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Faith of a Little Boy

Years ago, I took my family on a quick vacation to Lake Tillery for some rest and relaxation. Part of that relaxation was to spend time fishing with my oldest son Matthew. My two other sons were too small to wet a hook. We had bought Matthew a new fishing rod just for the occasion. Down on the dock that evening, Matthew and I began to fish for catfish and carp. We were successful and caught several small catfish. A fish had taken Matthew’s bait, so I replenished the hook with a nice juicy night crawler and cast it back out for him. The problem was I forgot to anchor the rod to the dock and just set it down and began to bait the hook on my rod. I heard a noise and looked down and watched as Matthew’s rod was jerked off the dock and into the lake by a large fish. It happened so fast I didn’t even have time to react. There I stood in the glow of our lantern holding a hook in one hand and an earthworm in the other starring out in disbelief at the lake. Matthew immediately began to mourn and caterwaul over his lost fishing rod.  “Daddy, my fishing rod is gone!’ he said. “What are we going to do? How are we going to get it back? Please Daddy do something. That was my NEW rod!”  I was perplexed and said, “I’m sorry son, but I think your rod is gone for good?” He pleaded all the more for me to retrieve his new rod from the pitch black lake. Finally, he said, “Let’s pray and ask God to give us my rod back!” I stared at my young son in disbelief. Didn’t he realize that his rod was gone, for good. In my disbelief I gave in and said, “OK, let’s pray and ask God to give you your rod back.” Apprehensively I knelt down with him on the dock by the glowing lantern while a cool summer breeze blew in from the lake. Sheepishly, I began to pray and asked the Almighty if He might see fit to return the lost fishing rod. I ended the petition with a weak, “Amen.” We stood up and went back to fishing. I cast my line back into the dark lake knowing full well that we would never see that rod again. No sooner did the baited hook land on the bottom when a large fish swallowed it whole. My rod bent double and I set the hook and handed the rod to Matthew. He arched his back and fought that fish like a pro. Having reeled the fish about halfway back to the dock Matthew proclaimed that he was stuck and couldn’t get the fish to budge. I took over and found indeed it seemed hung up. After a little bit of finessing I realized he wasn’t stuck, but that we were hung up on something heavy and I was able to bring it to the dock. To my amazement we had hooked the line of our lost fishing rod. I reached out and grabbed the line and brought in the new fishing rod………with the catfish still attached to it! Immediately Matthew threw both hands into the air and shouted, “Thank you God!” I stood there in shock realizing God had answered a little boy’s prayer of faith. Inwardly I was ashamed because I realized I didn’t have any faith God would return the fishing rod. The Lord taught me a lesson that night out on the dock.

Jesus said in Matthew 21:22 “And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.” These words echoed in my mind again and again after that night. It was my son’s “belief” that led to the answered prayer. I realized I need to be more child-like in my trust in Christ. To just simply take God at His word, and realize that those prayers that are according to His will are answered. The Church is facing difficult days and we seem to have been hobbled by the virus. Remember that we have been given the power of prayer made possible by the shed blood of Jesus Christ. We should enter in with His presence with boldness by the blood of Jesus to make our petitions known. The Bride of Christ, in these days, should press into prayer with a new fervency. With a child-like faith that will believe God and His promises. Oh, that we would ask Him to send revival and spiritual awakening to our Nation and the world. That we would pray fervently and with a faithful expectancy that

pleases God. Knee before the Almighty and pray His glory will fill the earth.

Serving the King Together,

Eric