Dandelion Bible in a Year | Women & Men Thematic Reading Plan

Bible in a Year - Women’s Thematic Reading Plan | Day 247

September 4: Matthew 10:37-39: Take Up the Cross and Follow the Lord

Day 247 of the Women’s Bible Plan: Read Matthew 10:37-39 and listen to the words of Jesus as He calls His disciples to love Him above all relationships, all security, and all gain. Through this passage, we reflect on what it means to take up the cross, follow Christ, and place Him above every earthly attachment and loss.

🌸 Dear Sister, welcome to Day 247 of our reading journey.

Following Jesus can sound deeply comforting—and it truly is. He gives peace, heals the broken, welcomes the weary, and draws near to those who feel weak and burdened. Yet the Lord Jesus never described discipleship as cheap, easy, or without cost. He clearly taught that to follow Him means allowing Him to hold first place in our lives.

Matthew 10:37-39 is direct and searching. Jesus says that anyone who loves father or mother more than Him is not worthy of Him, and anyone who loves son or daughter more than Him is not worthy of Him. He also says that whoever does not take up his cross and follow Him is not worthy of Him.

These words do not teach us to despise our families or become cold and unloving. Scripture never denies the beauty and responsibility of family love. But Jesus reminds us that even the closest, most natural, and most precious human relationships must not take His place in our hearts. A true disciple is not someone without love, but someone whose love has been reordered, purified, and guided by Christ.

A Minute of Grace

Matthew Chapter 10 records an important teaching Jesus gave as He sent out the twelve disciples. He warned them that they would face rejection, persecution, misunderstanding, and even tension within their own households because of their faith. In that setting, Jesus said, “He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.”

This is a strong word, but it is not meant to destroy the family. It reveals the highest loyalty of a disciple’s life. Jesus knows how easily the human heart can be pulled by its closest relationships. The expectations of parents, the needs of children, the opinions of family members, and the pressure of relationships can quietly become obstacles to obeying God. The Lord is not calling us to love our families less. He is calling us not to let any relationship replace Him.

Then Jesus says, “And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.” The cross is not merely an inconvenience, nor is it only the ordinary hardship of life. In the time of Jesus, the cross meant self-denial, shame, death, and complete surrender. Here the Lord calls His disciples not to treat Him as one blessing among many, but as the Lord of life.

Finally, Jesus says, “He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.” This turns human values upside down. We often think that holding tightly to our security, plans, relationships, reputation, benefits, and control is the way to preserve life. But Jesus says that when these things become more important than Him, we lose what life truly is. By contrast, those who are willing to lay down self for Christ, obey Him, and follow Him will find true and eternal life in Him.

Today’s theme, “Take Up the Cross and Follow the Lord,” invites us to reflect: Who or what is occupying the place that belongs to Christ in my life? Am I willing to let the Lord reorder my loves, priorities, security, and choices? Following Jesus is not without cost, but the life He gives is far greater than anything we lay down.

Whispers for the Heart

1 Jesus said that whoever loves father, mother, son, or daughter more than Him is not worthy of Him. Is there a relationship, expectation, or close attachment in your life that is affecting your obedience to the Lord? How can you learn to love your family well while still giving Christ first place?

2 What does “taking up the cross and following the Lord” mean for you today? Does it mean laying down pride, obeying God’s leading, refusing compromise, bearing the cost of faith, continuing to love someone difficult, or staying faithful under pressure?

3 Jesus said that whoever loses life for His sake will find it. What are you most afraid of losing right now—security, relationships, opportunities, control, approval, or your own plans? Is God inviting you today to place these things back into His hands?

As you read Matthew 10:37-39 today, do not hear this passage only as a hard demand. See also the Lord calling us into a life that is more real, more free, and more eternal. He does not take away our love; He purifies our love. He does not destroy our life; He leads us into true life.

Take a quiet breath before you begin. Bring before the Lord the relationships you treasure most, the things you fear losing most, and the areas where obedience feels most difficult. Let His words meet you there.

Today's Grace · Morning Dew 🕊️

“He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.”

