DAILY FOUNTAIN DEVOTIONAL GUIDE Thursday, January 11
WATCH AND RESTEEM AND FOLLOW
TOPIC: Matthew 4:12-25
- Now when Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, He departed to Galilee.
- And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali,
- that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:
15.“The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles: - The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death Light has dawned.”
- From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
- And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.
- Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
- They immediately left their nets and followed Him.
- Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. He called them, 22. and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.
- And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people.
- Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them.
- Great multitudes followed Him—from Galilee, and from Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan.
In our text today, we see in verse 19 that Jesus said to them would be His disciples: “follow me and I will make you fishers of men.” The syllabus for studies in that school of discipleship they were called into was not a code of dry letters but a Person – Jesus. He offered Himself as the syllabus and also as the Teacher. The purpose of the calling is in following Him.
What does it mean to follow Jesus? It means a conscious fellowship, walk, obedience, relationship and a deliberate enrolment into the school of His life as a life time vocation. The making is in the following. Therefore, if you desire to be more relevant in the work of God, the recommendation of Jesus is that you follow Him. That is our utmost call. Out of the following comes the ministry of fishing for men. And to follow properly, we need to lay aside every weight of sin and entanglements of the world so that our following will be productive.
Prayer: Lord, give me grace to follow You all through my life. Amen.