Leave Your Nets

"And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.  And they straightway left their nets, and followed him. And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them.  And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him." (Matthew 4:19-22).


       The men in this passage were fishermen. This is what they did for a living. Without fishing, these men had no livelihood for them and their families.  Day in and day out, they were out on the water in their boats fishing. Every day was the same. Until this particular day, when Jesus came by. He didn't tell them to leave their fishing business, nets, boats or anything. All He said to them was, "Follow Me". This passage said they left their nets straightway, or in other words, immediately. They didn't ask any questions, they didn't need any details or didn't wait for Him to say it again. They didn't ask for a confirmation to make sure. They simply left their nets. This meant they left their livelihood, their income, their security, and everything they knew. They left everything to follow Him.

     Later in that passage, James and John were in the boat with their brother and they were mending their nets. Again, they needed these nets to catch fish in order to sustain a livelihood. They left their nets, their ship and even their father and followed Jesus. They didn't ask Him any questions or argue with Him. They simply obeyed, even though they knew it would cost them their business and their income.

     What are you holding onto?  Are you staying in your comfort zone instead of taking a step of faith and following Him whole heartedly? Lay aside everything that would hinder you from completely following Him. You must lay aside your wishes, your plans, your ways. God is calling us out of our comfort zone. We will never fulfill His plans for our lives as long as we continue doing things as we have always done them. We must trust Him to take care of us and lead us the way He wants us to go.

      Don't question Him. Don't argue with Him. Don't ignore His call. He is calling you today. Will you leave your agenda and follow Him? You will not be sorry that you made that decision. You will be so thankful you did and will have His peace and joy in your lives.


"There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death."  (Proverbs 14:12).


"Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.  In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." (Proverbs 3:5-6).