One section of my daily worship walk is next to a drainage ditch. There is a path down both sides and lots of vegetation growing all around the ditch and the walkways. This seems to be a favorite place for quail, killdeer and little black birds with bright red on their wings.
When I walk there, the quail burst from their nests. The killdeer also spring from theirs and lead me away all the while wailing and pretending to be injured so that if I was a true predator, I would follow them instead of going after their babies. The blackbirds fly up to the heights and begin chattering and warning others. I’ve even seen them go after a hawk that frequents the area.
I usually softly sing, “it’s okay, I won’t hurt your babies, I promise,” but they don’t trust me, so we go through this routine every time I walk this area. God has placed in these little mamas and papas such a strong instinct to protect their young. Strong enough that they would battle a hawk, and I think even me if needed.
At The Way Church this morning we are going to begin the second half of our series, “Seek (More of God) & Shout (Stop Thief!).” The “Shout” part is the battle to keep the enemy of our soul from doing what he wants to do. Jesus told us what the goal of the enemy is, “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and have it more abundantly.” [John 10:10 NKJV]
God gives life. Jesus said He came that we might have that life in abundance, in other words, that we might have “More of God.” But the enemy seeks to steal, kill and destroy that life. We need to be more like those little birds, ready to do battle with anything that seeks to destroy God’s best for each other.
