Leaving to follow

Leaving to follow

Bible:Matthew 4:18-22

At once they left their nets and followed him (V.20).

Reading

As a teenager, I imagined myself marrying my high school boyfriend—until we broke up. My dreams felt shattered and I struggled with what to do next when I left school. After a while I felt like God was telling me that moping around wasn’t doing anyone any good. Instead He wanted me to start looking out for others, rather than just feeling sorry for myself. So I signed up for a course at a Bible college. Then the reality hit me that I’d be moving away from my friends and family. In order to do what I felt God was telling me, I had to leave. Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee when He saw Peter and his brother Andrew casting nets into the sea, fishing for a living. He invited them to “Come, follow me . . . and I will send you out to fish for people” (MATTHEW 4:19). Then Jesus saw two other fishermen, James and his brother John, and gave them the same invitation (V.21). When these disciples came to Jesus, they also left something. Peter and Andrew “left their nets” (V.20). James and John “left the boat and their father and followed him” (V.22). Luke puts it this way: “So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him” (LUKE 5:11). Following Jesus means giving up our old life of living for ourselves. But even as we live for Jesus, He will lead us to do things, meet people and go to places that mean we have to give up other specific things and dreams. Why do we give things up in our life with Jesus? Because He is worth it!

WHEN WE FOLLOW JESUS, HE IS THE MOST
IMPORTANT PERSON IN OUR LIVES.

YouTh Edition – Our Daily Bread Ministries