And he said to them, “Follow me…” Matthew 4:19, ESV
I wanted to be her. The little girl in the picture.
A sassy, blonde-headed girl in a flowered dress walking barefoot down a dirt path in the midst of wildflowers. She was looking back with a bible in her hand and a determined expression on her face. The caption read– Whether you come or not, I’m gonna follow Jesus.
She looked free.
She was free.
She was walking toward Jesus.
And nothing else mattered. Not a single thing.
I close my eyes for a moment to breathe in the simplicity of that idea. I imagine myself on that path, running my fingers along the tops of wildflowers peeking out from their hiding places to welcome me.
Jesus stands before me on the path, just ahead, holding out His hand.
Come, He says to me, a smile etched on His face and a sparkle in His eyes. He thinks me beautiful. I can see it in the way He looks at me, as though captivated. And without hesitation, I run toward Him.
And take his hand in mine.
Let’s look a little further into the passage in Matthew.
While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Immediately they left their nets and followed him. Matthew 4:18-20, ESV
I often wonder what they were thinking when Jesus said those words to them. It must have been one of those huh? moments.
But the verse states plainly that they immediately agreed, dropped what they were doing, and went with Him.
Wow. I want to be that person, don’t you?
They weren’t concerned with what they were leaving behind or if they’d heard Him right. I think I may have looked behind me to see if He was talking to someone else.
But, no. They believed and they followed.
Immediately.
I look once more at the picture of the little towheaded girl, and I wonder what her secret is.
What does she know that I don’t?
What’s missing for me that she has found?
And do you know what God whispered to my heart?
Trust.
I believe trust is a soul exchange that happens between you and your Savior. Your heart is found, and you realize you belong to each other.
And then the answer is clear because there is no other answer which exists that makes sense–
But to follow where trust leads.
I believe such an exchange took place between Jesus and those fisherman. And for them, in that moment, He was all there was.
If you are like me, you may struggle with trusting. This may be so because of past events or people who have misused or abused it in you.
You may feel hesitant to trust again.
To make yourself vulnerable.
To take that risk.
Me, too.
But whatever the reason for our hesitancy, Jesus understands.
And yet, He calls to us.
He will never stop pursuing us.
He will hold out His hand until the end of time because He loves us and longs for us to be with Him.
I don’t know about you, but I want to take that chance.
I want to walk among the wildflowers and be free.
I want to walk toward Jesus.
