Years ago I saw a tee shirt with the saying, “When Jesus is all you have, you suddenly realize that Jesus is all you need.” It made me think. A lot.
Did you ever wonder what it might feel like to know that there is absolutely nothing more that you can do except trust in God? That’s a big part of what faith is all about. Christians profess to have faith, we claim that we trust God, we tack on “if it’s your will” to our prayers, and then we rush off blindly trying to make sure that things get done in such a way as to achieve our desired outcome.
Joe Kissack faces that type of dilemma in The Fourth Fisherman (Waterbrook Press, 2012). This book is three stories in one, and even though some parts of the stories seem to be the kind of things that writers make up to sell books or movies, the three stories are actually true. It started out as a story of the faith of three Mexican fishermen whose boat took them farther than they had planned on going. It’s a story of their faith and how they survived being adrift in the Pacific Ocean for 9 months before being rescued. It’s a story of how they learned to trust God, and how their lives were impacted, changed and transformed.
Interwoven between the pages of their story is the story of Joe Kissack, a shining star in his chosen profession. It’s the story of how his way didn’t work, and how he finally had to turn to God if he wanted to reclaim his life and his marriage. It’s a story of how he set out to record the faith journey of those three Mexican fishermen and how on the way his own faith walk changed and he learned to trust God. It’s the story of how on this journey his life was impacted, changed and transformed.
And it’s God's story. It’s a reminder that God can use the most interesting events to call his people closer to him. It’s a reminder that each of us is a part of that grand story that is full of burning bush experiences, and that God wants us to turn to Him, much more frequently than we do. It’s a reminder of the power of prayer, of the need to trust God, and how faith grows as we see God at work.
I rated this book 5 stars. The engaging writing style coupled with a captivating story of survival against the odds make it difficult to put the book down. But on a much deeper level, the implications of a life lived with faith make this a must-read book for anyone who is struggling with life on life’s terms.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher (many thanks!) in exchange for writing this review. I was not required to write a favorable review.
