23 Then Jesus said to all of them, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me.

24 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.

25 For what is a man profited, having gained the whole world, and having destroyed or having suffered the loss of himself?

26 If anyone is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.

— Luke 9:23-26

14 I have given them Your word and the world has hated them. For they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.

15 I am not asking that You take them out of the world, but that You keep them from the evil one.

16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.

17 Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is truth.

18 As You sent Me into the world, I have also sent them into the world.

19 For them I sanctify Myself, so that they too may be sanctified by the truth.

— John 17:14-19

Thoughts on Today’s Reading

We sometimes think obeying God means smooth sailing and uninterrupted peace. This optimistic idea does not hold true in real life or reflect the Scriptures. The returning Israel exiles arrived safely and purposefully began their important work. However, almost as soon as the priests ignited the coals on the freshly built altar, their enemies circled and conspired against their progress. God allows challenges along our path to ultimate victory. Difficult days reveal many integral truths. Important work requires diligence. The most important things in life often come with struggle.

God uses obstacles and opposition to develop our character, grow our faith, and prove His faithfulness. The path God ordains is one His enemy opposes. We often discover that obeying God brings more challenges than we expected. It truly matters how we respond to opposition and obstacles. If our path of obedience has become unexpectedly difficult, we have learned God’s never-failing promises hold us secure when our enemies block our path. God is worthy of our trust, on good days and through hard seasons.