Slowly the ship steamed out of sight, and those on the small fishing boat stopped waving to attract attention. Ai-My Chau, her five-year-old son Fun and the others crowded on the small boat sat down again. This was not the first ship that had passed by them without stopping... and it would not be the last.
These people were “boat people,” fleeing Vietnam when communism swept through their country. Ai-My and her son had made secret arrangements to meet a small boat at a certain point on the coast. There the sampan picked them up and took them to a larger (50-foot) fishing boat which would take them to Malaysia.
Even meeting the sampan was dangerous. To avoid being discovered, the passengers would be taken out to the fishing boats between 10:00 at night and 5:00 in the morning. No luggage was allowed.
They waited on shore until after midnight before the sampan finally picked them up. Then, after much difficulty, they reached the fishing boat where along with 46 other people they started for Malaysia.
These people had one object before them—to flee communism and be free. It meant leaving everything behind, but for them it was worth it to have freedom.
The slavery that communism forces on people is nothing compared to the slavery of sin. Satan is an expert at keeping sinners from seeing the “freedom” that the Lord Jesus Christ offers to any who will accept Him as their Saviour. Satan uses all sorts of tricks either to convince the sinner that he does not need a Saviour or to get him to put it off until later. Yet God says, “now is the accepted time... now is the day of salvation.” 2 Cor. 6:22(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succored thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.) (2 Corinthians 6:2). He is telling you not to put off accepting the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour. He loves you and wants you to take that step of faith now. Turn to the Lord Jesus, confess your need of Him as the only Saviour of sinners, and He will save you. He loves you so much that He fulfilled all that was required for you to be saved. His blood shed on the cross can wash all your sins away. Then as a child of God you will have a citizenship in heaven. Won’t you take that step today?
Some days later more problems developed on the fishing boat. The engine had quit, a make-shift sail was the only means of travel, and their food and water had run out. Ai-My decided she would do what she had done when they had been standing on the shore waiting for the sampan to come... she prayed. She did not know the Lord Jesus Christ as her Saviour. In fact, she had never even heard of Him. Yet she knew that there must be a God, and it was only God who could help them now. She prayed for rain... and it rained that night, enough so that using the sail to catch the rain they filled two large water cans. “Yes,” thought Ai-My, “there is Someone watching over me.”
Many more hardships were endured by those on the small boat. For 30 days they drifted with the winds and tides, and 20 of those days they were without food. At least 30 ships passed by them, either not willing to help them or not able to help them. Finally, help did come.
Today there are many sinners drifting on life’s ocean who are looking for help from many different sources. They try different things—attending church or Sunday school, being a good neighbor, giving their time and money to the poor, and other things. These are like the ships that passed by the “boat people.” These things cannot help a sinner because his real need is to be freed from his sin. There is only one person, the Lord Jesus Christ, who can solve this problem. God sent Him into this world so “that the world through Him might be saved.” John 3:1717For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. (John 3:17).
When the ship that finally rescued Ai-My and the others came over to them, do you think the people on the drifting fishing boat told them to go away? Do you think they refused to be rescued? No, of course not. Yet there are sinners today who are refusing the Lord Jesus. They are looking for some other way, not the simple grace and mercy offered by the Lord Jesus. He says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.” John 14:66Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (John 14:6). Do not refuse the only Person who can save you from your sins!
The ship that picked up Ai-My and the other “boat people” took them to Hong Kong. There they were placed in a refugee camp, and it was there that Ai-My first heard about the Lord Jesus. A missionary told her about God and His Son Jesus Christ who came to earth to save sinners. “Jesus Christ loves you and He was the one taking care of you,” the missionary told her.
“That’s the God I was praying to,” said Ai-My. “I knew He was there answering my prayers, but I didn’t know His name.”
“Listen to what God is saying to you,” the missionary continued, reading from his Bible. “Look unto Me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.” Isa. 45:2222Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. (Isaiah 45:22).
The missionary continued reading from the Bible, explaining to Ai-My about God’s perfect creation, how sin came in and spoiled it, and as a result all of us are sinners. Then he continued, “The good news is that God’s Son Jesus took the punishment for the sins of all who would accept Him as their Saviour. When Jesus was dying on the cross, He was dying for sinners just like Ai-My. If you just accept Him then you, too, can have the everlasting life that only He can give.”
Ai-My was saved right there in the refugee camp. Her son Fun was later saved, too. They now live in Portland, Oregon, where Ai-My loves to tell others about the God who loves the “boat people.” He loves you, too. Won’t you accept Him as your Saviour?
ML-10/28/1984