Daily Devotional for Monday, January 5

Jesus Called Peter, James and John

“And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men. And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him,” Luke 5:10, 11.

I vividly remember standing at the airport in 2013 at the end of my summer internship in Kenya holding my bags. I knew I was supposed to serve there, and for a couple of years I prayed about what the Lord was asking of me. Standing with my luggage in my hands I knew I needed to stay. God could have worked out all of the details necessary for me to resign from my job, find mission support and tell my family I would not be back for a while, but instead I got on the plane. I often think about the Kingdom work I missed with my hesitance to immediate obedience.

After a long night of fruitless fishing, Jesus instructed Peter to cast his nets again. Though weary, Peter obeyed, and the result began breaking the net and sinking the boat. At this moment, Peter realized he was in the presence of someone far greater than he imagined and fell at Jesus’ feet, confessing his unworthiness. Jesus responds with both comfort and calling: “Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men” (verse 10). An invitation to a transformed life. Peter, James, and John had made a living from the sea, but Jesus was calling them to something eternal. Their response was immediate and complete. They left everything and followed Him.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

When Jesus calls, the best response is immediate obedience.

Ashley Ridings