— Matthew 10:39

🎞️ Today's Youtube Video

🪕 Response Hymn:

Matthew 10:37-39 (KJV)

37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

38 And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.

39 He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.

A Quiet Moment of Prayer

✨ Thank you for walking through today’s Scripture with us, dear sister.

Matthew 10:37-39 lets us hear the Lord Jesus calling His disciples to love Him above all, take up the cross and follow Him, and trust that the one who loses life for His sake will find true life in Him. Now, let us bring our relationships, priorities, fears, and obedience before God in prayer.

Today’s Prayer Focus: Placing Christ Above Every Relationship and Every Loss

🩷

Letting Christ Hold First Place in My Heart

Father, thank You for reminding me through the words of Jesus that following Christ does not mean placing Him at the edge of my life, but giving Him first place. Lord, You know the precious relationships in my heart and the real responsibilities I carry. Family expectations, the needs of loved ones, and the opinions of others can deeply influence my choices.

Help me not to despise these relationships, but to learn how to love rightly in You. Do not let me disobey You in order to please people, and do not let fear of losing relationships keep me from obeying You. Purify my love, so that I may love You first and then love my family and the people around me with the love that comes from You. May Christ truly be Lord in my heart, above every human expectation and above my own fear. Amen.

✨

Learning to Take Up My Cross

Lord Jesus, You said that whoever does not take up his cross and follow You is not worthy of You. Lord, I confess that I often prefer a faith without cost. I want following You to be smooth, understood by others, and free from loss. But Your Word reminds me that the way of discipleship includes self-denial, obedience, and faithfulness.

Help me recognize the cross You are calling me to take up today. Perhaps it means laying down self-centeredness. Perhaps it means learning humility in a relationship. Perhaps it means choosing honesty under pressure, remaining faithful when misunderstood, or choosing obedience over comfort. Give me strength—not to force myself forward in the flesh, and not to shrink back in fear, but to follow You step by step. Amen.

🧑‍🧑‍🧒‍🧒

Trusting That What I Surrender to the Lord Is Safe in His Hands

Father, Jesus said, “He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.” Lord, this word challenges the deepest places of my security. So often I am afraid to lose approval, stability in relationships, control over life, my plans, or the benefits right in front of me. So I hold on tightly and find it hard to surrender fully to You.

Help me believe that You are not taking away what is truly good for me, but rescuing me from the things that rule over me. Keep me from treating temporary security as eternal safety, and from valuing human approval more than Your pleasure. Whatever You call me to lay down, give me faith to place it in Your hands. Whatever You call me to hold fast, give me faithfulness to keep it. May I meet You in self-denial and receive a fuller life through obedience. Amen.

🌍

Interceding for Sisters

Father, I also pray for the sisters around me who are learning to follow the Lord. You know those who carry pressure in their families because of their faith. You know those who face misunderstanding because they want to obey You. You know those who are learning the right order between loving family and following Christ. You know those wrestling with relationships, careers, money, identity, security, or personal plans.

Lord, strengthen them. Do not let them believe they are alone, and do not let pressure lead them to give up obedience. Give them wisdom to respond to family members with gentleness and firmness. Give them courage to place You first when choices must be made. Comfort them with the assurance that whatever they lay down for You is seen by You, and that Your presence will uphold them. Amen.

🪕 Response Hymn:

💡 Closing Thought · Entrusting Your Deepest Love to the Lord

After reading Matthew 10:37-39, we hear the clear call of Jesus: He must hold first place in the life of His disciples. He is not calling us to become cold or unloving. He is calling us to place our deepest love, our heaviest relationships, and the things we fear losing most under His lordship. Only when Christ is first can our love be freed from fear, control, and idolatry.

As we close this page and return to real life, perhaps today you will still face family expectations, relational pressure, the cost of obedience, or something you find hard to surrender. Remember this: the Lord calls us to take up the cross not to make us lose life, but to bring us into true life.

May today’s Scripture remind you not to let any relationship, fear, or gain sit in the place of Christ. May you love with proper order, obey with courage, and hope in self-denial. Entrust your deepest love to the Lord, and place even the things you fear losing most into His hands. The life He gives is far greater than anything we can hold onto by ourselves.

🎉🎉 Congratulations on completing today's devotion! 🎉🎉

Page updated

Report abuse