On a low branch of a willow tree near the creek there was a nest made of fine grass. It was the nest of a pair of yellow warblers.
The day after the nest was finished, the mother warbler laid a tiny speckled egg in it. Each day she laid an egg in the nest until there were three.
When the mother warbler came the next day to lay an egg, she found a strange egg in her nest. It looked very much like her own eggs, but it was larger. Where had it come from? It was not a yellow warbler’s egg.
She laid still another egg in the nest, and then she sat on the nest each day and night until the five eggs were hatched.
The strange egg was a cowbird’s egg; the cowbird had laid it in the nest while the yellow warbler was away.
A mother cowbird never makes a nest of her own. She lays an egg in another bird’s nest and then she flies away and leaves it. She lays eggs in other nests, then flies away and leaves them, too. She lets other birds hatch her eggs and feed her babies.
Some of my young readers may well exclaim, “What a heartless bird the cowbird is!”
Yes, it is easily seen that the mother cowbird has no interest at all in her babies and doesn’t care what becomes of them.
What a picture this is of Satan who has no interest in precious souls except to take them headlong into hell. Satan does not love your soul, dear boy or girl. He cannot give you comfort dung your life or joy in your dying hour.
How wonderful to know that the Lord Jesus loves your soul. Sometimes we sing,
“Jesus my Shepherd is,
‘Twas HE that loved my soul;
‘Twas HE that washed me in His blood;
‘Twas HE that made me whole.”
The Lord Jesus had such a great interest in your soul that He came into this world and died to save you. Have you trusted this precious Saviour? Why not take Him today by faith into your heart? He gives eternal life to all who trust in Him.
ML 11/25/1956