Alert

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8 (NIV)

This morning in my devotion time I read this from All God’s Creatures by Marianne Campbell and thought it was quite appropriate to share with you around the New Year. 

In October 2017, wildfires decimated my hometown and surrounding areas in Sonoma County, Smoke from the fires hung in the air for weeks, and humans and animals alike were on edge until the fires were full extinguished. This was especially evident the day I saw a flock of wild turkey moving through my neighborhood.

There were nine hens and one tom. The hens calmly grazed. The tom, however, had his head raised to the sky. I’ve never seen a turkey keep watch like this. I’ve seen a tom strut attentively nearby, or graze along with the flock, or sometimes impressively spread his tail, but this turkey had stretched his neck out as far as it would go and tipped his head upward, watching the smokey brown sky. Not once as I observed this foraging flock did the tom turkey lower his head. I was impressed with his diligence, even more with its God-given protective instincts. The tom only knew something was desperately wrong and he had to stay alert.

I often feel like something is desperately wrong in the world, but unlike the tom turkey, I’m quick to realize what it is: so many people live their lives without regard for either God or others around them, and if I’m not careful, I can easily fall into the same trap. Through everyday prayer, I can enlist the help of my Father in heaven to be alert. He guards my heart and mind, strengthens me against spiritual attack, and informs me of areas where I’m weak and need to be extra vigilant. My good and gracious God will not let me be overcome. 

It is the small temptations which undermine integrity unless we watch and pray and never think them too trivial to be resisted. Louisa May Alcott