And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. (Luke 9:23)
Taking up your cross does not mean having to deal with a trivial unpleasant circumstance, your job, your boss, your hostile colleague, your irritating mother in law or your wayward teenager ... It means to endure hatred, hostility, rejection, reproach, persecution, shame, and even the most horrible death; to say no to self and no to safety for His sake (cf. 1 Peter 4:16). ~John MacArthur Commentary on Luke 9:23bEvery day, pick up that cross.
Give us each day our daily bread, (Luke 11:3).
Jesus said in that verse from Luke that we pray for our provision each day. He sustained the wandering Israelites in the desert with daily manna. He sustains us daily with the temporal provision we need each day. As I heard someone preach, if we don't have it today, that means we don't need it.
Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. (Matthew 6:34).
After we pick up our cross and then pray for provision and thank Him for it, we consult the scriptures daily.
Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. (Acts 17:11).
Our growth is from the word of God, absorbing it, learning it, living it. Man's wisdom will not grow us. Drifting away from the Bible will only put us at risk of neglecting so great a salvation. They not only consulted the word, but did so with eagerness.
I admit I do not consult the scriptures daily. I do a lot, often, but sometimes not daily. Sometimes I don't even do it with eagerness.
We as believers need life defining decisions. We decide to do these things daily, making a life commitment to the One who taught us how to live. We have to think and live like the Teacher. Not just believe, but actively be discipled to Him, by obeying and doing.
Every day.
