Day 1

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God,who loved me and gave himself for me.—Galatians 2:20

George Meuller once wrote:
“There was a day when I died:
- Died to George Mueller: to his tastes, his opinions, his preferences and his will.
- Died to the world—its approval or censure.
- Died to the approval or blame even of my brethren and friends.
“Since then I have studied to only show myself approved unto God.”

How foreign this is to us today—with all our approval ratings and polls! We boast of only seeking the approval of God, yet we relish the handclapping and pats on the back. Success is measured in numbers!

Yes, Christ had the crowds follow Him, waving the palm branches or eating the loaves and fishes. But more than once He confronted them with hard questions, or drove them away with difficult statements. He didn’t win friends by challenging, “You are looking for me…because you ate the loaves and had your fill.” He only gained enemies by commanding them to eat His flesh and drink His blood. In the end they played the part of all crowds, leaving Him for His offense. Gleeful to turn on Him. Abandoning Him to suffer. Leaving Him alone in the tomb.

Have we really died to the impulse of the crowd? Do we know how to stand when all others moves on? No cry of the crowd, no shout of the multitude, no roar of the throng means as much as these simple words from the only important One, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” Is anything as important as the approval of the Lord?

Prayer Topics: Death and Life in Christ; Standing Alone; Approval and Rejection.