Mark 8:34 AV
And when he had called
the people unto him
with his disciples also,
he said unto them,
Whosoever will come after me,
let him deny himself,
and take up his cross, and follow me.
Denying oneself is not an easy thing to do.
Because what does that really mean?
This means that we learn to ignore ourselves completely.
No longer our will is in the foreground, but God’s will.
That is a matter that is not found naturally in any of us. We always seek to continue our own will. Therefore, it is so necessary for our will to be devoured by God’s will, so that our will, becomes that what He wants.
And this requires repentance, true repentance. Even after repentance and conversion, however, it remains a struggle to deny ourselves. For even after grace has been received, sometimes pride, and our own will arise again.
Even then, mountains of pride must be removed again, so that the children of God will come after Him.
Therefore, nothing would come forth from that self-denial, if the Lord Himself didn’t teach this to His people. But He, who is as faithful, as he is strong, teaches them, and us, in this, so that we will pray, “Lord, not my will, but Thy will be done in my life also.”
Do you know that prayer?
Twitter: @SchoemakerHarry
Website 1: https://devotionals.harryschoemaker.nl
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