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The Fisherman’s Boy

Be prepared!

There is a voice in the wilderness, crying loud and long, filled with love and tenderness, warning both old and young, crying day and night for all to hear,

Prepare! Prepare!! Prepare!!!

Have you ever heard the story of the fisherman’s boy? If you have not, I will tell you. Or maybe you have heard it before but just could not see how it concerns you. Well, you will soon find out, I hope!

The fisherman’s boy had been taught how to swim long before he could talk coherently. His tutor, the fisherman himself, was very thorough, very loving but rather demanding. He would insist, day after day, that his boy must spend hours in water practicing new strokes, new styles and new techniques. Every day it was practice, practice and more practice. Furthermore, it was almost impossible to satisfy him. No matter how well the boy swam or how hard he tried, his father was never satisfied. He was always finding one minor fault after the other.

The most tasking aspect of the boy’s training was what his father called the floating exercise. This involves moving round in small circles in deep water, keeping only the head just above the waves for hours on end.

At first, the boy endured it all in silence hoping that one day his training period would be over. However, when the drills, rather than lessen were intensified after his fifteenth birthday, he could not contain himself any longer. He confronted his father and demanded for an explanation.

“You are training for the stormy day,” the fisherman explained.

“Which stormy day?” the boy retorted. “We have been on fishing expeditions together for many years and there has never been a storm.”  The fisherman smiled gently and patted his boy on the back. Then he said, “My son, there may be no storm for twenty, thirty or even sixty years. But one day, without notice, the storm may come. When it does come, those who are not prepared would pay the price. Therefore, my boy always be prepared.”

Thus the drills continued. Several years later, half of the men in the boy’s village went on a fishing expedition. The boy, now a young and strong man, went with them. A lot of things had changed since his father said, “My boy, be prepared.” The fisherman had since died and big fishes did not seem to swim close to the villages anymore. To catch a big fish, men had to go really far into the sea. What was even more noticeable, at least to the boy, was that people were no more training as they used to do. Then on this faithful day, the storm came. It came suddenly and raged for hours. When it finally subsided, the men who stayed back at the village sent a rescue team.

When the team got to the fishing ground, the only living soul was the fisherman’s boy afloat, moving round and round in circles. As he climbed wearily into one of the rescue boats he recalled his father’s immortal saying, “When the storm comes, those who are not prepared would pay the price.”  He understood perfectly now! He had seen several of his playmate and villagers perish because they could not float long enough because they had not practised hard enough. He had seen unprepared people pay the price in full and with their lives.

How about you? Is life rosy now? Is all well and good with you? No problems of any kind and no storm as yet? Fine. Let us pray that things remain rosy for us. However, be prepared all the same just in case, remembering that life is not a bed of roses. The storm of life may come any day. When it does, those who are not prepared would pay the price. It is only those who are prepared that would survive.

You want to know how to be prepared? Just turn to Jesus Christ today. He is the only sure life boat, the only steadfast anchor in the storm of life (Hebrews 6:19-20). Learn to love Him now when the going is good and all is well. Then when the storm comes, He will stand by you and protect you. If you continue to reject Him now, when the storm comes, you will pay the price in full. There is no costlier price than your life. If you call on Him then He may not answer (Proverbs 1:23-28).

Perhaps your own storm has come already. Well, there may be hope for you still. If you turn to Him now in total submission, He will save you. He is kind and willing to overlook our sins (Isaiah 1:16-18; Acts 17:30).

In either case, if you sincerely desire the salvation of your soul, if you wish Christ to be your Friend so that you would be ready when the storm comes and be afloat when it is gone, the following are the things you must do.

Acknowledge the fact that you are a sinner (Job 7:20; Job 9:20; Psalm 106:6; Psalm 51)

Repent of your sins and confess them to God (Psalm 32:5)

Take a firm decision never to sin again.

Turn to Jesus Christ humbly in prayer, asking Him to forgive your past sins, save your soul from hell and eternal damnation and to come into your life! ( Psalm 130:1-5; Psalm 51:1-4; Zechariah 1:3; Malachi 3:7; Matthew 4:17; Acts 3:19).

Have you done all this? Do you wish to know more about Jesus Christ the Anchor that will never break, the only One who can keep you afloat when the storm comes? Find a Bible believing Church around you, become a member and work for God, then He will walk with you!

May Our God The Almighty prosper Nigeria and Israel and defend us from all our enemies in Jesus Christ Name, Amen!

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