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Walking by the sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers: Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew, his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. He said to them, "Come after me, and I will make you fishers for men." They immediately left their nets and followed him. Matthew 4:18–20 WEB.

As Jesus walked down by the seashore, He saw Peter and his brother Andrew. He told them to follow Him. That He would make them "fishers of men." They followed Jesus for the next few years and became experienced in ministry. He taught them so they could teach others. It was a long time before they were ready, but the day finally came. In chapter ten, Jesus sent them out on their first teaching mission:

Jesus sent these twelve out and commanded them, saying, "Don't go among the Gentiles, and don't enter into any city of the Samaritans. Rather, go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, preach, saying, 'The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!' Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, and cast out demons. Freely you received, so freely give. (Matthew 10:5-8 WEB).

There is an amount of time between Jesus calling you and Jesus sending you. How long is unknown to us. It varies from person to person. The length of this period varies throughout the Bible. David became king at thirty, while Moses began his ministry at eighty.

When I was around twenty years old, the Lord told me that I would teach His word one day and for me to prepare myself for ministry. I was so excited and went through Bible college, got ordained, then I waited. I was forty-five years old when the Lord finally put me in full-time ministry, and I no longer felt like I should be there. Where I had once felt like I knew a lot, I now felt like I knew nothing. As Paul wrote: "Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. But if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he doesn't yet know as he ought to know" (1 Corinthians 8:1–2 WEB). I can tell you that this is true.

Do you feel that God has called you for something, but it has yet to come to pass? Don't give up hope yet, for this is the normal course. God is faithful. Yet, there is a training time between the calling and the sending.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I thank You for not forgetting about me. I know that Your eyes are on the sparrow and that You will also take care of me. I want all that You have for me on this earth. Please walk with me, talk with me, speak to me, and through me. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen!

Note: For those interested, our Wednesday morning prayer service starts at 10:30am EST! This is a short service, about 15-20 minutes, where we pray together for any needs you bring forth. Hope to see y'all there! As always, if you have a prayer need, we are here for you! We and the prayer team are ready to lift you up at our private prayer page: RHM Prayer Network.