Willing to Say Yes

Today, as we continue our journey in the series Following Jesus, we will see how God continues to call out ordinary flawed people to follow Him. But we need to remember that the call requires a radical response. Please join me in prayer as we invite Jesus into our devotional time.

Heavenly Father, I come to You today asking You to increase my desire to follow Jesus. As I read and study Your word give me guidance and understanding of Your commandments and of what it means to be a follower of Christ. A life that is surrendered to Jesus. A life of total obedience to You. Father, make the desire of my heart to always say yes to Jesus’ call. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Matthew 4:18-22 (NLT)
¹⁸ One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers—Simon, also called Peter, and Andrew—throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living. ¹⁹ Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!” ²⁰ And they left their nets at once and followed him.
²¹ A little farther up the shore he saw two other brothers, James, and John, sitting in a boat with their father, Zebedee, repairing their nets. And he called them to come, too. ²² They immediately followed him, leaving the boat and their father behind.

The disciples who received a calling by Jesus, immediately left what they knew to follow Him. They stumbled and disobeyed at times, but we must agree, their response to Jesus’ call was radical! We know that discipleship is a lifestyle, and we are to obey the teachings of Jesus. We are to live in total surrender and obedience to His call.

As you reflect on your relationship with Christ, are you like me and see areas of your life where you feel God is calling you to surrender in obedience to Jesus?

Personal sacrifice has been a major calling for me during 2024, and I am currently in one of those times. God placed on my heart to take an out of state trip to help close family with preparations to downsize and move. The trip has gone from a simple sorting and packing to preparing for extreme weather, but God is not calling me to leave others behind to find their own way. I am called to stay and work together to find the best solution for weathering this literal storm. I have such a peace that I am serving the purpose God has for me at this moment. At other times, I have had similar opportunities, but I chose the safe exit and missed out on what God wanted to teach me through the situation. Have you ever experienced a comparable situation? Are you willing to say yes?

Jesus’ call to follow Him, by trusting and obeying His commandments, is not always easy, but it is always the most spiritually rewarding. It is what God has designed for our spiritual growth. It is how Jesus will radically grow us into His disciples. As we close today, please spend some time alone with Jesus in prayer. You can use one or both of the following prompts.

Ask God to give you the desire to become the follower of Christ He has designed you to be.

Ask God for the strength to be willing to say yes to whatever He is calling you to do.

May you be filled with the peace and love of God today.