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| THE DEVIL AS A... SEAGULL? |
“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may
devour.” (1 Peter 5:8)
A few years ago, my husband and I went to an ocean park in New Hampshire to play on the beach. Being from
Arkansas, this is a very special treat for us. Sitting there, we overheard the father behind us talking to his crying
three-year-old boy. While the boy was playing in the water, a seagull had grabbed his hot dog and flown off with
it. It was inconceivable to the boy that this could happen with his parents sitting right there!
We had seen the signs in the vendor window, “We will not replace food stolen by seagulls” and “Do not feed the
seagulls” and thought they were a joke. We could not imagine something like this happening with all the people
sitting around on the beach. We thought the seagulls would have been afraid of all the people – but they were
not. These birds are bold and brazen scavengers. They landed right in the midst of people and strutted around,
looking for a handout.
I made the mistake of tossing a french fry to ONE seagull – and immediately a swarm of birds converged on me,
looking for more. They were not friendly and it was scary. Obedience is better than being a sacrifice! The signs
were posted there for a reason.
Christians and the devil are like the seagull and little boy. Even though people surrounded the food on the
beach, a seagull walked right up and took the hot dog because someone wasn’t paying attention. There are
‘signs’ everywhere in the Bible, too, but because people do not know what the signs say, or don’t obey them, or
are not vigilant, the enemy swoops down and steals from, kills and destroys them.
If we don’t read our Bibles, we won’t know what our blessings and promises are (or our warning signs). If we
don't apply what we learn from reading our Bibles, we will not overcome all the "wiles" of the enemy. If we don’t
spend time with God, He can’t lead us in the ways we should go (Isaiah 48:17). If we only go to church for social
reasons, we’ll never learn and grow.
It is like the outcry, “Why didn’t God do something about this” when a tragedy strikes. “Why didn’t God stop it if
He loves people so much?” Do you know that every believer in that tragedy had the right to protection, angels,
and safety? Never underestimate God’s ability to deliver no matter how profound the attack of the enemy
seems.
Jesus gave us ALL power (authority) over ALL the power of the enemy. His Word says NOTHING shall by any
means hurt us (Luke 10:19). If it is raining and you go outside without an umbrella, do you curse God because
you got wet? I would hope not. However, we go “outside” into the world without our full armor and a total
knowledge of what our rights are. Then, when we are attacked by the enemy and fall under that attack, we look
up, shake our fists at God and say, “Why me? Why did YOU let this happen to me??”
The seagull could not take the food unless it was unprotected. The devil cannot devour us unless we let him. I
heard a preacher say it like this: The devil is NOT a lion. The devil goes around faking it, pretending to be a lion.
He knocks on people’s doors “seeking whom he may devour.” Knock-knock-knock. “Who is it?” “It’s me, the
devil, may I come in and devour you?”
THE ANSWER IS “NO” AND DON’T OPEN THE DOOR!
Just like the “Do not feed the seagull” sign was an instruction to the people, the Bible gives us instructions.
God rewards them “diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6). If we do not spend time by reading our Bibles and
acting on what we read by obeying what it tells us to do, then we cannot be rewarded. If we do not know there is
protection and safety available to us, we will not have the reward of protection and safety. Hosea 4:6 says we
are destroyed because we lack knowledge. One translation says, “…because they don’t know Me.”
My mom says it like this: After she found out that healing was “still available for today,” she went to God angry
because she spent years in church and the preachers had never taught her about healing, protection, financial
blessings, or that she had an enemy. God replied to her, “Eddie, while those men are accountable to Me for not
feeding My sheep, you had a Bible on your table all along. You are accountable to study it and learn for
yourself. Anyone with access to a Bible is accountable.”
Don’t be like that little boy who unwittingly lost his hot dog to a marauding seagull through lack of knowledge.
Read and obey the “signs” (Word of God)! You’ll be glad you did!
