📖 “Then He said to them all, ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.’”
Luke 9:23
We often love the idea of being “the hands and feet of Jesus” — serving, loving, reaching out, bringing comfort. But those hands bore wounds. Those feet were pierced. They bled. They carried a cross. And that’s the part we often forget.
Salvation is a free gift — grace beyond measure, not earned, just received. But the invitation to follow Jesus… that costs us something.
It costs our pride.
It costs our comfort.
It costs our need to control.
It costs the death of our old self — crucified with Christ so that His life can be formed in us.
📖 “Then He said to them all, ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.’” — Luke 9:23 (NKJV)
To walk in His footsteps is to love when it hurts, to forgive when it ’s unfair, to serve without applause, and to endure suffering with eternal hope. It means surrendering your wounds to the One whose wounds brought your healing.
🖼️ How this Image Completes this Devotion:
“Scarred to Save” mirrors this truth in visual form. The gold cracks running through the hands remind us that the beauty of redemption is not found in perfection but in the willingness to be pierced for love’s sake. The hands extended in grace, though wounded, still reach outward — a sacred invitation to do the same.
Reflection:
What part of me still resists the “cost” of following Jesus? 🤔
Have I embraced the cross as not just the place of salvation, but the path of transformation? 🤔
In what ways am I being invited to lay down comfort for Kingdom purpose? 🤔
Life Application:
Affirmation:
You are not alone on the narrow road. He who bore the nails walks with you still, and His love will strengthen you every step of the way.
Creative Prompt:
Using your journal or art journal, draw or paint a pair of hands — not perfect or pristine, but scarred and glowing with light. Write around them what your own scars have taught you about Christ’s love, and how you feel called to serve through them.
Closing Prayer:
Jesus, You were pierced for my transgressions, and yet You still extend mercy. Teach me what it means to truly follow You — not just with my words, but with my life. Help me die to self, that I might live fully in You. Make my hands willing to serve, even when it costs. Make my feet ready to go, even when the path is hard. May I never forget the price You paid to redeem me, and may I walk worthy of the calling You’ve placed on my life.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
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