Alert and Ready
Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8
German shorthaired pointers are very interesting dogs. I watch Buddy with great fascination. He is seriously territorial. Within his fenced-in yard, he chases all kinds of butterflies and birds that come too close. Leaves that fall into the yard and bees are fair game. He goes after stink bugs (then promptly throws up). This is his yard, and he does not welcome any visitors except anyone who pulls in the driveway. And certainly, they all have come to play with him.
He is always alert. We are encouraged to be alert as well. These days are filled with many temptations, enticements, and evil circumstances. It is very easy to get sucked into the world today without hesitation. What are evil actions look right and what is right appears wrong. The enemy loves playing with our minds.
How do we know what to do? When people are being promoted and rewarded for doing un-Christian like things, it raises our hackles. Inwardly we rebel but outwardly we remain quiet. Why? Are rejection and fear making our choices for us?
Buddy slowly advances out of the door, stalking what might be in his yard. When he sees something, up comes the front leg. He points. He remains still—just waiting for the right moment. Are we like Buddy? Do we approach life with a stealth-like attitude? Perhaps patiently observing and responding are more in line with what Jesus taught.
We tend to live in the fast lane today. Not Buddy! He routinely does his patrols and checks out everything in his area. When is the last time you checked your boundaries to make sure there were no uninvited guests? You see, little by little the enemy intrudes, and we don’t really feel it because it isn’t a major shift. Nevertheless, it weakens our faith and relationship with Him.
Being watchful is not a suggestion: it’s a requirement in our faith walk. Jesus has not changed nor has His Word. If there are holes in your boundaries where the enemy has entered, get them fixed quickly.
It is okay to be territorial for Jesus. Just like Buddy, who gets excited about all who pull into his driveway, there are only certain ones who can come into his yard.
Heavenly Father, thank You for all the life lessons that You teach us through nature. Help us to use Your Word to set territorial boundaries that are safe and secure. AMEN.