Daily devotion: A new day to walk carrying our cross.
Stumbling and Taking Up Our Cross Yet Again
Luke 9:23 — “And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.”
Luke includes a little word in this familiar verse that is so important to our walk with the Lord: “daily.”
Discipleship is a daily discipline. We follow Jesus one step at a time, one day at a time. Each day, our old nature seeks to overthrow the rule of our Lord and reclaim the seat of authority in our lives. Sometimes, sadly, we allow this mutiny to take place. But thankfully, the Holy Spirit convicts us, leads us back to godliness, and draws us to repentance, bringing us to our knees before God yet again.
But there is another side to this daily walk, and sometimes struggle. One of the wonderful things about God’s grace is that we can begin again, one day at a time. We can learn from yesterday’s stumble and, with the Holy Spirit’s help, seize the new day as another opportunity to glorify Christ.
Anyone who is ashamed of Jesus will struggle to take up their cross and follow Him. Yet we can stand with the Apostle Paul, who boldly declared:
Romans 1:16–17 — “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.”
Yes, we may have stumbled today. We may have given in to our old nature, failed in our witness, or taken our eyes off the Lord. But failure does not have to be the end of our story. We can confess our sin, receive His mercy, and rise again in the strength He supplies.
By the grace and mercy of God, we can take up our cross yet again, fall in behind our Lord, and follow Him wherever He leads us. His mercies are new every morning, and each new day brings another opportunity to walk in His righteousness.
So, Christian, do not remain down when you stumble. Look to Jesus, trust in His grace, and take up your cross daily. The Lord is not finished with you yet!