One day when I was in my garden, my attention was attracted by a loud buzzing. I turned round to see from whence it came and saw a bee that was caught in a spider’s web. It was a large, strong web, and a fat black spider sat in the corner of it, watching the bee attentively, waiting for the moment, when it could pounce upon its prey. The poor bee made every effort to get loose; but the more it moved backwards and forwards, the more it became entangled in the fine threads of the web. The bee was an industrious and useful little creature, that spent its time gathering sweet syrup from the flowers, and mang honey out of it, but with all its cleverness, it could not free itself.
Do you think it would at last sueed in saving itself? O, no, if I had not been there, the big spider would have rushed upon it, sucking out its blood, and would have carried it off to its hiding place and finished it there. Still the bee had wings, fine, shiny little wings, like the threads of the web were twisted around them so that it could not use them. It was fortunate, that not only did it struggle to get out, but that it began to buzz too. The distressed humming attracted my attention, and its desperate efforts to get free, excited my pity. Must I leave that poor little creature to such a cruel death? No, no, not even, if in its terror it should sting my fingers. When the spider saw me appoaching, it moved a little farther away from its prey, and immediately took flight, — when I broke the web. A slight touch of my hand released the prisoner. It flew joyfully to its hive and there its companions soon cleaned its wings of the webs.
Do you understand, dear children why I tell you this little incident? The condition of this poor bee is like that of every child, that is not yet released from Satan’s power by the Lord Jesus. If you are caught in his snares, then he is waiting, like the ugly black spider for a favorable moment, to bring you into the place “where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Like the bee, you can try to release yourself, but all your efforts will only show you that it is impossible, and will make you desperate.
The power must come from on high, and the Lord Jesus possesses that power. He has only to stretch out His hand, to deliver you. When dying on the cross, he conquered Satan. To release you and give you life, he is waing at your side for just one look to Him. O, go to Jesus, before it is too late, let Him break your bonds, and then released and joyful, you can follow Him on the way to heaven. His blood is sufficient, to wash away the sins of all who believe in Him, and He has the power to preserve you from the snares of the devil.
“Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same; that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil. Hebrews 2:14.
ML 12/16/1945