Bees are noted for two things—honey and stings. In seeking the honey, beware of the stings. Sins also have their sweets: "the pleasures of sin" which are but "for a season" (Heb. 11:2525Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; (Hebrews 11:25)) always end in the penalties of sin, which are eternal. Doing wrong may be like eating honey; but when conscience convicts, terrible are its stings. Stings and sins are connected: take away the "t" and the "g" from s-t-i-n-g-s and you have s-i-n-s.
Sins, like bees, are numerous. There are in some hives as many as 30,000 bees. Who can tell the number of sins in our minds and hearts? They are countless. How they buzz around—sins of speech, sins of action, sins of thought! Try to count the bees flying in and out of a hive, and then try to number your sins.
Thousands of bees are inside the hive and out of sight. A young friend of ours, who had made his own wooden hive, opened it one evening and let us see the black swarms of bees moving within, though not a bee could be seen outside.
Jesus, when on earth, knew what was in people's hearts (Luke 9:4747And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a child, and set him by him, (Luke 9:47)). He knows what is in our hearts today. One day He opened the human heart, as my young friend opened his hive, and showed some of the evils working within (Matt. 15:1919For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: (Matthew 15:19)).
A gardener I knew kept bees and bantams. One day an impudent little bantam cock perched on the top of the hive, and prepared to crow. At that moment a bee settled on the top of his comb and stung him. He flew down without crowing, humbled, as we should be.
Did you ever have a bee follow you and try to sting you? One made for a friend of mine. He started beating the air, until he thought he had beaten his attacker off. When he stopped, I saw the bee was quietly crawling inside his coat. It is hard to get away from sin; and when we think we have succeeded, it may be nearer than ever.
I knew a lady who, when a swarm of bees were threatening an attack, shut the garden gate to keep them out! This was just as effectual as our good resolutions to keep away evil thoughts and desires.
Shall I tell you a secret? A bee cannot sting two persons. Its sting is barbed, like a broad arrow, and when inserted, cannot be withdrawn, but is left in the wound. Thereafter that bee is stingless and cannot sting again. Only the Lord Jesus Christ can save from the sting of sin.
My sins the Savior stung,
And caused His painful death
When on the cross He hung,
And yielded up His breath;
My sins will never sting me now,
They left their stings in His blest brow.