Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day.

Today's shout-out goes to Michael Mitchell from Jacksonville, FL. Your partnership with us through Project23 helps keep God's Word at the center of lives around the world. This one's for you.

Our text today is Mark 9:9-13:

And as they were coming down the mountain, he charged them to tell no one what they had seen, until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what this rising from the dead might mean. And they asked him, "Why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?" And he said to them, "Elijah does come first to restore all things. And how is it written of the Son of Man that he should suffer many things and be treated with contempt? But I tell you that Elijah has come, and they did to him whatever they pleased, as it is written of him." — Mark 9:9-13

The mountaintop moment is over. And as Jesus, Peter, James, and John descend, Jesus gives them strict orders:

"Tell no one—until the Son of Man has risen from the dead."

What a strange instruction. You’ve just seen a divine vision—and now you’re told to stay silent? But Jesus isn’t hiding the truth. He’s timing it. Some revelations only make sense after the resurrection. The disciples obey—maybe because they just heard the audible voice of God. But they’re confused:

“Rising from the dead?” they whisper. “What does that even mean?”

Then comes the question that shows their hope and misunderstanding:

“Why do the scribes say Elijah must come first?”

They were still hoping for a victorious Messiah—one who would conquer, rule, and restore. They knew Malachi 4 said Elijah would come before the “great and awesome day of the Lord.” But they didn’t realize that day would come through suffering, not strength.

Jesus affirms that Elijah did come—John the Baptist filled that role. And how was he received? Rejected. Mocked. Killed. And Jesus makes it clear—the same will happen to him.

The road to glory runs through grief. The path to resurrection winds through rejection.

Rejection by the world doesn’t mean rejection by God. It may mean you’re right where you’re supposed to be.

Like the disciples, we want crowns without crosses. Glory without grief. But Jesus never promised that. He promised resurrection—and resurrection always follows death.

So trust him in the mystery. Even when it hurts. Even when it’s quiet. Even when it doesn’t make sense. Because when God says, “Not yet,” He’s not always saying, “Never.” He’s just saying, “Wait—it’s not time… yet.”

#NotYetDoesntMeanNever, #TrustHisTiming, #Project23

ASK THIS:

1. What “not yet” have you been hearing from God lately?
2. How do you typically respond when God’s plan confuses you?
3. Have you ever experienced rejection while doing God’s will?
4. How can remembering Jesus’ path through suffering change your perspective today?

DO THIS:

Write down one area in your life where God feels silent or slow. Pray over it today—and say aloud, “Not yet doesn’t mean never.”

PRAY THIS:

Father, I trust you—even when I don’t understand your timing. Help me follow Jesus through rejection and believe in the promise of resurrection. Amen.

PLAY THIS:

"Though You Slay Me"

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day.

Today’s shout-out goes to Donald Daily from Stanwood, MI. Don, your partnership with us through Project23 is helping people see Jesus with new clarity and listen to him in the valleys. This one’s for you.

Our text today is Mark 9:1-8:

And he said to them, “Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power.”

And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them. And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. And Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” For he did not know what to say, for they were terrified. And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.” And suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them but Jesus only. — Mark 9:1-8

It’s a moment unlike any other in this Gospel. Jesus pulls back the veil—and his divine glory blazes through.

What the disciples had only suspected is confirmed in a flash of radiant light. Jesus isn’t just a miracle worker. Not just a teacher. He is the Son of God—radiant, majestic, holy.

And then—Elijah and Moses appear. Not random guests. These are the heavyweights of Jewish faith. The Law and the Prophets. Standing beside Jesus. Talking with him.

This isn’t a vision. It’s a moment of divine convergence. The past, the present, and the future collide—and Jesus stands at the center. The fulfillment of it all.

Then the Father speaks:
“This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.”

Jesus isn’t just someone to admire. Or quote. Or keep around for inspiration.
He’s the One to obey. The One who defines truth. The One who has no equal.

And yet… Peter wants to stay. To build tents. To freeze the moment.

But glory isn’t meant to be captured—it’s meant to carry you. And soon, they’re walking back down the mountain. Into the crowd. Into the chaos. Into the cross.

Jesus gave them a glimpse of his glory to sustain them through the valley.

He still does that today.

Not every day is a mountaintop. Most days are messy. Full of struggle, grief, temptation, and doubt. But if you've seen his glory—through his Word, through worship, through answered prayer—cling to that.

Because…

Jesus gives us glimpses of his glory to remind us that he is faithful.
Not just on the mountain—but in the mess.
Not just in the light—but in the dark.
Not just in triumph—but in trouble.

So hold on to what he showed you on the mountain—because when you can’t see him in the valley, you’ll need to remember what you saw in the light.

Let what you saw up there sustain you down here.

#GloryOfJesus, #FaithInTheValley, #Mark9

ASK THIS:

When have you experienced a “mountaintop” moment with God?
What’s one truth from that moment you need to remember today?
Why do we often forget God's glory when we’re in the valley?
How can you hold onto what God has shown you?
DO THIS:
Reflect on a time when God revealed himself to you clearly. Write it down. Revisit it often.

PRAY THIS:
Jesus, remind me of your glory when I’m in the valley. Help me trust what I saw in the light when I walk through the dark. Amen.

PLAY THIS:
Highlands (Song Of Ascent).

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day.

Today's shout-out goes to Michael Money from Pasco, WA. Your partnership with us through Project 23 is helping people lay down the symbols and pick up a true sacrifice. This one's is for you.

Our text today is Mark 8:34-38:

And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? For what can a man give in return for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels." — Mark 8:34-38

We love the look of a cross—but often forget the weight of it.

We wear it around our neck. We ink it on our skin. It's carved into churches, printed on clothes, and etched into memorials. But the cross was never meant to be a fashion statement. It was a tool of execution. A symbol of self-denial. A calling to suffer—not just to be seen.

Too often, we wear the symbol but resist the sacrifice.

Jesus makes a bold offer and sets an even bolder cost: "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me."

This is not a call to comfort. It's a call to surrender. He's not inviting us to admiration—but to imitation. He's saying: If you want to follow me, you can't bring anything else with you, including yourself.

We try. We want Jesus and our fame, fortune, and future. Jesus and our comfort, control, and career.

But Jesus says you can't have both.

If you try to save even one of these things, you'll lose the one thing you need. But if you lose them all—for him—you'll find everything and more. That's the paradox of faith. The path to life is through death. The only way to gain is to give. To go forward, you have to lay something down.

So ask yourself: what are you clinging to? Is it your reputation? Your comfort? Your status? Because you can wear a cross and still refuse to carry one.

Jesus ain't looking for admirers—he's calling devoted disciples.

The world may applaud your jewelry, your tattoos, and your "faith aesthetic,"—but Jesus is looking deeper. Are you denying yourself daily? Are you carrying a cross—or just wearing one?

You can't cling to the world and carry the cross.

Pick one. Follow one. Live all in for him who lived all in for you.

#YouCantHaveBoth, #CarryTheCross, #TrueDiscipleship

ASK THIS:

1. Are you wearing faith or living it?
2. What worldly thing are you most afraid to surrender?
3. Are you carrying a cross—or admiring it from a distance?
4. Where is Jesus asking you to deny yourself today?

DO THIS:

Look at one symbol of your faith today—a cross on your wall, shirt, or jewelry—and ask: Am I really living this out?

PRAY THIS:

Jesus, I don’t want to just wear a cross—I want to carry mine daily. Give me strength to surrender and follow you with my whole life. Amen.

PLAY THIS:

I Have Decided to Follow Jesus.