“As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” At once they left their nets and followed him. Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.” (Matthew 4:18-22 NIV)
It’s the first day of the year, a day called today; a day that follows yesterday where many people made resolutions, others reached back into a storage bin labeled “Things To Be Revived” and pulled out something they would really do this time, a few people made certain commitments that would take them to a higher summit named Mount Better, and of course, there were those who said, “I’m not promising, but I will pray on it.” What did you decide to do in this New Year? Oh, not things to make yourself look more shapely, not things to reduce your body mass index, and not just going to church more often, but what did you decide to do to be a better follower of our Lord Jesus?
The Lord saved you to serve. The Lord called you out of darkness into the marvelous light so your light might help others give God the glory. The Lord called you with full expectation, that when it came to doing what He wants you to do; you will not think one moment about saying, “Yes Lord.”
The four brothers in our opening verses showed no hesitation. Peter and his brother Andrew at once left their nets and responded to Jesus invitation to follow Him. James and John responded to Jesus calling them, immediately leaving their boat and their father to follow Jesus. These are perfect examples of how we should say, “Yes Lord.”
This year, lets you and me say “Yes Lord” with our actions and not just our mouths that are motivated by the excitement of a New Year! You and I, let us say “Yes Lord” and go throughout the year staying close to Jesus and as the song suggest, having “just a closer walk” with Him! Let the example provided by the four brothers excite us throughout 2021! And, if that is not enough, look ever to Jesus, who said, ”Yes” to the Father and came to save us and how He kept saying “Yes” throughout His life, all the way to Calvary. Happy New Year! Be blessed!
“Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but didn’t think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn’t claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion.” (Philippians 2:5-8 MSG)
Still committed to the climb,
Mark L. King