The neighbor’s cat just now moseyed by while I was doing the dishes. It moseyed over to the garden shed and was very interested in some small, tasty creature which was obviously somewhere in there, underneath the door. The cat very much wanted to squeeze through the crack at the base of the door, but there simply was not enough room.
I was intrigued by the cat. At first glance it looked like a young bobcat. It certainly had the striped markings of a bobcat. But its tail was long … a total giveaway that it wasn’t a bobcat. Bobcats have short stubby tails. And this cat was a charcoal-color, rather than a rust-color.
The cat took up a watchful post right in front of the garden shed door, sitting and staring intently at the crack at the base of the door, hoping some small, tasty mouse or chipmunk might emerge.
I couldn’t help but think of the verse: “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” – 1 Peter 5:8
Satan is like that cat, sitting there patiently … intently watching and waiting for an opportune moment when we are not paying attention and our guard is down.
I continued doing the dishes, and the cat eventually gave up its watchful post and moseyed over towards the house. Wait a minute! Is it out there watching my hummingbirds!?!
It cannot have my hummingbirds!
I went right out there and made my presence known. “No, you cannot have the hummingbirds!”
The cat got the message. It turned and headed off towards home.
Satan might be prowling around, taking up a post to patiently wait to devour us … but God is watching out for us! God is looking after us! God is taking care of us!
“The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.” – Psalm 34:7
Just like I went right out there and gave that cat a clear message that: “No, you cannot have the hummingbirds!” … so also, in the same way God gives Satan a clear message that: “No, you cannot have my child! Go away!”
“The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.” – Psalm 34:7
