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I just called home to talk to my wife - and I got a serenade. Not from Karen - from our canary. We just got him a couple weeks ago - and does he sing up a storm! The whole time I was talking to Karen, the yellow bird symphony was going on in the background. It's hard to hear that canary sing and stay gloomy for long! But every night we put this cloth cover over Cherokee's cage - that's his name. And all singing stops. The next morning, I go into the living room, and there's not a sound coming from under that cloth. But as soon as I take that cover off, the canary starts jumping all over the cage - and singing his wake-up song.
Well I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A WORD WITH YOU today about GETTING THE COVER OFF YOUR CAGE
Each day, it's as if life begins when the cover comes off that cage. In a way, it's like that for you and me.
Your cage may be your painful memories . . . a broken heart . . . a broken dream. Maybe your caged in by an addiction or a habit - or some anger that is eating you up inside. For some of us, it's depression or even suicidal thoughts that have us held in. There's a cover on that cage, whatever it is. And as you listen today, it's dark in there, isn't it . . . and maybe there's nothing to sing about.
There's good news for you in our word for today from the Word of God, Psalm 40. King David said, "The Lord turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth." Now David's imagery is a little different - but, in canary terms, the cover came off his dark cage and gave him a reason to sing!
The same Lord who did that for King David wants to do that for you. In fact, that's why Jesus Christ came. He says, "The Lord has sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners." Release from darkness - light our little bird in a dark world he cannot change . . . until someone bigger and more powerful comes along to remove the cover and release him from the darkness.
The Savior came to do that for you, he came to DIE for our darkness, and our sin - to remove the death sentence you and I have on our head because of our sin. And when you tell Jesus you are trusting Him completely for a relationship with God, the cover comes off!
All the guilt and shame of the past is forgiven - so many people have told me right after they've trusted Christ, "I feel like a hundred pounds has just been lifted off my shoulders". And the pain is suddenly lightened because God Himself has picked it up . . . the dark feelings and power that may have kept you in the darkness are replaced by an unexplainable personal peace.
My canary has no choice about when the cover comes off his cage - but you do. The release from darkness comes when you open your heart to Jesus. Which could be this very day. If you're tired of the darkness . . . if you're ready to let Jesus in, let me encourage you to call the number I'm about to give you - I'll send you "Steps To Peace With God" and other material that will help you be sure you belong to Jesus Christ. Will help you understand how to enter into a relationship with Him.
There's light to replace your darkness . . . there's a song that can replace your sadness . . . the day you let Jesus life that cover off your life!
Copyright © Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc. Permission to reproduce this material is automatically granted on the condition it will be used for non-commercial purposes, will not be sold, and will be distributed for the sole purpose of expanding the Gospel.
Last Update: 03/23/1997
