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Photo by Charles F. Stanley.
Daily Devotion

Faith to Leave

Have you decided to follow Jesus whenever and wherever He leads?

October 23, 2023

Mark 1:16-20

When Jesus met Simon and Andrew, the brothers weren’t extraordinary saints. The same was true of James and John. They were all just fishermen—men who, along with many others, listened to the Lord’s teaching. What set them apart was their faith to leave behind their old life for a new way of living.

Mark is fond of using the word immediately. In his gospel, he writes that the brothers “immediately” left their nets and followed Jesus. We might miss the enormity of this decision. The men left their businesses—their source of income—but that was only the beginning. More than three years of discipleship took them far from family, home, comfort, and safety. They answered Jesus’ call with faith, not only to believe but also to leave.

We may not receive so radical a call. Yet we aren’t all that different from the disciples. When Jesus invites us to follow Him, we must set aside everything that competes for our trust in Him. In other words, we must be willing to leave our own “nets”—jobs and homes, or perhaps comfort and success—when the Lord calls us to do so. What would it take for you to have that kind of faith?

Bible in One Year: Luke 6-7

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