July 3, 2022
July 3, 2022
Four Fisherman
The other day I stopped to ask directions from an older man fishing with his grandson. It was a familiar scene. A young boy was fishing with his father or grandfather…passing down the tradition of an afternoon at the lake. Carrying poles and buckets, they were headed back to their car with the one fish they’d caught at the lake.
As I drove on, the scene reminded me of another group of fishermen who spent not only hours but days and years on the lake with their father and maybe their grandfather. For them, fishing wasn’t a hobby; it was a way of life. It was how they earned their living and fed their family. Passed down through the generations, fishing was part of their identity. They probably hoped to pass the business down to their sons. They were fishermen.
Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!” (Matthew 4:19, NLT)
It was the invitation of the ages—an invitation to be a disciple of the Man John the Baptist had just declared was the Messiah.
But it wasn’t a part-time commitment. Following Jesus would mean giving up the life they knew, the security, the family business.
It was a ride or die moment. Would they follow Jesus or keep fishing?
Matthew 4:18-22 tells us that Peter, Andrew, James, and John: "left their nets at once and followed him." (Matthew 4:20, NLT)
Their story stands in sharp contrast to the rich young ruler who was given the same offer but walked away sad because he couldn’t give up all he had to gain more than he could imagine.
These fishermen challenge all of us to examine ourselves and determine whether we will follow their example and give up everything to follow Jesus. One of the problems with modern Christians is that while these men walked away from everything to follow Jesus, many Christians today won’t give up anything to follow Him.
When the Holy Spirit says, “Walk away from this sin, this habit, this hobby, this relationship, or this security,” each of us needs to follow the example of Peter, Andrew, James, and John and say, “I’m on it—right away.”
Like their commitment, our obedience needs to be immediate.
Whatever You want, Lord, I’ll abandon anything for You and commit to anything You ask.
This is the attitude of a ride or die man of God.
By: Jamie Holden, Mantour Ministries
Today’s Scripture:
One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers—Simon, also called Peter, and Andrew—throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living.
Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!” And they left their nets at once and followed him.
A little farther up the shore he saw two other brothers, James and John, sitting in a boat with their father, Zebedee, repairing their nets. And he called them to come, too. They immediately followed him, leaving the boat and their father behind. (Matthew 4:18-22, NIV)
New International Version (NIV)
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