Luke 9:23 (KJV), “And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.”
Peter, James, and John met Jesus in a very peculiar way. Being professional fishermen, they’d tried the best skill in their repertoires and having caught nothing all night retired to the shore to wash their nets. Something extraordinary however happened: Jesus was in one of their boats because he needed it as a stage for his sermon. But that wasn’t all, because of Jesus’s command, the professional fishermen who couldn’t catch a single fish all night now caught so many fishes that they required an extra boat to ferry them to shore. This was the encounter that led to the call of these men. They had the most amazing response; they left all and followed Jesus (see Luke 5:1-11).
Just like it happened with these men, discovering one’s call could follow a dramatic encounter; a vision, prophecy, miraculous healing or provision, etc. God does this so men may know that the one who is calling them is the All-Powerful One. But encounters alone, however breath-taking they may be, are not all that is needed.
The Lord Jesus in Luke 9:23 said, “ If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me”. Denying yourself, taking up your cross, and following the Lord daily are the actions that set the stage for a great destiny. Peter, James, and John did these when they abandoned what should have been called “breakthrough” and followed Jesus; they chose not to be fixed on the encounter while neglecting the giver of the encounter.
Go into today knowing that entering into your calling will require you to look beyond the encounters and start listening, obeying, and following God.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, please grant me the grace to forsake all and carry my cross daily and follow you. Amen!
—Dr. Emmanuel James
Yearly Bible Plan: Ecclesiastes 3-4(In Devotional Audio)
Credits: Audio Bible(Bible Experience, Zondervan)
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