A family fishing trip! As far as Joel was concerned, this was even better than playing in the waves at the beach. His mother had suggested they go to the beach for an early morning walk to pick up shells, but Joel only wanted to get on with the fishing. He was the only one in the family who really enjoyed fishing. His father always went along to help and to enjoy watching Joel’s fun, but he did not fish himself -although he did like to eat the fish!
But today was going to be different. The whole family was going and his younger brother Daniel had a new fishing pole. It would be Daniel’s first time to fish. Mother, who did not like either catching or eating fish, had noticed the strong wind that day and remembered that someone had said, “Fish don’t bite when it’s windy.” Never mind, Daniel had to try out his new fishing pole, and Joel would fish in any kind of weather.
Soon both boys had bait on their hooks and their lines were in the water.
Only a few minutes had passed when Daniel suddenly called out, “I’ve got one!” He needed help bringing the fish in and was jittery after feeling the strong tug of the fish, but he held his pole again once it had more bait.
Soon he shouted again, “I’ve got another one!”
“Wow, Daniel,” his parents said, “you’re a good fisherman on your first day fishing!”
Joel enjoyed seeing Daniel’s two fish and had even helped his brother pull them in and had put more bait on his hook, but he wished that a fish would hurry up and bite his hook! After all, he was the one who really liked to fish.
It was not long before Daniel shouted for the third time, “I’ve got another one!” Clearly it was a good day for fishing, wind or not! By the time Daniel had shouted “I’ve got another one!” for the fourth, fifth and sixth time, Joel was troubled. Daniel was standing only a few feet away from him, so why wasn’t he catching any fish?
Joel knew of one other thing he could do that he had not done yet. Several years before, he had accepted the Lord Jesus as his Saviour and he knew that he could take any matter to Him in prayer. So he said to his parents, “We could pray.”
“Okay,” they agreed, and so Joel, still holding on to his pole, bowed his head and closed his eyes. But before he said a single word he suddenly felt a tug on his line. “I’ve got one!” he shouted. He quickly reeled in his line and happily added his fish to Daniel’s in the bucket. Then with a surprised and almost puzzled look on his face, he said to his mother, “We were just starting to pray, but before I could say anything I caught the fish!” He could have understood it if he had caught the fish after he prayed. But why was it that he caught it before he prayed?
Mother was not puzzled. She smiled and told Joel of a wonderful verse in the Bible that says, “Before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear” (Isaiah 65:2424And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear. (Isaiah 65:24)). “God loves us so much,” she explained to Joel, “that He often gives something to us even before we ask for it.”
Boys and girls, do you know God as your loving Father who enjoys giving good gifts to His children -sometimes even before they ask? Our God is one who loves to give. First of all, He wants to give you something so wonderful that you never would have thought to ask for it. He wants to give you eternal life. The Lord Jesus said, “My sheep [children] hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me: and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish” (John 10:27-2827My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. (John 10:27‑28)). To receive this life, you must believe in the Lord Jesus and have your sins washed away. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:1616For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)).
God’s love to you will not stop with just the first gift. Like a loving father, He has many wonderful things planned for you, no matter who you are. “He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” (Romans 8:3232He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? (Romans 8:32)). Do you know God as such a loving Father? Have you received the forgiveness of sins so that you may enjoy all the good gifts God wants to give you? Why wait any longer? Accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour today!
If you have already received the Lord Jesus as your Saviour and are already enjoying God’s wonderful gifts, then do not forget that God can now freely give you all things because the Lord Jesus first gave Himself to suffer for your sins on the cross. “Christ also hath loved us, and hath given Himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God” (Ephesians 5:22And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savor. (Ephesians 5:2)).
And do not be surprised, like Joel was, when God sometimes answers a prayer even before you ask!
ML-11/19/1995