What is consuming your time and interests these days? That's a question I've been thinking about a lot lately.
The Lord helps us with His words in Matthew 16:24 NLT "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me."
When I walk with the Lord in the early mornings on a myPhotoWalk photo shoot out in the desert near where I live, I watch the Lord paint the sky, and I capture images with my camera. And I talk with the Lord about the days He's given me and how I am to live them out, moment by moment. So these words from Matthew are so important. They answer me in the deepest places of my heart. It is as though He is directing them to me — Catherine, "you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me."
These words invite me to the ways of the Lord. To embrace His ways, I need to leave my ways at the foot of the cross. It's all about saying no to many good things in order to say yes to the best. Taking up my cross means saying yes to a fellowship of His sufferings. It also means walking in the way of the cross which involves pain and brokenness sometimes in the journey of God's will. Following Christ means I only have eyes for Him. It means following so closely that I am covered in the dust of His feet as He walks ahead of me, leading and guiding me in His way.
To remember my need to follow Christ, I found a special sunrise image from my times out there in the desert where I think of these things. After post–processing in Adobe Photoshop and adding a detail dynamic range filter in Topaz Adjust Software, I included the words of Matthew 16:24 in Helvetica Neue and the poster–style exhortation to "follow."
So dear friend, today, may you remember above all to give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow Christ.
Dear Lord, today I say yes to following You. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Blessings ♡ Grace
