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

  • Haggai 1:3-6
  • Matthew 6:19-27
  • Luke 15:11-16

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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?"

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.

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