Liz’s Morning Devotional based upon Upper Room
October 3, 2021
Read Luke 9:23-27
23 Jesus said to everyone, “All who want to come after me must say no to themselves, take up their cross daily, and follow me. 24 All who want to save their lives will lose them. But all who lose their lives because of me will save them. 25 What advantage do people have if they gain the whole world for themselves yet perish or lose their lives? 26 Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Human One will be ashamed of that person when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. 27 I assure you that some standing here won’t die before they see God’s kingdom.”
Good Morning! Take up your cross and follow Christ!
As we gather in our churches today, may we take time to remember that Christians from all corners of the earth are partaking of the one loaf just as we do. Despite our differences and our diversity, we are all part of the one body of Christ. We are brothers and sisters in this community of faith.
Perhaps the most challenging teaching of Jesus is understanding that we must give up or lose something to save something. Saving by losing! We must give ourselves, our very lives, to Christ to save ourselves. In today’s sermon, one of the examples I use to represent the idea of saving by losing is salt.
Salt is mined from the earth and in early days was valuable and traded like money. Consider a shaker of salt. We don’t put salt out on our plate and eat it on its own. We add salt to our foods to preserve or enhance the flavor. Once the salt is sprinkled on to the food, it dissolves and begins to penetrate the food. The actual salt crystal is lost, but it works within the food.
Christ gave His life for us, God’s children, sinners as we are, to save us so that we might have eternal life. At our baptism, the Holy Spirit enters into us, and begins to work within us just as the salt works within the food. We can’t visibly see the broken down molecules of salt improving the food, and likewise we can’t see the Holy Spirit as it works within us to improve and preserve us. Thanks be to God for his infinite wisdom.
Saving by Losing! What a mighty God we serve!
Loving God, Thank You for loving us. May we accept Christ and allow the Holy Spirit to work within us to transform us into the beings in whom you see infinite possibilities. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen
Thought for the day: Give your life to Christ and be saved!
Join in the feast and be blessed! Pastor Liz
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