They immediately followed him, leaving the boat and their father behind. – Matthew 4:22
Something about the comfort and safety of the boat makes it hard to leave! After Noah had floated in the ark for months, God caused the floodwaters to recede and directed Noah and his family to leave their haven of refuge. Surely Noah wondered what it would be like outside the ark.
Peter, too, knew the safety of the boat. But one day Jesus challenged him to leave the known and enter the unknown realm of “fishing for men.” Can’t you just imagine how Peter must have felt? What would it be like to wake up every day and follow Jesus? he must have thought.
The boat represents old habits, securities, and ways of doing things. Peter had been a fisherman for years; Noah had been confined to the security of the ark for months. Both had to decide if they would dare to follow the One who called them. When Noah sent the dove out the second time and it did not return to him (Genesis 8:12), he knew it was time to leave the ark. Like the dove, he had no desire to stay in his world of former security. When Peter heard the voice of the Master, he knew it was time to leave the place of family refuge and follow the will of God.
Once you have tasted of a new world—a world of ministry—you will have no desire to return to the mundane routine of life. Leave the boat, my Christian friend. A new world awaits you!
