March 12 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

Devotional

This was the day on which the father of Simon and Andrew lost both his sons to Jesus. And father Zebedee's sons, James and John, also left the fishing business. What a beautiful way to lose your children!

What makes a person decide to follow Jesus?

We might as well ask what made Abraham decide to leave his country and go to the unknown land of Canaan. It's always a word that comes to us in the form of a command. "Follow me." But there must be more. After all, the word comes to many. And yet one person stays, while another leaves his nets and follows Jesus.

It is faith in Jesus that makes the difference.

Those who follow Jesus are convinced that Christ is the way, that Christ is the only way. They have come to the conclusion that they cannot afford to disobey the call. They do not lose when they go; they are lost if they stay put. It is faith in Christ that makes one a follower of Jesus.

That's the way it was with the salesman who sold pearls. One day he saw a pearl that caught his fancy so irresistibly that he just couldn't be happy anymore without it. So he sold all his other merchandise in order to acquire that pearl of great value (Matt. 13:46).

It's true, of course, that the apostle has told us to stay in the situation in which we were called and serve the Lord there (1 Cor. 7:20, 24). Some unfortunate things have happened to a few people who misunderstood the call to conversion as a call to become a preacher. But unless you have experienced the call of Jesus as the big change in your life, you have not yet obeyed his call.

Christ has freed us from so many things that used to hold our interest! For us, it's Christ or nothing. The road may be rough and the Master may have little visual appeal in the worldly sense. But we believe.

"Lamb of God, I come."

REFLECTIONS

As your response to Jesus' call, sing or say the words of the old gospel song: "Just as I am with one plea / but that thy blood was shed for me / and that thou bidd'st me come to thee / O Lamb of God, I come, I come" (Charlotte Elliott, 1836).

Andrew Kuyvenhoven's Daylight, a modern devotional classic, was originally published by Paideia Press in 1977. This updated edition is copyright 2009 by Faith Alive Christian Resources. You can order a copy of this revised version of the book directly from the publisher.

A man of many accomplishments, Andrew Kuyvenhoven is probably best known for his contributions to Today (formerly The Family Altar), a widely-used monthly devotional booklet associated with the Back to God Hour. Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations for this updated edition of Daylight are from the Holy Bible: Today's New International Version copyright 2001, 2005 by the International Bible Society.