Jimmy loved to go fishing! He was spending the summer in a log cabin by a big lake, and nearly every day he was out in the boat with his pole and bait. One night he caught the strangest fish-in fact it wasn't a fish at all! Would you like to hear about it?
Jimmy was sleeping one night when the sound of something crying awakened him. Slipping out of bed he found his flashlight and ran quickly to the door. There in the light he saw a strange sight! His fishing pole was still leaning against the cabin where he had left it, and at the end of the line his kitten was caught! She was pawing frantically at her mouth as she tried to pull away from the hook, and, of course, the more she pulled the more she hurt herself.
Kneeling beside her, Jimmy quickly and carefully unfastened the hook from her sore mouth. When at last it was out she crept away and curled up into a little ball in a dark corner. Perhaps she was wondering why that nice smelling little fish had hurt her mouth so!
No doubt the kitten would never have tried to eat the bait if she had known that there was a sharp hook hidden inside of it. Do you know, boys and girls, that Satan has baits he is using to catch you with?
Some of his baits are: “Don't hurry to be saved—wait until you're older,” and, “You can have a lot more fun if you just do as you please,” and many, many others. Sometimes he uses bad habits to catch folks with. Inside of each bait is a sharp, sharp hook of sin from which we can never get away ourselves.
The Lord Jesus wants to save you and set you free if you will trust Him. God says, “If the Son therefore shall make you free ye shall be free indeed” (John 8:3636If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. (John 8:36)).