Have you ever seen a hummingbird? It’s a tiny bird that zips around on wings that beat up to seventy times per second! This fast beat of their wings makes the humming sound that has given these birds their name. Those that we have seen where we live are in shades of green with rose colored throats, and they are very pretty. Their wings are always beating so fast, even when they are hovering over a flower. It’s hard to imagine that they ever sit still!
Uncle Joe has very pretty wind chimes on his porch, and guess what? A hummingbird built a nest right on top of the chimes! Hummers often make their nests out of moss and bind them together with spider silk.
The mother hummingbird laid one tiny egg in that little, cup-shaped nest. As time went on, the tiny egg hatched, and the faithful parents would fly back and forth all day long, feeding their baby day after day.
The baby hummingbird grew, and at last it could flap its wings . . . but it did not fly away. It seemed to have grown large enough to be able to leave the nest, but for some reason it stayed there. The parents continued to feed their growing baby that did not leave the nest.
Uncle Joe thought that was unusual since the half-grown baby was strong enough to flap its wings. He got out a ladder and looked into the nest; then he saw why the baby bird hadn’t flown away. A claw on one of its feet was caught in the weaving of the nest and was holding it tight when the young bird would flap its wings.
There was no way that little bird could help itself. Even its parents couldn’t set it free, because its little foot was entangled in the nest. Boys, girls and grown-ups have a problem just like that baby hummingbird. Our problem is our sins that are holding us tight, and we can’t get free without help.
The Bible tells us that every one of us came into this world with a sinful nature that likes to do naughty things. God calls those naughty things sin, and He has said that no sin can ever enter into heaven. “There shall in no wise enter into it [heaven] anything that defileth [spoils], neither whatsoever worketh abomination [evil], or maketh a lie” (Revelation 21:27). God also tells us plainly that we are all sinners: “There is no difference: for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:22-23). That leaves you and me sadly helpless, just like the little hummingbird.
You’ll be glad to know that Uncle Joe was able to untangle the little bird’s foot that was caught in the nest. Then that little hummingbird did something very unusual. It just sat on Uncle Joe’s finger for the longest time, looking at him. Do you wonder what it was thinking? If it could have talked it might have said, “Mister, I don’t have anything to pay you, but thank you for untangling my foot so I can fly away. I would have died in the nest if you hadn’t set me free.” Then Uncle Joe walked over to a tree where the little bird hopped onto a branch and then flew away.
And God is the only one who can untangle you and me from our sins. He loves us so much He gave His only Son to die in our place. The Lord Jesus shed His blood on the cross for sinners to cleanse us from our sins. “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). If you will tell the Lord Jesus that you are a sinner and that you want Him to wash your sins away, He will set you free. Your sins will be gone, and you will have His promise of being in heaven with Him someday.
ML-08/21/2005