What Jesus Did! 'True Worth' — Mark 8:36-37

Thursday, May 30, 2024

[Jesus continued teaching the crowd,] "And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?"
— Mark 8:36-37 NLT

Key Thought

So much of life gets lost in the pursuit of things we incorrectly think are important. We trade our time for that which does not matter. We trade our energy for gains never realized. We trade our hopes for what winds up as wrecked dreams. Our very lives, our souls, find their true worth only in the Lord. He must remain the center, the goal, and the purpose of our lives, or we lose ourselves in our pursuit of things that don't really matter.

Today's Prayer

O God, please forgive me for the times when I have focused my priorities and my pursuits on things that are not eternally significant. Please, O Holy Spirit, help me to focus my priorities on Jesus and his desire for my life. I know that I will only find authentic life, eternal life, your life that begins now, in Jesus. In pursuit of Jesus and by his authority, I pray. Amen.

Related Scripture Readings

Have thoughts on this devotional? Leave a comment

8 Related Resources by Heartlight

Mark 8:36
Devo: Today's Verse
"What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his very soul?"
Gain the Whole World
Illustration of Mark 8:36
Inspirational illustration of Mark 8:36 -- What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his very soul?
One-way Missionaries
Article by Bruce Logue
They took a coffin, which they packed with their belongings, along with a one-way ticket. Bruce Logue reminds us that people still do pick up their cross and follow Jesus and the Lord uses them to make an eternal difference!
One Singular Purpose
Devo: A Year with Jesus
"Dear Disciple, Following Me is hard. I want your heart. I want your focus. I want your future. I want to be your consuming passion. Yes, I know..."
See All 8 Related Resources about Mark 8:36-37

Illustration

Illustration of Mark 8:36-37 NLT — [Jesus continued teaching the crowd,] "And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?"

Other Devotionals from Heartlight for Thursday, May 30, 2024

Unstoppable!
A one-year devotional guide through the book of Acts.
'Tertullus Leads the Charge' (Acts 24:1-9)
"Five days [after the Roman troops took Paul from Jerusalem to Caesarea,] Ananias, the high priest, arrived with some of the Jewish elders and the..."
Morning & Evening
The classic twice-daily devotional from Charles H. Spurgeon.
Morning Thought: 1 Peter 1:7
"Faith untried may be true faith, but it is sure to be little faith, and it is likely to remain dwarfish so long as it is without trials. Faith never....."
Praying with Paul
Features the apostle Paul's writings turned into daily, powerful prayers.
'Prepared to Fight' (Ep. 6:14-17)
"Dear Father, my support in battle, Help me stand, having put on my body the garments of TRUTH and the bullet-proof vest of the RIGHTEOUSNESS OF..."
God's Holy Fire
A daily devotional about the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
'My Witnesses to the Ends of the Earth' (Ac. 1:8)
"[Jesus said,] "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere — in..."

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!