Daily Reading for Personal Growth, 40 Days with God

The Cost of Discipleship^(A)

²⁵ Large crowds went with Him. And He turned and said to them, ²⁶ “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. ²⁷ And whoever does not bear his cross and follow Me cannot be My disciple.

²⁸ “For who among you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost to see whether he has resources to complete it? ²⁹ Otherwise, perhaps, after he has laid the foundation and is not able to complete it, all who see it will begin to mock him, ³⁰ saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to complete it.’

³¹ “Or what king, going to wage war against another king, does not sit down first and take counsel whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? ³² Otherwise, while the other is yet at a distance, he sends a delegation and requests conditions of peace. ³³ So likewise, any of you who does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.

Tasteless Salt^(B)

³⁴ “Salt is good. But if the salt has lost its saltiness, how shall it be made salty? ³⁵ It is fit neither for the land nor for the manure pile. So men throw it out.

“He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”