THE HAWK AND THE DOVE

Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8 (NAS)

The spring brought a variety of birds to my feeder. With delight one morning, I noticed a pair of Mourning Doves feeding. I heard their gentle cooing and hoped they would nest nearby.

Shortly after going inside, the shrill call of a hawk shattered my peace. I rushed out to the deck hoping to scare off the enemy—a red-tailed hawk I had seen about the woods. He was nowhere in sight. All the birds vanished by instinct as they do when a hawk’s shadow darkens the sky.

I knew the enemy was close, watching and waiting his chance to pierce the beautiful breast of the dove with his sharp talons.

We also have an enemy who constantly seeks an opportunity to pierce our souls. We don’t rely on instinct to save us. We have the Holy Spirit.

My thoughts turned to prayer.

This is life on earth.

This is survival.
This is not the way You planned it to be, God.
But, sin . . .
Satan, looking for an opportunity, found it in weakness, in a thoughtless moment in the garden.
My hope is in Your promise, fulfilled when You rose from the tomb. There will be a new day where sin no longer destroys what was meant for beauty and peace.

The hawk will live in harmony with the dove. We will no longer be plagued by the enemy.

Help us walk with You and live in the peace You planned for us. Thank You for the promise of a new heaven and earth where our joy will not be threatened by the enemy.

©2019 Bonnie Mae Evans