The Call

Let's focus our attention on the call. In Mark 1:16–20 we see this:

 ¹⁶ And passing along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, He (Jesus) saw Simon [Peter] and Andrew, the brother of Simon casting a net in the sea, for they were fishermen.

¹⁷ And Jesus said to them, come after Me and be My disciples, and I will make you become fishers of men

¹⁸ And at once they left their nets and yielding up all claim to them, followed [with] Him joining Him as disciples.

¹⁹ He went on a little farther and saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who were in [their] boat putting their nets in order.

²⁰ And immediately He called out to them, and [abandoning all mutual claims] they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and went off after Him.

When Jesus calls Simon and Andrew to follow Him, their response was to drop their livelihood, drop their dependence on their own survival, on their ability to support their families and follow him.  It doesn't even show they hesitated.  Where did they get the trust to do this?

Immediately they dropped their nets and left everything behind to follow Jesus. (Mark 1:18).

Jesus then approached James and John, at once, James and John dropped their nets, stood up, left their father in the boat with the hired men, and followed Jesus. (Mark 1:20, TPT). There was no hesitation in this.

I want this to be a week of reflection on our parts, to look at the call of God on our lives, look at the time we received confirmation in our Spirit, the time we knew Jesus spoke to us and said, come and follow me.

I was a manager of a pizza restaurant. I was very successful and thought that I was happy, fulfilled, and a great provider for my family. I was invited to attend a conference meeting at a church, and was reluctant to attend, because I was not living for God at the time. I remember sitting in the seat, wondering “How long is this going to last?”, but soon I was hanging on to every word of the minister. He talked about being in a place in life that he could not get on his own, a place that only God could put him. He was talking about being a ‘turtle on a fencepost’. This sermon spoke to my heart and filled my spirit with joy! When the message ended, and he gave me the opportunity to be spirit-filled, I jumped from my seat and ran to the front. I rededicated my life and received the infilling of the Holy Spirit with evidence of speaking in other tongues; that was the moment, that was the experience of coming up out of the water for me, where I received a direct word from the Lord, and He said GO… to Bible college. I knew then I needed training, and I would have to leave everything I depended on for livelihood behind.

Within four weeks, our family uprooted our lives entirely and moved, out of obedience to the word God spoke to me.

I want to know about you. God speaks to us directly, and He reassures us of this on numerous accounts. Take some time to reflect on your walk with the Lord. When was your life-changing experience? How did God call you? Are you walking in that calling today? Are you taking steps to get closer to the place where He wants you to be? He is speaking to you, talking to your heart, and He is CALLING YOU! The call is precious, it is a divine calling into the ministry of reconciliation, and we all have a part to play in it. Are you walking in your calling?

Prayer of Consecration: Lord, I know I am called, I know you are faithful to your word, you said in Jeremiah 1:12 that you are watching to see your word fulfilled. Lord I receive the call you have for my life. I receive my part in your great work to reconcile your children to you, and I will answer the call. Lord I resubmit my life today to your call. Father, I thank you for giving me the patience, the courage, the strength, and the tenacity to take hold of this calling and watch as you perform your word. Thank you, Lord, for working in and through me for Your glory in Jesus' name. Amen!