A Fishing Trip

Bible Reading: Luke 5:1-11

As Ming and Dad were fishing, Ming got restless. “We’ve been here for more than an hour and haven’t caught anything. I wanna go home.”

“That reminds me of a story in the Bible,” said Dad. “The one about how Peter and the fishermen fished all night and caught no fish.”

“What? All night?” asked Ming in surprise.

“That’s right,” answered Dad. “It was only when Jesus told them to cast the net again that they managed to catch any fish—so many the boat could barely hold them!”

“I wish Jesus was here right now!” exclaimed Ming. “Then we’d catch some fish.”

Dad smiled. “Even though we can’t see Jesus, He is with us. He helps us fish in a different way. After He performed the miracle in front of Peter and the other fishermen, He told them He would make them fishers of people.”

“Fishers of people? What does that mean?” asked Ming.

“Well…think of it this way,” said Dad. “I grew up in Singapore, which is a multiethnic country. Over there, many people practice religions such as Buddhism, Islam, and Hinduism. Your grandparents used to worship Chinese gods and our ancestors when I was young.”

“Really? I thought they had always been Christians,” said Ming.

Dad shook his head. “No, I had never heard about Jesus until my best friend James explained the gospel to me when we were in middle school. I was confused and found it hard to understand the concept of one God. It wasn’t until I went to college that I began to understand. I’m thankful to James for not giving up on me. He continued to talk to me about Jesus and invited me to church and Bible studies. Slowly, I began to understand that there is only one true God and that I needed to be forgiven for my sin. I finally trusted Jesus as my Savior and became a Christian.”

“Wow, so Uncle James is like Peter having a miraculous catch,” said Ming.

“Exactly. Eventually your grandparents became Christians too. That’s what it means to be fishers of people. Jesus helps us bring more people to Him.”

Just then, Ming noticed a tug in the fishing rod. ”Look, Dad! We caught a fish!”

Dad smiled. “Jesus must have heard us.” -Kelly Choy

How About You?

Have you told your friends the good news of Jesus? Do you feel like giving up when they don’t accept it right away? Don’t give up. Remember that Jesus is always there to help you. Keep telling others about Him and showing them His love. Share what He’s done to save us with your family and friends, and trust Him to do the rest.

Today’s Key Verse:
Matthew 4:19 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” (NIV)

Today’s Key Thought:

Tell others about Jesus