Do It Anyway
“PURSUE IT”
One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers—Simon, also called Peter, and Andrew—throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living. Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!” And they left their nets at once and followed him.
—Matthew 4:18–20
“Follow me.”
I can visualize Peter and Andrew on the shoreline, standing with their dirty nets and their sweaty brows. I imagine them watching Jesus as He walks up to them and tells them to follow Him so they can learn “how to fish for people.”
It seems as if they instantly dropped those nets and did what Jesus asked. Was it that simple and easy?
For the disciples and others to whom Jesus spoke, it seems that making the decision to follow Him was easy. As Jesus said in Luke 9:23, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me.” Such a simple decision to make. Of course, Peter and Andrew demonstrated that following Jesus comes at a price. Their lives testify that “the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult” (Matthew 7:14).
Jesus doesn’t say that following Him will be easy, but He still asks us to do it.
My song “I Will Follow” speaks to this sort of faith. I can imagine those disciples saying to Jesus the very same words: “I’ll follow where You lead. Your hand I trust completely. You can lead me. Where You lead I’ll go.”1
Can you say that?
If Jesus walked up to you today, could you easily drop whatever nets you’re holding?
Could you suddenly, without any fear or reservation, say that you will follow your Lord and Savior?
“I’ll follow where You lead.”
Along with the rest of the disciples, Peter and Andrew trusted Jesus wholeheartedly. For three years, Jesus took His disciples on an amazing journey. They saw miracles, watched wonders, learned truths, and witnessed the glory of Jesus. They saw Him nailed to the cross. And then they saw Him risen.
To come to the feet of Jesus, we first must follow Him. We must trust in and obey Him.
Pursuing Jesus wholeheartedly is a decision we make today and again tomorrow and every day after. And we know that someday we will see Jesus in His full glory, seated at God’s right hand.
PRAY
Dear heavenly Savior, thank You for the gift of Your Son, Jesus. Thank You for allowing me to follow Him. Help me follow You with all that I am, and grant me Your mercy when I fail to follow You. Help me be bold and pursue Your feet, Lord. In Jesus’s name, amen.”
Excerpted from Do It Anyway Devotional by Tasha Cobbs Leonard. Copyright © 2024 by Tasha Cobbs Leonard. Published by WaterBrook, an imprint of Penguin Random House, LLC. Used by permission.
Two-time Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter Tasha Cobbs Leonard is one of the most iconic artists in gospel music history. Winner of fifteen GMA Dove Awards, sixteen Stellar Awards, three Billboard Music Awards, and two RIAA Certified platinum singles, Tasha was named Billboard‘s Gospel Artist of the Decade. Alongside her husband, Kenneth Leonard, Jr., she serves as the executive pastor at their church plant, The Purpose Place, in Spartanburg, South Carolina. A successful entrepreneur and owner of several businesses, she launched her own record label, TeeLee Records. Tasha lives in Greenville, South Carolina, with her husband and their four children.
