Ah, Autumn, When a young (and old) man’s fancy turns to….
“Are you ready for some football?”, “Bring in another load of firewood.” “The furnace just kicked on, you can smell it when it starts up for the first time!” and “Bird!” That last word “Bird” particularly excites me. One hears that cry once a quail flushes from his hiding spot or a dove flies within range.
I have not had much luck with dove hunting the last several years. At our hunting camp, the reclaimed land from Kaolin mines was planted in lespedeza and millet years ago. While these ground cover plants were young, the birds could get to the seed on the ground under these bushes. Now, the plants have grown to waist level and the birds cannot get to the seed; so, no seed, no birds.
The quail population is a different story. Each year in mid-October, we would put and put out a large number of them, let them acclimate and come back a month later when the quail season began. This provided much enjoyment for us from November until March.
Another word besides “Bird” rises from our lips regarding quail, much to our dismay. That word is “Predators.” It is uttered in disgust. Over the past several years, the animal telegraph system has been working to perfection. The word is out…”The Annual Quail Buffet is now open! Come and get it!” Who are these greedy, unkind, thoughtless creatures? They are hogs, hawks, bobcats, snakes and coyotes and who knows what else. All we know is that they are well fed! I would not be surprised to see hawks walking on the ground because they are so fat from feeding on the bounty we have provided for them that they might be unable to get off the ground! These predators have decimated our quail numbers!
You and I are also a target for a particular predator in the spiritual realm. I Peter 5:8 says, “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” Predatory devices he uses are subtle, like a snake or bobcat silently and stealthily seeking to attack the unsuspecting quail. Many of the seemingly innocuous things in our lives can turn into things the enemy uses to ensnare us. Popularity, position, sex, and money can be neutral or positive things in our lives until our enemy uses them in a perverse way to capture us in his web of evil. There are so many things, like addictions of various kinds that the enemy can use to entrap and destroy us.
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.” John 10:10.
So, what do we do to escape the clutches on this monstrous predator? Let us be reminded that God says in His Word that:
“No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” 1 Corinthians 10:13 (NIV)
“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you.” James 4:7-8 (NIV)
Lord, help us to resist the enemy predator that lurks around us.
Let us continually draw near to you and, as a result, sense your
presence, peace, and protection.
Blessings,