Stop That Bird

In my neighborhood, each spring, there are lots of little birdies with their loving parents building nests and tending to their young. If you were to walk my neighborhood with me, you would join me in dreading the silent swooping of hawks. Soon after, you would hear the squawking and crying of the mother and father birds robbed of their young babies.

It is disheartening as we would love to rescue them, but there is nothing we can do to help. The hawks seem to gloat as they steal their reward, with the smaller birds desperately chasing behind the thief taking their young. Inevitably, the hawk wins. It has occurred to me that the hawks have absolutely no remorse when they hear the cries of the parent birds. It is in their genetics to steal, kill, and destroy these helpless birdies.

If you would now go with me, in your mind’s eye, to the spiritual world. When Satan silently swoops in and steals our joy, we often feel helpless in combating that “big ole’ devil.” We may try to chase after him, crying out, “Wait! I didn’t mean for this to happen! I only meant to get a little revenge for the wrong done to me. Can you please give me my peace back? I’ll be more careful next time! Please! Please don’t steal my joy.”

Jesus tells us that “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy” (John 10:10, NASB). The devil is like the hawk in that we can’t appeal to his sympathy; he has none. He only knows how to bring sadness, depression, and discontentment. That’s all he knows.

Whenever the enemy comes to steal, he starts with the small things. It may seem insignificant, but we can’t allow even a little bitterness to come into our hearts.

We must live in a constant state of forgiveness to keep joy and peace in our daily lives.

Whenever you feel like holding a grudge; what you feel is a deserved resentment, remember not to let that ole’ hawk steal your peace and joy—stop that bird!