“And he went forth again by the sea side; and all the multitude resorted unto him, and he taught them. And as he passed by, he saw Levi the Son of Alphaeus sitting at the receipt of custom, and said unto him, Follow me. And he arose and followed him” (KJV, Mark 2:13-14).
“And he went forth again by the sea side”
Father, I thank You for sending Your Son into this world. In Christ, I see a Savior Who came to seek and to save the lost. In Christ, I see a Savior Who was concerned about people. Thank You for revealing Your Son to me and allowing me to walk with Christ.
I see in Christ a Savior Who went “again” by the sea side. Thank You, Jesus, for continuing to pursue me again and again. I know that I have let You down many times before, but You never fail to come by my side again, just as You walked by the sea side again on your mission to save lost souls.
Jesus, Your perseverance in Your relationship with me is nothing short of amazing, and it is praiseworthy. In You, Jesus, I gain a true understanding of steadfast love, Your covenantal love, Your enduring love.
I am an unworthy servant. I am unworthy child of the Father, but I thank You, Lord Jesus, that You continue to pursue me. Please walk by my side again.
I see in Christ a Savior Who attracted much attention. I see in Christ a Savior in Whom many believed. I also see in Christ a Savior Whom many people sought for the wrong reasons. Your Word says that multitudes went after Jesus. Nevertheless, in the end, You had little to no followers.
Please help me, Lord, to make my salvation about my own relationship with You. Please help me to make my salvation about my own need for forgiveness. I often find that I can get carried away with what others are doing or others are saying. I need to know for certain that I am truly in Christ and cleansed by Your blood.
“and he taught them”
Your Word says that Jesus taught the masses. I also see in Your Word the way that Jesus taught many people in parables, but in private, Jesus explained those parables to His disciples.
I also see the way in which, when Jesus was on earth, He was in a teaching ministry to the lost because He had compassion on them. In the book of John, Jesus points me to the Holy Spirit as the One Who would come and be a teacher in Jesus’ place.
I pray that You would help me to understand the roles of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in this life. I see in the Godhead perfect unity and equality, but at the same time differing roles. I see in the Father a gracious, loving Father Who designed my salvation and elected me before the foundation of the earth.
I see in Christ a loving Savior Who came to die for me. I see in the Holy Spirit a life-giving Spirit, Who quickened my spirit and brought about newness of life.
I see in the Father the One Who sent the Son, I see in the Son the One Who sent the Spirit, and I see in the Spirit the One Who takes up residence within the believer and causes him to move, as well.
I pray that You would teach me, Lord Jesus, through Your Spirit. Teach me, Holy Spirit, through Your Word, through times of prayer, and through my interactions with other Christians. I need Your help in this area.
I see many deceptive philosophies in the world today. I see many ways that people are believing lies and are blinded by the enemy so as not to receive the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Please open my eyes, Holy Spirit. I pray that my times of devotion would be fruitful times with You. I pray that I would not simply try to gain as much information during those times as I possibly can, but I pray that my heart would be desirous to gain God.
Teach me, Holy Spirit, how to be like Christ. Teach me, Holy Spirit, how to love and please my Father and my Savior. Teach me how to be satisfied with God alone and to view the things of this world as Moses did, like fleeting pleasures.
“And as he passed by, he saw Levi the Son of Alphaeus sitting at the receipt of custom”
I see in Matthew a man who had no hope. He was a lover of money and despised by the people. He was a crooked man who could not be trusted. Nevertheless, this man was on Your heart. I thank You for sharing this story with me, Lord, as I see in my own heart sin that remains.
I see in my own life ways in which I am unworthy to be called Your friend, Your brother, and even Your servant and slave. I do not live up to Your standards, but, Lord, I do continually pray that You would work in my heart and transform me each day.
I see in Christ a Savior Who sought out Matthew in the midst of Matthew’s being entrenched in his sin. He was sitting at a tax booth and taking part in the oppression of his people, along with robbing them of their money. Why You would desire a man like Matthew can only be explained by a depth of love that I know nothing about.
Please reveal this love to me. Please reveal yourself to me, and help me to grow to be more like You.
“and said unto him, Follow me”
Lord Jesus, what a blessing that You call out to the lost, “Follow me.” Show me what it means to follow You. Will following You mean that all my dreams will come to fruition? No, it certainly does not; Your Word confirms that this will not be the case.
Will following You mean a life of ease? I see in the example of all of Your disciples that this will not be the case either.
Teach me to follow You in the midst of great difficulty. Teach me to follow You in the midst of trial. Lord Jesus, I need Your help on this matter. I am quick to want my own way, and often I do not grasp the meaning of the words You have spoken: “Follow me.” To follow You means to walk where You walk and to live like You lived. Surely, I could not follow You apart from that.
To follow You means to pick up my cross and walk with You up Calvary’s hill. Please help me to understand this point. To follow You means to live a life of self-denial. To follow You means to do the Father’s will and lay aside my own will. You are worthy of this, Lord, and I pray that You would assist me by Your Spirit.
“And he arose and followed him”
Father, I pray that You would work in my heart like You did in Matthew’s. I know very little, maybe even nothing, of what it means to give up everything to follow Christ. Matthew’s livelihood was bound up in that tax booth.
His ability to eat and drink and live was found in his profession. He had already been disowned by everyone among society but the outcasts. Now he turned from it all and turned to You.
Why did Matthew do that, Lord? How could Matthew do that, Lord? Surely, You must have worked in his heart. When You told him to follow You, those words must have been more than mere words. They must have been words filled with power.
I recognize that there are times when I read Your Word and it seems as though there is little taking place in my heart. I also recognize there are times when I may read the same section of Your Word, and it is as though Your words are filled with power that day.
Holy Spirit, I pray that You would speak to me through Your Word and fill Your Words with power. In Jesus’ name, Amen.