I will...

Matthew 4:19, 20… Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!” And they left their nets at once and followed him.

Jesus offers an invitation to some fishermen to “come and follow”… He then says the phrase, “I will”!

When you say these words to someone, you are promising to take action on whatever it is that comes next. For example, you are talking to a friend and you say, I will mow your yard next Tuesday. Not only have you committed to help your friend but you have made yourself responsible and accountable to your friend to get the work done. Making an “I will” statement is serious business; it should not be said lightly. Of course, if in the past you have made an “I will” statement and never followed through on your promise, you probably experienced hurt feelings or broken trust in your relationship. Maybe you have been on the receiving end of an “I will” statement and the person that said it to you never followed through on the promise.

Jesus is saying to these men, I promise to change your lives; I will give you a new job to do beyond just being fishermen. I will show you things that you have never seen or experienced before.

I believe Jesus continues to use “I will” statements toward us, and the good news is, He always keeps His promises; Jesus always follows through and keeps His Word.

Spend some time today trying to find other Bible verses where God and or Jesus uses “I will” statements in the Bible. Reflect on how that makes you feel and what you can learn from those verses.