Take Up Your Cross Daily

Luk 9:22 Saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day.
Luk 9:23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
Luk 9:24 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.
Luk 9:25 For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?

Jesus told his disciples what was coming for him; suffering, rejection, death and then resurrection on the third day. The humanity of Jesus did not want to go through all the torture, but the spiritual Jesus said;

Mat 26:39 ... O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.

He obeyed the father instead of his fleshly desires. He did not say that he would die on a cross, but he knew that this was coming. He uses the cross as an illustration to his disciples. "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me." If you are going to follow me and be my disciple, you will have to die to the will of your flesh, hear me and follow me. This does not mean our human needs will not be met.

Mat 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

We are to put the spiritual things first. What are Spiritual things? Reading the Bible, praying, hearing from God and obeying him, these things have eternal rewards. The human body will die with it's lusts, but the soul lives. A born again believer has the Holy Spirit to discern God's will and the spirit must lead us, not the flesh.

Gal 5:16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

We may have all that the world loves and lose our own soul. Do not neglect Jesus. Follow him in the Spirit man and he will give you eternal life.

1Jn 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
1Jn 2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
1Jn 2:17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

Take up your cross daily, deny yourself and follow Jesus; this is the will of God for you.