Snowflake the cat lives in our barn. She not only has a nice, comfortable nest in the rafters, but also a warm place on my workbench by the window of the barn. On sunny days, Snowflake loves to lie there by the window where she takes catnaps in the warm sunshine.
One spring day the barn door was left open, and a number of birds flew into the barn. Snowflake woke right up at the sound of their chirping. Her eyes and ears became very alert.
The birds must have thought the barn would be a nice shelter where they could build nests for their eggs. What they didn’t realize was that their most-dreaded enemy lived in there.
This makes me think of the devil who has put a lot of nice things in front of boys and girls, and men and women too, to keep them from coming to Christ. They don’t realize that these “nice things” are called “the pleasures of sin” (Hebrews 11:2525Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; (Hebrews 11:25)), and end in death. “Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment” (Ecclesiastes 11:99Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment. (Ecclesiastes 11:9)).
When those birds spotted Snowflake, they were terrified! They started to fly all over the barn, looking for a way out. Finally, all but one found the open doorway. That little bird tried to fly through the closed window right where Snowflake had been sleeping and now was watching them. When it hit the window, Snowflake reached up with her front paw, opened her claws and caught the bird.
Poor little bird. It thought it had found the way out, but it made a bad mistake and paid for it with its life. This reminds me of Proverbs 14:1212There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. (Proverbs 14:12) which says, “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.”
We cannot enjoy the pleasures of sin and refuse to get saved and still expect to be in heaven. No sin will ever be in heaven. “There shall in no wise enter into it [heaven] anything that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life” (Revelation 21:2727And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life. (Revelation 21:27)). Just as it was impossible for the little bird to fly through a closed window, so it is impossible for us to be in heaven without coming to Christ who tells us, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me” (John 14:66Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (John 14:6)).
ML-03/24/1996