Wednesday 10 Jun 2020

June 10: Matthew 4:18-22

Key Verse: Matthew 4:19
“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.”

Devotion:
What is your first reaction when someone asks you to join them for an event? I suppose the answers would range from “depends who asks” to “depends what for” or even “depends what mood I’m in.” We would all react differently to being asked to do something. But what if it was someone of great importance who did the asking? What if it was your best friend who asked? When it is someone whom you trust and rely on, you are more likely to take notice. When it is something you want to do, even more so.

But what happens when someone asks you to do something because they believe God wants you to do it? What is your reaction to it then? I must admit to being sceptical about some of the things I have been asked to do in God’s name, but ask time has gone on I have also began to realise God uses people to talk to you – He doesn’t always rely on you listening and obeying like these disciples did…

The world seems to be rather a chaotic environment for all of us, especially over the first half of this year; and when the world is noisy and chaotic, we don’t tend to hear God when He is trying to speak to us. Many people have commented on being able to hear the birds chirping away during this time of lock-down, even in the cities. It’s not because they are shouting out louder than usual but because there is much less background noise for us to be distracted by.

This is why God uses other people to talk to us. This is why we are placed in the right place at the right time to hear a message from God – just because we cannot hear it through the hustle and bustle of our normal lives! These disciples were ready to go with Jesus. They were expectant. They wanted to go. They left their livelihoods and followed Jesus. To do what God wants in our lives we need to be more like these disciples and less like the rest of the world around us.

Points to Ponder:
Are you ready, willing and able?

Are you expectant and listening?