1/5/12 - Follow Me

John 1:43-51

Jesus decided to go to Galilee, and he found Philip.
And Jesus said to him, "Follow me."
Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the town of Andrew and Peter.
Philip found Nathanael and told him,
"We have found the one about whom Moses wrote in the law,
and also the prophets, Jesus, son of Joseph, from Nazareth."
But Nathanael said to him,
"Can anything good come from Nazareth?"
Philip said to him, "Come and see."
Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him,
"Here is a true child of Israel.
There is no duplicity in him."
Nathanael said to him, "How do you know me?"
Jesus answered and said to him,
"Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree."
Nathanael answered him,
"Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel."
Jesus answered and said to him,
"Do you believe
because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree?
You will see greater things than this."
And he said to him, "Amen, amen, I say to you,
you will see the sky opened and the angels of God
ascending and descending on the Son of Man."

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Today we see the calling of Phillip and Nathanial. Just like with Peter and Andrew, the call is very simple. "Follow me." The call is so gentle, yet is so meaningful. We have no idea what will come from it. No clue at all. You just get that tugging at your heart that you need to go along.

I've had moments where that thought has frightened me. It's usually fear of the unknown, or (worse yet), fear of what I'll have to give up to follow Him. But it's turned out that every time I've turned myself over to Jesus -- without exception -- the return has been great. I just need to come to him, despite whatever burden I might be carrying, and he will give me rest.