becoming His disciple in Luke 9:23 when He said, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” Briefly, Jesus tells us to deny our ego, our pride, our sinful nature and our flesh. We have to say, “No” to what we want, what we think and desire.
The Lord wants to perform miracles with us, but there is a conflict between our ego and the will of God. So the moment you say, “I will not do my will anymore, but instead choose Yours,” then the Lord will release His grace and power to help you carry out your purpose.
While He preached in the desert and in the cities, thousands followed Jesus, yet He only discipled 120, sent out 70, His personal disciples numbered 12, of which 3 were the closest, and only one remained at the foot of the cross.
Do you still want to be a disciple of Jesus? Then take the first step: Deny yourself!
