Devotions this week based on Come Home Week 5 – PURPOSE (WATCH HERE)
Luke 2:34–35 Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, 35 so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”
The scene in the temple shifts quickly. What began with praise and peace now turns solemn. Simeon blesses Mary and Joseph, then speaks words that are both true and heavy: this child will not only bring salvation, but division. Hearts will be revealed. Resistance will rise. And Mary herself will feel deep pain. Even here, at the beginning of Jesus’ life, the shadow of the cross falls across the story.
It is tempting to think of purpose as something that brings clarity, ease, and satisfaction. Yet Simeon reminds us that God’s purpose often comes with struggle. The same Jesus who brings peace also brings confrontation. He exposes what we cling to, what we fear, and what we trust. Following Him is not about finding comfort, but about trusting God even when obedience costs us something.
Jesus later makes this clear when He calls His disciples to deny themselves, take up their cross daily, and follow Him. The cross is not an optional accessory of the Christian life. It is the shape of it. To follow Christ is to let go of the illusion that life should always be easy, safe, or predictable. The cross disrupts our desire to control outcomes and protect ourselves at all costs.
Mary would learn this slowly and painfully. The joy of the manger would one day give way to the grief of the cross. The child she cradled would be rejected, mocked, and crucified. Yet even then, God’s purpose was not lost. What looked like defeat was the very means by which God brought salvation to the world. The cross reveals the depth of human brokenness and the even greater depth of God’s love.
This challenges us because we naturally seek comfort. We build our lives around minimizing pain and maximizing ease. We prefer a faith that reassures without demanding, that inspires without disrupting. But purpose rooted in Christ often leads us into places we would not choose on our own…into forgiveness that feels costly, service that goes unnoticed, obedience that requires trust rather than certainty.
Still, the cross is never the final word. Jesus does not call us to carry crosses alone or without hope. He goes before us. He bears the ultimate weight of sin and death so that even our suffering is not wasted. In Christ, God meets us not by removing every hardship, but by redeeming it.
As you reflect on your own life, consider where comfort may be shaping your choices more than faithfulness. Are there places where God is inviting you to trust Him more deeply, even if it means discomfort? Following Jesus does not mean seeking suffering for its own sake. It means trusting that God is at work even when the path is hard.
The good news is that the same Savior who calls us to follow Him is also the one who carries us. Purpose is not found in avoiding the cross, but in walking with Christ through it—confident that His resurrection promise still stands.
Reflection:
Where am I tempted to choose comfort over faithfulness?
What might it look like to trust Christ more deeply in a difficult area of my life?
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, You know how quickly I seek comfort and avoid the cross. Give me faith to trust You when following is hard. Remind me that You go before me, that Your grace is sufficient, and that Your purposes are always good even when the road is difficult. Amen.