What Jesus Did! 'Hold Nothing Back' — Luke 14:31-33

Friday, September 8, 2023

[Concerning the cost of discipleship, Jesus continued,] "Or what king would go to war against another king without first sitting down with his counselors to discuss whether his army of 10,000 could defeat the 20,000 soldiers marching against him? And if he can't, he will send a delegation to discuss terms of peace while the enemy is still far away. So you cannot become my disciple without giving up everything you own."
— Luke 14:31-33 NLT

Key Thought

"I surrender!" That's pretty much what Jesus wants to hear from us. We count the cost of our commitment, and we see the lavishness of his grace [1] and realize we need to surrender - everything! Let's hold nothing back!

[1] Ephesians 2:8-10.

Today's Prayer

Father, open my eyes to the things in my life that keep me from serving your Son wholeheartedly as my Lord. In his name, I pray. Amen.

Related Scripture Readings

Have thoughts on this devotional? Leave a comment

3 Related Resources by Heartlight

The Problem with Commitments
Article by Rubel Shelly
Can you finish what you start? Rubel Shelly shares his thoughts on following through with our commitments using an "eternal flame" that is not so eternal and has been turned off as an example of not counting the cost.
Hard to Truly Follow
Devo: A Year with Jesus
"Dear Follower, Follower... what an interesting term to use with you. To truly follow Me means becoming My disciple. A disciple is a person who spends..."
Try It On First
Article by Steve Ridgell
We should want people to investigate Jesus. Jesus is worth investigating and Christians should encourage people to take enough time to evaluate his value.

Illustration

Illustration of Luke 14:31-33 NLT — "Or what king would go to war against another king without first sitting down with his counselors to discuss whether his army of 10,000 could defeat the 20,000 soldiers marching against him?"

Other Devotionals from Heartlight for Friday, September 8, 2023

A Year with Jesus
A devotional to help reclaim Jesus as the daily Lord of our lives.
'Dedicated to God'
"Dear Friend, As you begin your New Year, I want to challenge you to dedicate yourself and this year to honor Us — Father, Son, and Spirit. Be....."
Daily Wisdom
A daily devotional featuring wise counsel found in Scripture.
John 1:1-2
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning."
Spiritual Warfare
A daily devotional about God's power for our battles.
'God Watches Over the Godly' (Ps. 1:6)
"For the Lord watches over the path of the godly, but the path of the wicked leads to destruction."
Unstoppable!
A one-year devotional guide through the book of Acts.
'Jesus at Work Through His People' (Acts 1:1-2)
"In my first book I told you, Theophilus, about everything Jesus began to do and teach until the day he was taken up to heaven after giving his chosen...."

About This Devotional

What Jesus Did! is a series of one-year devotional guides through each gospel, using one short scripture passage each day and following the Gospel in sequential order. Each devotional consists of a scripture passage and a reflection and a prayer which open up the day's scripture and show how it challenges you to live for Jesus.

What Jesus Did! is written by Phil Ware and is available in book form.

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

More What Jesus Did!