Matthew 9:9
‘As Jesus went on from there, He saw a man called Matthew sitting in the taxcollector’s office; and He said to him, “Follow Me!” And he got up and followed Him.’
This is amazing. Matthew gave up his lucrative career right there on the spot. I know that God knew his back story. I’ve heard it said that his parents may have been ashamed of him as he took money from his people. Looked down upon by his people, especially the priests.
All of us have been called by Jesus. I wasn’t quite sure what I was doing when I received Christ. I was at a christian concert and responded to an altar call. I thought it was a challenge, if you’re for God, come up. I didn’t know I was giving my life to God and that He would live in me and that I would walk Him for the rest of my life.
My thoughts were more God centered. I would bring Him up often in conversations. My social life was already failing. My friends were getting jobs and hanging out with their work friends. A couple months later, my mom and I discovered christian television. It became our church as I didn’t have any christian friends and wasn’t aware of bible teaching churches. While we went to church it wan’t feeding our new faith. The hole I felt by my altered friend group was being filled by God.
Like Matthew I never looked back. Over the summer, after high school I met Gordon. He was about ten years older than me and a seminary student. He invited me over his house weekly for bible study. Right around the same time I was with my friends drinking on a Friday night. I have been feeling convicted about getting drunk. This was from the Holy Spirit as I wasn’t reading the bible and didn’t know that it was frowned upon. I stopped associating with them.
Matthew may not have known that he was leaving his booth behind. He may have thought he had a slow afternoon, so why not respond to Jesus’ invitation. One thing led to another and he had a better life.
Jesus says that His yoke is easy and His burden is light. It was far better than my old life. I was a late bloomer and always felt I was behind. I didn’t think about college until I was sitting down signing yearbooks as a senior. I went to Santa Ana College and joined the christian club there. There were my first christian friends. We would take turns teaching. I had been terrified of public speaking, but here I was loving it. We would go to Calvary Chapel three times a week. My mom and brother would all go. We never became non Catholics, but loved the bible teaching and enthusiasm there. One of my high school friends came to Christ and would join us.
For Matthew it was to be for an afternoon. For me it was to walk forward at a concert. I had no idea that it would be forever. I didn’t know of this new life. Thank You God for calling me. He’s kept me. There is much sin I was spared by being in Christ. Thank You, God. “How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to Thy Word”, (Psalm 119:9). Our culture says, “Eat, drink and be merry”. God has something different. Thank You, God, for this new way. Psalm 16:11 says, “You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” Thank You, God.