Read Lk. 5:1-11
“… leaving all they had, followed him” (v.11). Can I really and honestly do that?
One of our greatest challenges as believers is really leaving everything to follow Jesus. We still don’t have that confidence. We carry on ourselves our burden of doubts, fears, worries, frustrations, the malicious tongues of this wicked world. Why can’t we just leave them and follow him?
“… leaving all they had, followed him” (v.11). Can I really and honestly do that?
One of our greatest challenges as believers is really leaving everything to follow Jesus. We still don’t have that confidence. We carry on ourselves our burden of doubts, fears, worries, frustrations, the malicious tongues of this wicked world. Why can’t we just leave them and follow him?
It baffles me most times when I reflect on the outcome of the lives of these wonderful biblical men and women. Their loyalty, determination, raw courage, total dependence and love for God.
Can you just imagine, they worked hard all night and caught nothing, not even a crayfish (v.5); but when they did at the orders of ‘this stranger’ (v.4) and caught (without passing through the tortuous rigors of the night) such a hugh number of fish that their nets began to break, had to call for help to the extent that both boats started ‘crying for their lives’ (vv. 6-7), they just left everything.
Is that not arrant stupidity and madness? Their whole life, their sustenance depends on it but they just let it go just like that. Remember this was their very first contact with Jesus and it was not as if they went in search of him rather he came to disturb their seemingly “frustrating peace” of an awful all night of failure. Here comes this stranger, what a beautiful success, something they had never experienced in their whole life of fishing before; and they left everything.
When will I learn to be like them or why is it so hard to trust like them to the extent of leaving everything just to follow the Lord. Our 40days fasting journey is bitting harder on some of us because we are not traveling light with Jesus. We still carry with us our fears, doubts and frustrations. A friend of mine is fond of saying a word that I always rebuke her for: “I don’t have an helper.” You do my do my friend, you do. Have you forgotten his words in Is. 43:1-2 “fear not I have redeemed you,
I call you by your name you are mine?” What of “I am going a new thing …I am making a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert” (v.19).
Lighten yourself today by letting them go, and brighten up yourself by doing what Jesus would do – being of service to someone today by putting smiles on their faces. Just go back to last week’s reflections, it will be of valuable help.
Pray today with Ps. 35,124 & 121. Sing “It’s me, it’s me it’s me, O Lord standing in the need of prayer.” Study today Deut. 33.
SHEPHERD ME O LORD BEYOND MY STRENGTH.