There is a cost

March 3, 2020
Today’s devotion is based on Matthew 8:18-20. “Now when Jesus saw a crowd around Him, He gave orders to go over to the other side. And a scribe came up and said to Him, “Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go.” And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”

What does following Jesus cost us? For those of us living in the United States, following Jesus does not mean that we might face homeless, or persecution, or loss of family. Following Jesus, for us, will probably be more subtle. For us, it might mean taken into our family a relative who falls on hard times. It might mean giving that old car to a single mother who needs one, rather than trading it in. It might mean old friends might choose not to be friends anymore because you are following Jesus.
As a Christian believer, you have Jesus living in you, and He shows Himself through the things you do. There is a cost, plenty of annoyance and frustration and burdens to bear. But the rewards are great when you follow Jesus, both in this life and the next.

Please pray with me the prayer for today: Lord, help me to remember that following Jesus comes with a cost. Help me to hold up under whatever that cost might be as I follow you. Help me to see that serving others is serving you. I ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen.