Mark 8:34-38 is very convicting. I am reading from the message version. I hope you find it encouraging too:
34-37Calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, “Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You’re not in the driver’s seat; I am. Don’t run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I’ll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to saving yourself, your true self. What good would it do to get everything you want and lose you, the real you? What could you ever trade your soul for?
38“If any of you are embarrassed over me and the way I’m leading you when you get around your fickle and unfocused friends, know that you’ll be an even greater embarrassment to the Son of Man when he arrives in all the splendor of God, his Father, with an army of the holy angels.”
I love the direction to embrace suffering in this version! This is a lesson I am learning in this season. I love that Jesus was a man of many sufferings, and that we serve a God who takes our burdens if we allow ourselves to give them over.
2 things that really challenge me: the command to sabbath rest. All the other commands we seem to care deeply about. We would never murder, lie, commit adultery… but a taking sabbath rest is unthinkable any more in our culture! I’m so convicted of my lack of focus to honor this command in my life!! It’s a top 10! Why do I act like it’s not even on the list? And 2) I’ve always been challenged by Jesus comment to take up our crosses. He said it to followers BEFORE he died on the cross. His statement means a lot to us because we know what he did. What did it mean to the people of his day? Was it an expression? Wasn’t a cross only for evil doers? I’ve thought on this a lot. Still thinking…
There is a great (short) study by Priscilla Shirer on Sabbath rest called “Breathe”. It was such a help to understand what it means to rest in God as a way of life. Things I continue to think upon.
I love this Mark passage about the bread. Jesus had literally just performed a feeding miracle for the second time and they were wondering what they would do about not having enough bread.
I marvel at this, but isn’t this just like us? Despite experiencing God’s provision before, every time a need arises we think ‘oh no what are we going to do?’ As though God has never provided for us or done anything. As though the provider is not literally in our midst, as Jesus was in theirs.
Jesus sighs (probably fed up with spiritual Groundhog Day) – and asks specifically how many leftovers each time there was. Twelve – which makes me think of the twelve tribes of Israel, and Seven, which I don’t fully understand the significance of, although it’s a key number for sabbath in the Bible, meaning rest. So perhaps Jesus is saying something like, why do we not understand that in our needs we should rest, because God provides for each of us.
Yes Kylie, He is always with you! Lean on Him, He is there for you, He cares, and like a good father holding tightly to a baby in a storm, I pray you feel God’s arms wrapped firmly around you during this tough time and always. Praying for your heart today, from another Kylee :)
Wow, so much in these verses today! God, let your word be written in my heart. Expose the idols I’ve worshiped. I only want you!
Yes!!!!
Mark 8:34-38 is very convicting. I am reading from the message version. I hope you find it encouraging too:
34-37Calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, “Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You’re not in the driver’s seat; I am. Don’t run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I’ll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to saving yourself, your true self. What good would it do to get everything you want and lose you, the real you? What could you ever trade your soul for?
38“If any of you are embarrassed over me and the way I’m leading you when you get around your fickle and unfocused friends, know that you’ll be an even greater embarrassment to the Son of Man when he arrives in all the splendor of God, his Father, with an army of the holy angels.”
I love the direction to embrace suffering in this version! This is a lesson I am learning in this season. I love that Jesus was a man of many sufferings, and that we serve a God who takes our burdens if we allow ourselves to give them over.
❤️
2 things that really challenge me: the command to sabbath rest. All the other commands we seem to care deeply about. We would never murder, lie, commit adultery… but a taking sabbath rest is unthinkable any more in our culture! I’m so convicted of my lack of focus to honor this command in my life!! It’s a top 10! Why do I act like it’s not even on the list? And 2) I’ve always been challenged by Jesus comment to take up our crosses. He said it to followers BEFORE he died on the cross. His statement means a lot to us because we know what he did. What did it mean to the people of his day? Was it an expression? Wasn’t a cross only for evil doers? I’ve thought on this a lot. Still thinking…
There is a great (short) study by Priscilla Shirer on Sabbath rest called “Breathe”. It was such a help to understand what it means to rest in God as a way of life. Things I continue to think upon.
I love this Mark passage about the bread. Jesus had literally just performed a feeding miracle for the second time and they were wondering what they would do about not having enough bread.
I marvel at this, but isn’t this just like us? Despite experiencing God’s provision before, every time a need arises we think ‘oh no what are we going to do?’ As though God has never provided for us or done anything. As though the provider is not literally in our midst, as Jesus was in theirs.
Jesus sighs (probably fed up with spiritual Groundhog Day) – and asks specifically how many leftovers each time there was. Twelve – which makes me think of the twelve tribes of Israel, and Seven, which I don’t fully understand the significance of, although it’s a key number for sabbath in the Bible, meaning rest. So perhaps Jesus is saying something like, why do we not understand that in our needs we should rest, because God provides for each of us.
Lord let me take this passage to heart!
Amen! Love this, thank you for sharing!
I’m going through a really tough time right now. God has reminded me through this that he is always with me
Yes Kylie, He is always with you! Lean on Him, He is there for you, He cares, and like a good father holding tightly to a baby in a storm, I pray you feel God’s arms wrapped firmly around you during this tough time and always. Praying for your heart today, from another Kylee :)
So glad God reminded me of His faithfulness to the Israelites in these passages today. If He was faithful to them, He will also be faithful to me.
I have never bookmarked as many passages as I did today!
Same!