Most everyone enjoys a story of a little boy with a bamboo pole and a bent pin for a hook making a good catch of fish, while older folks with all kinds of expensive equipment often come home without a single fish for their efforts. This is just such a true story we heard recently. It happened at Kentucky Lake, noted for its good fishing.
One summer day two men along with their wives went for a day’s fishing on the lake. They took a boat and all of their fishing equipment, and were looking forward to a good day on the water. However, after several hours had gone by without so much as a bite they decided to go home, and this in spite of the fact that they could see a small boy on the shore, who appeared to be pulling in one good fish after another.
Curiosity got the best of one of the women and she decided to go over and find out how that boy was catching all those fish. The little fellow was most agreeable and pointed her to a rotten log nearby. “There are a lot of worms under that log,” he explained, “and they make good bait, although they bite your hand a bit when you put them on the hook. Help yourself; there are plenty of them.”
Lifting up the log the woman looked and there to her surprise she saw, not worms, but a nest of dozens of poisonous baby copperhead snakes! She called over, “Boy, those aren’t worms — they’re copperheads! Let me see your hands.”
Sure enough, the boy’s hands were covered with tiny bites and were beginning to swell up from the poison. They hurried him to the doctor, who injected some anti-venom serum and the boy’s life was saved. The doctor estimated that the tiny amounts of poison from those little bites actually equaled the bite of a full grown copperhead. Had they waited another hour it would have been too late.
Doesn’t this remind us of many today who seem to be enjoying themselves, playing with sin, without realizing their danger? “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man; but the end thereof are the ways of death.” Prov. 14:1212There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. (Proverbs 14:12). This boy’s life was saved because he heeded the warning of those who knew about his danger better than he did. How foolish if he had refused the warning and said, “Go away, I’m having a good time fishing — I’ll go to the doctor later on.” Tomorrow would have been too late; an hour more would have been too late. So it is with your soul, young unsaved friend. Come to Jesus, the Great Physician, NOW. “Now is the accepted time; behold, NOW is the day of salvation.” 2 Cor. 6:22(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succored thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.) (2 Corinthians 6:2).
Do not be deceived; the pleasures of sin last but for a season. Those little snake bites were serious — so it is with sin. You may make light of what people call “little sins,” but one little sin will keep you out of heaven. You must have them all washed away by the precious blood of Christ.
There were those who were bitten by snakes in Moses’ day, and they died. God told Moses to make a brazen serpent and set it upon a pole. A bitten Israelite who looked up at the brazen serpent was healed; those that refused died. You may read about it in Numbers 21:99And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived. (Numbers 21:9).
The Lord Jesus has told us that “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.” John 3: 14,15. God tells you, a sinner, to look in faith to Jesus lifted up on the cross for you, and you will be saved eternally. If you refuse to look to Him as your Saviour, you will die in your sins and be lost forever.
“Look unto Me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth.” Isa. 45: 22.
ML 04/09/1967