I WAS WALKING along through a lovely garden one summer day when I heard a fluttering and a cry of distress. It came from a cherry tree which grew near a wall. The tree was loaded with ripe, juicy cherries, and to protect the fruit from the birds it had been covered over with a net. However, in spite of the net, the birds had found holes through which they could get inside, and they had many a good feed of cherries that season. When they heard any one coming they would get out quickly as they could and fly away.
It so happened that when I came by a blackbird had been enjoying a few luscious red cherries. He had tried to get away, but somehow his claws had become entangled in the threads of the net. He struggled hard, but to no purpose. He was a prisoner. As I came nearer he made still greater efforts to get free but to no avail.
Now I did not intend to hurt the poor little fellow. I felt sorry for him and wanted to set him free. I took him in my hand and began to undo the strands of net which held him prisoner. The poor little thing cried out more loudly with fear and even tried to peck my hand. He did not understand what I was about, and only thought I meant to do him harm. After a minute or two the strands came off, and opening my hand I threw the little blackbird into the air. Away he flew across the garden and over the wall, as happy and thankful as a bird could be.
Remember:
1. He was a prisoner in the net.
2. He tried to get free, but he couldn’t.
3. He was afraid of the very one who wanted to set him free.
4. He tried to peck me as I loosed his bonds.
5. I set him free.
Do you know what this made me think of?
It made me think of the time when I was a prisoner in the net of sin.
I tried hard to get free, but I couldn’t. The more I struggled, the more firmly I was fixed. I found out I just could not escape. Just as that poor bird was afraid of me, so was I afraid of God. I did not know His heart of love. I did not know that He in His great grace and goodness wanted to save and bless me. I thought hard thoughts of God and believed He was my enemy, when really He was the best Friend I could ever have. I believe that this is so with many, young and old. Perhaps it is true of our reader.
But in spite of all I did, God in His grace set me free from the bondage of sin and Satan. He sent Jesus, His blessed Son, down into this world to go to Calvary’s cross to bear the punishment that my sins deserved. Jesus died to set me free. Now I love Him because He first loved me.
Has He set you free yet? He wants to, and He will if you will let Him.
Perhaps you have a pet bird which, if you open its cage, will come and sit on your hand. It knows you; it trusts you; it likes to be near you. Now God wishes us to know Him, to trust Him and love to be near Him.
ML-08/05/1962