It was a lovely sunny day in midsummer. Susan asked Debbie to go fishing with her. Since Debbie was only five, she asked her mother if she could go. The answer was “no.” Susan was a few years older so she didn’t feel she needed to ask her mother.
When Debbie’s mother went back to her housework, Susan whispered to her friend, “Oh, I’ll take care of you, Debbie. It’s so safe on the pier, and we’ll be all right.”
Now Debbie really wanted to go because she loved fishing. She liked to bait the hook and was quite good at taking the fish off the line. But she had always gone with a grown-up. Sometimes they would take a bucket along and put the live fish in water in the bucket, and she would watch them swim around. Thinking of how much fun they would have, Debbie decided to go with Susan anyway.
What these girls didn’t know was that the day was going to end in near tragedy! The Lord Jesus, who loves them, had His eye on them. He knew what they were doing, and that day they were going to learn an important lesson about obeying. “Children,, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right” (Ephesians 6:11Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. (Ephesians 6:1)). How important this is, boys and girls, even though sometimes you feel you are wiser than your parents.
All went well for a time. The tide was just right for fishing, and the water was so clear they could see lots of fish. They could even see the fish biting the hook!
Suddenly, everything changed when Debbie decided to throw a pebble in the water and watch the ripples. A moment later Susan heard a big splash! You guessed it. Debbie had fallen into the water, but she couldn’t swim! A frightened, struggling Debbie looked up, only to see Susan running away!
Debbie paddled with all her might to keep her head above water. She was so scared! Was she going to die? . . . She knew she was not saved! Would she go to hell? What seemed like a long time to her was only a few minutes until some people came running to the pier with Debbie’s mother in the lead.
Her mother was almost beside herself with fear. She was sure Debbie would have drowned by now, but Debbie was still paddling and was, oh, so tired. Debbie was quite a distance from the pier, so a long pole was held out to her. She clung to it and felt herself being pulled to safety.
How happy and thankful her mother was, and how she thanked the Lord Jesus for His goodness to Debbie. Shortly after this happened, Debbie accepted the Lord Jesus as her own Savior.
Have you accepted the Lord Jesus as your Savior, or are you going to wait until you are faced with death? Jesus loves you and is calling to you today. All you need to do is answer Him, “Yes, Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner, and I want to be saved right now.” “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” (Isaiah 1:1818Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. (Isaiah 1:18))..