Forever Home in the Eternal Family of God

Daily Encouragement for the Family of God by Kenton Cheek

7 April 2025

Reading From Luke 9:18-36

“Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self? Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.”

—Luke 9:23-26

     All of the money, possessions, investments, properties, and status symbols throughout the world are not worth as much as my eternal soul.  It is difficult for some to grasp the concept of faith, believing in what is not seen, let alone to believe that what is unseen has more value and is more real than what is seen.  As an individual comes to Christ Jesus to be born again, they must surrender their will to God and yield to His authority in order to gain eternal life.  In this way, one must lose one’s life in order to save it.  I gave my life to Jesus in order to go from spiritual death to walk in the newness of life.  I will continue walking with Him into the destiny He is preparing for me in eternal life.

     Giving my life to Christ meant a gradual reordering of priorities.  It began with my willingness to surrender and radiates out from there.  As I turn over more and more of my personality and the way that I function in daily life over to the control of God, He increases my spiritual maturity and I become more like Jesus.  Sometimes this process of sanctification is two steps forward, one step back; but I am grateful for the grace and mercy of my Heavenly Father expressed through Jesus Christ.  As I lose myself in the depths of His love, I find myself.  In Jesus I discover who I truly was meant to be and I am happier for it.

“Lord God, there is nothing more valuable in Heaven or Earth that is more valuable to me than the honor, privilege and pleasure of knowing You.  Thank You for Your goodness and mercy You continually show to me and for me.  Your grace transforms me.  I pray that I would decrease and that You would increase.  Remove anything that does not please You and replace those things with more of You in my life.  Many have died for You and Your cause over the centuries.  Empower me to live for You to the fullest.  In the Name of Jesus Christ I pray these things.  Amen.”

For wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it.

—Proverbs 8:11

What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ.

—Philippians 3:8

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”

—Romans 1:16-17