“TELL us a story, Uncle Edward!” chorused the children’s voices as they clustered around their uncle in that delicious dusklight hour before bedtime.
Little lame Clarence, lying on his couch, echoed the request, and pleaded so piteously with big, sad eyes that even if Uncle Edward had felt ever so disinclined for story telling, I think he must have yielded to the request of those lustrous eyes.
Uncle Edward, having only just returned from South America, had stories of wonderful things to talk about. He was quite a hero in the eyes of the children.
“I’ll tell you a snake story,” said the young man. “One beautiful morning, off I roamed as usual, with gun over my shoulder, and my lunch in my pocket, in search of game.
“After a while, feeling rather tired and very hungry, I sat down on the trunk of a fallen tree to rest. It was a glorious tropical morning, the woods gorgeous with color and rich with life. The intense solitude was broken only by the music of a million bird-notes and the humming of countless busy insects.
“While seated there, my attention was attracted by the cries of a bird which was fluttering over a leafy spot, doubtless her tiny nest. She was in great distress, and I could not help rising to see, if possible, the cause of her trouble. I soon found out. Creeping slowly along towards the trees was one of the most venomous snakes in South America, with its small, glittering eyes fixed on the bird, and its forked tongue darting quickly out and in.
“Presently I saw a curious thing happen. The male bird flew quickly away. In a little while I saw him return with a small twig covered with leaves in his beak. Perching near the nest, he laid the twig carefully across it, covering his mate and her young. Then, taking his place on one of the topmost branches of the tree, he seemed to grow calmer and quieter, and there awaited the approach of the enemy.
“By this time the snake had reached the spot. He twisted himself around the trunk and climbed up the tree. Then gliding along the branch, he came close to the nest and lifted his venomous head, ready to dart un the poor bird. His small, glittering eyes watched the nest for a moment, and then—”
Uncle Edward paused.
“Oh, what, Uncle?” cried the children breathlessly.
"—then suddenly throwing his head back, as if he had received some sudden blow, he turned around, made his way down the tree and disappeared in the long grass.
“I climbed up the tree and examined the little broken branch. I carried it home and told the whole story to a native friend, showing him the twig. I learned from him that it had been plucked by the bird off a bush which is poisonous to the snake and which he is never known to touch. The little helpless creature had used it as a shield of defense in its hour of danger.”
Satan is called in scripture “that old serpent.” He is intent on the destruction of men and women and boys and girls, helpless as birds against his attacks and his wiles.
But God has told us in His Word of a tree that is as poison to our enemy, and certain protection for us, old or young. I mean the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ “His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree” (1 Peter 2:2424Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. (1 Peter 2:24)). “By His stripes we are healed.” Are YOU as wise as the bird that protected its nest? Are you sheltered by the blood of Christ shed on Calvary’s tree?
Isn’t it wonderful that our gracious God should teach the bird about the tree where it may “help itself” to a healing branch? And is it less wonderful that He has provided the cross, and the great salvation accomplished there by our Lord Jesus Christ for us? No, it is the most remarkable fact in the universe that “the Son of God loved me and gave Himself for me” (Gal. 2:2020I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20)), and that salvation is for “whosoever will.” Will YOU?
ML-06/17/1962