Day 4

Be Still:  Dear Father, thank you for loving us even when we say and do unwise things.  Thank you for Jesus’ willingness to endure betrayal and worse for us.  In Jesus’ name, through the power of the Holy Spirit, Amen

Be Strengthened:  Mark 10:32-40

³²They were on their way up to Jerusalem, with Jesus leading the way, and the disciples were astonished, while those who followed were afraid. Again he took the Twelve aside and told them what was going to happen to him. ³³"We are going up to Jerusalem," he said, "and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles, ³⁴who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise."

³⁵Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. "Teacher," they said, "we want you to do for us whatever we ask."  ³⁶"What do you want me to do for you?" he asked.

³⁷They replied, "Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory."  ³⁸"You don't know what you are asking," Jesus said. "Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?"

³⁹"We can," they answered. Jesus said to them, "You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with, ⁴⁰but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared.”

Be Stretched:  We can shake our heads at James and John and their request to be seated at Jesus’ right and left side.  But often we’d rather think about Jesus in glory than the fact that He had to suffer and die.  Today, confess your tendency to want to ignore the tough parts of being a Christ-follower.  Ask the Holy Spirit to strengthen and prepare you for any hardships you may endure for His sake.