The Birds and the Squirrel

I have a struggle going on in my backyard.

I have a great birdfeeder where the cutest birds come and feed, they are all small but different in color and shape and design. However, they are constantly challenged by the squirrel and the pigeons. I started thinking about how this struggle is much like our daily struggle to follow God and resist the enemy in our lives.

I have caught the squirrel climbing upside down my kitchen window screen so he can jump directly to the birdfeeder. I see him stalk across the yard, planning his next manuever, so he can eat the spoils of the birdfeeder. Meanwhile, the cute little birds that the seed is meant for is scattered all over the ground.

The pigeons intimidate the smaller birds. They come in sqwaking and in great numbers. They are at least 10 times the size of the little finches, so thelittle birds leave and go away.

Stay with me here. If we take this scenario seriously, the finches are God's people. The squirrel is Satan himself, the pigeons are his demons who do his work, and I represent God as the provider for the birdfeeder.

The finches come to be fed by God, they want to take in the seeds of his Gospel and receive his provision. But, they are often thwarted by Satan stepping into to take the seeds, so they don't get them. The pigeons come and scatter the seeds so that they don't have any ability to take root in the finches.

It seems like a helpless situation. But, it's not. I, representing the Lord, have a white towel that I throw over the birdfeeder. It keeps the squirrel from being able to jump to it, and the pigeons have no ability to get through it. However, the towel doesn't cover all of the birdfeeder, there is still a pathway for the finches to get through. They continue to eat until they are full and the birdfeeder is empty.

The white towel stands for the covering of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Despite all the obstacles in getting towards God, the Holy Spirit provides a way through and provides protection from the interference of the one who does not want us to get through.

The action in my backyard has given me new insight to God's love and provision in my life. I know how tender and protective I feel towards the finches, and I realize that God's love for me and for our family is an entire universe greater than any love I could ever feel.

Do you have a birdfeeder you need to fill? The birds are waiting. . . .