Leave it behind…
Photo by Sibeesh Venu on Unsplash
Good morning, Sunshine!
How is your Bible reading going? I would love to know what you are reading and learning about!
Nothing makes me happier and giddier (is that a word?) than talking about Jesus and God’s Word with my friends!
This morning, I was reading from the book of Luke. Hello, Luke, I love you!
Luke is probably my favorite gospel. Luke is detailed and precise, yet also he is just an eloquent writer.
Do you agree?
In Chapter 5, I read about Jesus calling His first disciples. Whew! I LOVE THIS.
Peter, James, and John are all fishing.
After a long and hard night of fishing, they had not caught anything. Nothing. Zilch.
Jesus approaches them and tells them to go back out into deep water and let down their nets.
Peter then tells Jesus that they had already fished all night long to no avail.
Then, Peter shrugs his shoulders and says, “…But because you say so, I will let down the nets.”
Stop right here.
Obedience.
Pure and simple.
Peter has already fished all night. Nothing was in that lake to be caught.
Yet, Jesus tells Peter to try again. Not just try again, but go ahead and let those nets down to catch those fish.
Peter agrees.
Here is what happens next…
And this time their nets were so full of fish they began to tear! A shout for help brought their partners in the other boat, and soon both boats were filled with fish and on the verge of sinking. Luke 5:6-7
They caught so many fish the nets began to tear and the boat almost sank!!
Soon after that amazement, Peter realizes he is in the presence of Holiness.
He falls to the ground and tells Jesus that he is a sinful man.
Jesus tells Peter not to be afraid.
Jesus replied to Simon, “Don’t be afraid! From now on you’ll be fishing for people!” And as soon as they landed, they left everything and followed Jesus.”
Ok, let’s land here for a moment.
Jesus tells them that from now on they will be fishers of men.
Immediately, they leave everything behind and follow Jesus.
This is what stuck out to me this morning.
When we truly follow Jesus, we have to leave some old things behind.
I thought about my own life…what have I left behind to follow Jesus?
Often, those things are hard to let go of.
Maybe it is our pride.
Maybe it is our routine.
Maybe it is our comfort.
Maybe it is certain relationships.
Maybe it is unhealthy habits.
There is always something we have to leave behind when Jesus calls us…
Often, in my life, I have looked back and longed for certain things that I let go of.
Certainly, the disciples at some point did as well.
When things get hard, when obedience is difficult, those old things start to look inviting.
However, imagine what those disciples would have missed if they would have went back to their old lives?
What will we miss if we don’t say yes to Jesus and His invitation to follow Him??
Following Jesus will not always lead to a perfect life…
But, it will lead us to a PURPOSE filled life.
Those disciples are the very reason we know about Jesus in our day and times!
They spread the gospel, they told others about Jesus, they taught others, and shared everything they learned.
Gosh, don’t we want the same to be said of us?
They would not have witnessed miracle after miracle if they would have stayed in their comfortable little fishing lives. They would not have seen people healed from diseases, turning water into wine, feeding 5000 people with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish…
They would have missed seeing Jesus being raised from the dead after being brutally crucified on that cross!
What will we miss if we don’t follow Jesus?
I do not even want to know.
How about you?
Is there something you need to let go of today?
Maybe we just need to put Him in the center of our lives instead of on the outskirts.
But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Matthew 6:33
leaving that boat behind,
jill
