"Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it." Matthew 16:24-25

Because of who you are, I give you glory.

Because of who you are, I give you praise.

Because of who you are, I will lift my voice and say,

Lord, I worship you because of who you are.

We began this week by asking ourselves if we loved the Lord because He is God, or only because of the blessings He provides us. It has been an interesting week as we looked at stories from the Bible of people who had to decide this for themselves. They were not superheroes, just ordinary people like you and me. Faced with a decision, they made choices that had consequences for their future.

This past week, I listened to two different testimonies from ordinary people who came to a crossroads in their lives where they had to make decisions.

A young lady in our church told us of pressure by an employer to forsake what she believed in. Despite persistent harassment, she stood strong in her faith.

The other was by a minister who chose to see his wife walk away, rather than turn his back on what the Lord had called him to do.

They chose to stand for Jesus regardless of what it cost them. They loved and worshiped their Lord because of who He is. It certainly cost them something, but they realized nothing was more important than their walk with Jesus.

The Lord has done so much for us. He daily loads us with benefits. He has blessed us beyond what we ever deserved. He gave His life that we might have life eternal. Nothing that this world can offer could ever replace our eternal salvation.

Thought For Today: Jesus, give us all the courage and conviction to stand for you, to worship you for Who you are, and to stand for you no matter what the cost.

Devotion by: Anne Johnston