Luke 9:23..."Then He said to them all, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily,and follow Me."

Three of the four Gospels quote this teaching from Jesus. It must be important for us to bear a cross, some type of burden in our life.

We must pick up that cross each day and carry it just as Jesus carried His. Actually, it was our burden of sins which He bore under the weight of that "ole wooden cross". (How would you like all the sins of mankind on your cross to carry?)

But we should be aware, as we bear our cross, that we have a passenger. Satan also climbs on our cross hoping to make us stumble and fall under it's weight - just like Jesus did. He will do anything if he can to exploit our weakness and cause us to give up.

But Jesus, even though physically exhausted, continued to follow God's plan and conquered the cross, sin and death. He carried out the will of God which allows us to also conquer our cross to bear and our sins, and even death itself.

So don't be discouraged if you stumble under the weight of your cross... just remember Jesus never quit or gave up. Faith and grace will see you through if you continue to pick up that cross.

1 Cor 10:13...No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.