Mark 2:14
And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the receipt of custom, and said unto him, Follow me. And he arose and followed him.

It’s always such a simple invitation when Jesus comes along.  He does not give Levi a detailed plan laid out with everything he could expect.  It was not a list of requirements and responsibilities.  He did not tell Levi to go home and change a bunch of things first.  It’s simply an opportunity to go with Jesus.  And when we do that, step by step, the path becomes clearer.  As we walk near to Him, we understand what He wants us to do.  As we go along for the journey, our time with Jesus ends up changing us.

And so when we arise and follow, we are saying to the Lord that we are willing to choose His path for our lives instead of our own.  We are willing to experience those things He has for us and to do the work He has prepared us for.  It is about surrendering every part of ourselves as we aim for the course that Jesus has for us to take and heading in that new direction.  Sometimes it is about stepping outside of ourselves, our box, our comfort zone and taking that unplanned road with Jesus ahead of us.

But how could Levi so easily rise up and follow?  Because of the one who made the invitation.  It was Jesus who came along, and He is worthy to be followed.  He is worthy to be obeyed.  He is worthy of our service, our time, our dedication.  And though the path is unknown, our guide can be trusted.  Though the journey won’t be easy, it is Almighty God leading the way.  Even though we can’t tell what might happen or where we might end up or who we can become, Jesus knows.

So what are we going to do?  How will we respond to an invitation like this from Jesus?  Are we content to follow Him out of our old and into something new, to surrender control of our lives and accept His leading?  Surely Levi didn’t regret his choice to rise and follow, because a life spent for Jesus and with Jesus is the best kind of life.  All we have to do is accept His invitation into the amazing future He has for us.