A Daily Purpose Day 126

by founding writer Torrie Slaughter

Throughout the Bible, we see examples of people persisting to follow others despite the challenges and obstacles that they may face. Whether it is following a leader, a prophet, or even Jesus Himself, these individuals show us the power of faith and determination in pursuing a greater purpose.

One of the most well-known examples of this is the story of the disciples, who left everything behind to follow Jesus.

In Matthew 4:19, Jesus tells two fishermen, Peter and Andrew, to

“Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

Without hesitation, they leave their nets and follow Jesus. Later, Jesus calls James and John, and they too immediately leave their boat and father behind to follow Him.

Another example is that of Ruth, who persisted in following Naomi despite the challenges she faced.

Ruth’s husband had died, leaving her a widow, and her mother-in-law Naomi was returning to her homeland. Ruth, who was a Moabite and not a Jew, decided to follow Naomi and embrace her mother-in-law’s culture and faith. Ruth’s persistence and faithfulness led to her eventual marriage to Boaz and became an earthly ancestor of Christ.

In the Old Testament, we see the example of Elisha who was persistent in following Elijah.

Elijah, who was a prophet, was traveling through Israel when he encountered Elisha plowing a field. Elijah called out to Elisha, and he left his oxen and ran after Elijah. Despite being told to stay behind, Elisha persisted in following Elijah until he was eventually chosen to succeed him as a prophet.

Even in the face of opposition, there are individuals who persisted in following their beliefs. In Acts 4:19-20, Peter and John were ordered by the authorities to stop preaching about Jesus, but they replied, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.” Their persistence in following Jesus and sharing His message led to the growth of the early Christian church.