Message
Yesterday, I mentioned that I would discuss what I learned from , so I will focus on this verse for the next few days. The verse says, “…The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother;” The question is, why was Andrew listed second even though he encountered Christ first ()? Normally, if I were to arrange the list of apostles by their first encounter with Jesus, I would say the first is Andrew, the second is Peter, and so on. This makes me believe that the verse lists the apostles by Jesus’ intended hierarchy. However, as time went on, Andrew dropped from number two, such that he was not even among the first three apostles. Whenever Jesus wanted to go somewhere special, He would go with Peter, James, and John. What caused Andrew to be demoted?
If you read through the Bible, you will not find a single flaw about Andrew. Some of the other apostles had flaws:Peter denied Jesus thrice, and James and John wanted to call fire down from heaven to destroy an entire town that did not welcome Jesus (). Despite this, it seemed that Andrew got demoted. However, the Lord told me that Andrew was not demoted; instead, he was promoted. The Lord told me that when Jesus informed the mother of James and John that only His Father will determine those who will sit on His right and left, He meant that the seats were already reserved. The Lord then further whispered to me that one of those seats has been reserved for Andrew.
What happens behind the scenes is usually greater than what happens in the limelight. While most people focus on the stage, the real work and benefits are usually behind the scenes. You may not know it, but the producers of successful movies, who are behind the scenes, usually earn more and are more respected than the actors in the limelight. They also don’t have to deal with the distractions and pressures that come with fame.
Beloved, don’t be desperate for public recognition and the approval of others. Your main focus should be on fulfilling God’s will for your life in whatever capacity He has placed you. God rewards based on faithfulness and obedience, not on fame or perceived influence. I pray that God will reward you bountifully as you focus solely on pleasing Him ().