MUKITELA wanted the bird that lived in the tree near his African home, and he wanted it alive. He had set traps for it but the bird was too smart to enter his traps. The people in the village laughed at Mukitela because he who was so big and strong could not catch this little bird.
One day when Mukitela was in a trading store he saw some hooks which men used to catch fish in the river. Mukitela bought one of these sharp hooks and some strong string and hurried home.
He drove a peg into the ground, then tied one end of the string to the hook and the other end to the peg. After that he baited the hook with a locust, or grasshopper. All the while the little bird was sitting in the tree watching what was going on. He wanted that locust very much for locusts tasted good to him.
As soon as Mukitela had walked away the bird flew down on the ground. He looked at the locust but he did not see the fatal hook. He seized the locust and tried to fly away, but alas, the sharp hook pierced him and held him fast. Mukela came back quickly, he caught the little bird, put him in his bag and took him away.
Dear young friends, let us learn a lesson from the story of Mukitela and the bird. Satan, the great enemy of our souls, uses all kinds of bait to catch boys and girls, and men and women. He uses many kinds of sin, the things we like to do naturally, the pleasures of the world, even things that appear to be harmless, to take people captive.
There is only One who can set sinners free from the power of sin and Satan. That is God’s dear Son. “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” 1 Tim. 1:1515This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. (1 Timothy 1:15). If He had not loved us so and come to save us, every child of Adam’s race would have gone down to the pit, to suffer the judgment of God against their sins forever. But love brought Him down from the glory to where we were. “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil"; “that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; and deliver them, who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.” (1 John 3:88He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. (1 John 3:8); Heb. 2:1414Forasmuch 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).) He bore sin’s penalty upon the cross for those who trust Him as Saviour, “that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:1616For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16).
Had a kind man come along and offered Mukitela a sum of money to redeem the little bird he might have set him free. Now the Lord Jesus has died to redeem our souls, and those who claim Him as their Saviour are “redeemed... not with silver or gold,... but with the precious blood of Christ.” 1 Pet. 1:1818Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; (1 Peter 1:18).
Dear young reader, are you redeemed? Or are you still a captive to Satan and a slave to sin?
Evangelical Mission Press.
ML-02/06/1966