Copyright © 2007 Anointed Word Ministries
All rights reserved. Used by permission
.
devour.” (1 Peter 5:8)
A few years ago, my husband and I went to an ocean park in New Hampshire to play on the beach. Being from
Arkansas, this is a very special treat for us. Sitting there, we overheard the father behind us talking to his crying
three-year-old boy. While the boy was playing in the water, a seagull had grabbed his hot dog and flown off with
it. It was inconceivable to the boy that this could happen with his parents sitting right there!
We had seen the signs in the vendor window, “We will not replace food stolen by seagulls” and “Do not feed the
seagulls” and thought they were a joke. We could not imagine something like this happening with all the people
sitting around on the beach. We thought the seagulls would have been afraid of all the people – but they were
not. These birds are bold and brazen scavengers. They landed right in the midst of people and strutted around,
looking for a handout.
I made the mistake of tossing a french fry to ONE seagull – and immediately a swarm of birds converged on me,
looking for more. They were not friendly and it was scary. Obedience is better than being a sacrifice! The signs
were posted there for a reason.
Christians and the devil are like the seagull and little boy. Even though people surrounded the food on the
beach, a seagull walked right up and took the hot dog because someone wasn’t paying attention. There are
‘signs’ everywhere in the Bible, too, but because people do not know what the signs say, or don’t obey them, or
are not vigilant, the enemy swoops down and steals from, kills and destroys them.
If we don’t read our Bibles, we won’t know what our blessings and promises are (or our warning signs). If we
don't apply what we learn from reading our Bibles, we will not overcome all the "wiles" of the enemy. If we don’t
spend time with God, He can’t lead us in the ways we should go (Isaiah 48:17). If we only go to church for social
reasons, we’ll never learn and grow.
It is like the outcry, “Why didn’t God do something about this” when a tragedy strikes. “Why didn’t God stop it if
He loves people so much?” Do you know that every believer in that tragedy had the right to protection, angels,
and safety? Never underestimate God’s ability to deliver no matter how profound the attack of the enemy
seems.
Jesus gave us ALL power (authority) over ALL the power of the enemy. His Word says NOTHING shall by any
means hurt us (Luke 10:19). If it is raining and you go outside without an umbrella, do you curse God because
you got wet? I would hope not. However, we go “outside” into the world without our full armor and a total
knowledge of what our rights are. Then, when we are attacked by the enemy and fall under that attack, we look
up, shake our fists at God and say, “Why me? Why did YOU let this happen to me??”
The seagull could not take the food unless it was unprotected. The devil cannot devour us unless we let him. I
heard a preacher say it like this: The devil is NOT a lion. The devil goes around faking it, pretending to be a lion.
He knocks on people’s doors “seeking whom he may devour.” Knock-knock-knock. “Who is it?” “It’s me, the
devil, may I come in and devour you?”
THE ANSWER IS “NO” AND DON’T OPEN THE DOOR!
Just like the “Do not feed the seagull” sign was an instruction to the people, the Bible gives us instructions.
God rewards them “diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6). If we do not spend time by reading our Bibles and
acting on what we read by obeying what it tells us to do, then we cannot be rewarded. If we do not know there is
protection and safety available to us, we will not have the reward of protection and safety. Hosea 4:6 says we
are destroyed because we lack knowledge. One translation says, “…because they don’t know Me.”
My mom says it like this: After she found out that healing was “still available for today,” she went to God angry
because she spent years in church and the preachers had never taught her about healing, protection, financial
blessings, or that she had an enemy. God replied to her, “Eddie, while those men are accountable to Me for not
feeding My sheep, you had a Bible on your table all along. You are accountable to study it and learn for
yourself. Anyone with access to a Bible is accountable.”
Don’t be like that little boy who unwittingly lost his hot dog to a marauding seagull through lack of knowledge.
Read and obey the “signs” (Word of God)! You’ll be glad you did!
Copyright © 2007 Anointed Word Ministries
All rights reserved. Used by permission
.
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