Devotions Archive Archive: 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 Search Archive Print This Article Following the leader Wednesday, November 30, 2005 Matthew 4:18-20 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 make you fishers of men." At once they left their nets and followed him. Twenty years ago. Margaret is walking through the grocery store with Chris, nearly five years old and Marc, sitting in the cart-seat. One of our favorite Lincoln Christian College friends, Gary Johnson, meets her in the aisles and asks her if she wouldn't like to visit a small-small town church where he has recently begun preaching. "You could think of yourselves as missionaries," he said. That's how I remember it, anyway. And we found ourselves in Waynesville, Illinois, meeting people who were so easy to love. Encouraged by wonderful people who loved us and helped us, we bought our first house there a year or so later. Gary preached, modeled a servant-heart, and gathered people ... and the church grew and grew. We grew too. The church overwhelmed the small school building where it met. A fabulous construction project, manned mostly by church members, eventually resulted in a church of more than 350 in a town of less than 300. Daily prayer meetings, small group revivals, great preaching and worship on Sundays, and fellowship every day of every week made us think sometimes we were living in the book of Acts. What made Margaret say, "Yes"? We were fine where we were, involved in a well-established church in Lincoln. Our kids were happy in their Sunday-school classes, and their day-care person was one of our favorite people. Something clicked, that's what. Just like with Simon and Andrew ... something clicked with them when they met Jesus. And they just said, "Yes." Saying "yes" changed our lives. It seems now, looking back, that everything turned on that one moment. That certainly seems to be true for Simon and Andrew. When God comes calling, saying yes when the "clicking" starts ... it's a big deal. Lord, you turn me toward yourself. Open my eyes and ears so I can see it when you do. And open my mouth, give me words of affirmation and assent, and let me find my feet to follow. "; Add      Edit    Delete