Joining Jesus

By Jeremy Lim, Session Elder

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. (Matthew 4:18-19)

Last year I asked my 13-year-old son, Danner, if he wanted to go fishing with me in Alaska. To no one’s surprise, he said yes! River fishing for sockeye salmon was a new type of fishing for Danner, but I walked him through the set-up and casting technique. I showed him where to stand in the river, where to cast, and what to feel for before setting the hook. He quickly got the hang of it, and I’m honestly not sure which of us was more excited when his rod bent over with the weight of his first salmon!

If you’re thinking that I chose the above passage because of its reference to fishing, you wouldn’t be totally wrong. I love fishing! But let me focus our attention in this passage by summarizing it like this: “Jesus said, ‘Follow Me,’ and they followed Him.” Peter and Andrew embarked on an amazing journey with Jesus that day, but their journey didn’t start with them dropping their nets and following Him. It started with Jesus’ invitation. It started with Jesus saying, in essence, “Come, join Me and be a part of what I am doing in the world.” They could not fathom letting this opportunity pass them by! 

Jesus reminds me in John 15:16–– “You did not choose Me, but I chose you.” When I think about the beginning of my own faith journey, I often assume that it began when I, as a young teenager, invited Jesus into my heart. That was a huge decision, no doubt, but it was a response to Jesus reaching out to me, and it was the first of a lifetime’s worth of decisions to follow Him. More than 25 years later, Jesus continues to invite me to join Him in the things He’s doing all around me. My soul may be saved, but He still gives me countless opportunities to respond to Him every day.

Danner and I shared some incredible experiences fishing together in Alaska. He naturally followed my lead in everything we did, but we did everything together. Oh that our relationship with Jesus would be the same way! Whether you’ve been a Christian for 50 years, or you’ve not yet made that decision, Jesus’ invitation to follow and join Him is always waiting for your response. 

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for choosing me! Thank You for inviting me to be a part of what You are doing. Help me have the humble faith of a child to trust and follow You every moment of my life. Help me remember that You are leading me, and yet still walking right beside me, into the best life possible. Amen.

Share this with a friend: