Today’s devotion: A Call to Leave

As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” At once they left their nets and followed him. Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

Matthew 4:18-22

This passage was at the center of my devotion today which you can see here (https://odb.org/2020/03/02/a-call-to-leave/). Basically the point the writer was making is that following Jesus Christ means having to leave something behind. Family. Friends. Lucrative career. And of course, comfort. That’s what the disciples left behind when were called to follow Jesus and this meant they would have to face some dangerous times ahead.

I think about my brethren in Christ who are in lands where they are horribly persecuted. They are leaving behind riches, a chance for education and to follow King Jesus.

At the bottom of the devotional, this question was posed:

In what ways can you trust Him with what you may be leaving?

I can remind myself that I am worshipping someone who can do exceedingly and abundantly above all I can ask or think (Eph. 3).

I can trust God with what I may be leaving by realizing that I am being called to advance the Kingdom of God, and that is a Kingdom that will go on forever. As such what I leave behind will be worth it in the end.

I can also trust God with what I may be leaving by realizing He is calling me to leave something in order to go in to something better.