Journey

D L Henderson
3 min readNov 21, 2024

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Journey

November 21, 2024

Life is a journey. I think everyone knows that.The Bible says that journey begins in the darkness of unbelief. It isn’t like a walk in the Park, but is more like wandering around in the deep woods, not seeing that much nor that much so clearly.

We kind of feel our way and usually in the directions parents have guided us, school teachers have given us some knowledge, and the school of hard knocks has imparted practical wisdom to us.

Even with the best of intentions that guidance and knowledge gives us only an ability to see dimly. We may see some shafts of light piercing through the tree canopy, but the pathways we know of do not get us out of the woods.

I was thinking this morning about why those fishermen answered the call when Jesus said “Come follow me, and I’ll make you fishers of men.” Was this some magical impulse to drop everything and to follow this man?

Look I’m a Working Class man who doesn’t have that much class. I never would leave my job to follow a stranger. However, as I understand the setting of this scene, it did not happen in empty space. Early in Jesus’ ministry, at the wedding of Cana, Jesus had turned huge jugs of water into wine — the best wine money could never buy. The only people that knew what exactly had happened were his mother, Mary, and the servants who carried the wine into the party.

My kind of people, Working Class, and you know what we usually do with such spectacular information? We tell our friends and relatives. Word gets around. So when the fishermen, Simon, Andrew, James, and John, were invited by Jesus to “fish for men,” it wasn’t blindly that they followed. They had heard that this rabbi was more than ordinary. They believed what they had heard about the wedding banquet.

So, their life journeys took a turn. This bit of information was the beginning of their faith walk — the substance on which they chose to follow: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” — Matthew 11:1, New King James Bible. Or in another translation: “Now faith is the assurance of what we hope for and the certainty of what we do not see.” — Berean Standard Bible Or in another wording of the same idea: “Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see.” — New Living Translation.

Sustanc, assurance, reality.

Evidence, certainty.

Not blindly following, Not blind faith.

Those five qualities continued to build as they walked and talked with Jesus and witnessed all the miraculous miracles of the merciful character of this rabbi. He was a lot more than any rabbi they had ever heard of.

Towards the very end of this walking with Jesus, their doubts were finally fully overcome, Peter speaking for them all, “But what about you?” Jesus asked. “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ {the Messiah}, the Son of the living God.”

Jesus lights our paths so we can find our way out of this deep dark woods we were born into.

“All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.” — John 6:37, New King James Version.

Here is a modern day example of substance, assurance, reality,

evidence, and certainty working in real people who have answered the invitation

Talking To Jesus | Elevation Worship & Maverick City

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D L Henderson
D L Henderson

Written by D L Henderson

Born 1950; HS 1968; Born again 1972; Cornell ILR; Steward, Local President/Business Agent; Husband, father, grandfather; winner/loser/everything in between

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