DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- DIVINE ENCOUNTER
Matthew 4:18-22
"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 heir nets and followed Him."
Taken by itself this account of the calling of Peter and Andrew to be Jesus' disciples seems to be a chance encounter of Jesus randomly picking two men out of a crowd of fishermen. But nothing happens in a vacuum. John's account sheds more light (John Chapter One). Andrew had been a disciple of John the Baptist, and heard JB declare that Jesus was "the Lamb of God." On hearing that, Andrew went and got his brother, Peter, and they spend the day with Jesus. Then apparently they went back to the day-job of fishing. So when Jesus was strolling by the seaside and saw them fishing, it was not a chance encounter. They had been prepared for this Divine Encounter with Jesus, so that when they heard Him call, they immediately left their nets and followed. It seems to me that most people who follow Christ have been prepared by previous experience to answer the call. I don't know how many times I heard the Gospel preached before I was truly saved, but I am so grateful for those faithful people who planted the seed and then watered it (I Corinthians 3:6), so that when I heard Jesus call me, I was ready to say, "Yes."
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: The call to follow Jesus does not happen in a vacuum, but comes to hearts that have been prepared.
[end]
Have a Divine Encounter day. Love you.
Matthew 4:18-22
"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 heir nets and followed Him."
Taken by itself this account of the calling of Peter and Andrew to be Jesus' disciples seems to be a chance encounter of Jesus randomly picking two men out of a crowd of fishermen. But nothing happens in a vacuum. John's account sheds more light (John Chapter One). Andrew had been a disciple of John the Baptist, and heard JB declare that Jesus was "the Lamb of God." On hearing that, Andrew went and got his brother, Peter, and they spend the day with Jesus. Then apparently they went back to the day-job of fishing. So when Jesus was strolling by the seaside and saw them fishing, it was not a chance encounter. They had been prepared for this Divine Encounter with Jesus, so that when they heard Him call, they immediately left their nets and followed. It seems to me that most people who follow Christ have been prepared by previous experience to answer the call. I don't know how many times I heard the Gospel preached before I was truly saved, but I am so grateful for those faithful people who planted the seed and then watered it (I Corinthians 3:6), so that when I heard Jesus call me, I was ready to say, "Yes."
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: The call to follow Jesus does not happen in a vacuum, but comes to hearts that have been prepared.
[end]
Have a Divine Encounter day. Love you.
No comments:
Post a Comment