The God of Surprises

Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread.

I'm Amy Boucher-Pye and I called our reading, The God of Surprises. The convention center darkened and thousands of us university students bowed our heads as the speaker led us in a prayer of commitment. As he welcomed those to stand who felt called to serve in overseas missions, I could feel my friend Lynette leave her seat and knew she was promising to live and serve in the Philippines.

Yet I felt no urge to stand. Seeing the needs in the United States, I wanted to share God's love in my native land. But a decade later, I would make my home in Britain, seeking to serve God among the people He gave me as my neighbors.

My ideas about how I would live my life changed when I realized that God invited me on an adventure different from what I had anticipated. Jesus often surprised those He met, including the fishermen He called to follow Him. When Christ gave them a new mission to fish for people, Peter and Andrew left their nets at once and followed Him, and James and John immediately left their boat. They set off on this new adventure with Jesus, trusting Him yet not knowing where they were going. God of course calls many people to serve Him right where they are.

Whether staying or going, we can all look to Him expectantly to surprise us with wonderful experiences and opportunities to live for Him in ways we might never have dreamed possible. The Bible reading for today's Our Daily Bread is from Matthew chapter 4, verses 18-22. 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. Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James, son of Zebedee, and his brother, John.

They were in a boat with their father, Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them and immediately they left the boat in their father and followed Him. Let's pray. Loving Jesus, you call people to follow you in unique and amazing ways. Today we ask that you would teach us to discern your voice and to respond to your call in our lives. We welcome how you will answer these prayers and we pray in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen. These encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread Ministries.