Taking pictures of birds in their natural habitat is not an easy job. When they see you a long way off, they take to the air and are out of range before you even get nearby. They also blend into the scenery well. In the above picture is a brown thrasher whose brown and white coloring blends in very well with the weeds in which it is hiding. Take a close look without enlarging the picture to see if you can spot it.
The brown thrasher here wears the natural camouflage that God has provided. A male cardinal in the same spot would be noticed from a great distance. Even so, the cardinal would take off long before you got too close. God has provided the birds with many means of survival in a harsh world. If He has done so for His feathered friends, what will He do for those He calls sons and daughters?
I Peter 5:8 says, “The devil is prowling around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” I have seen hawks snag small birds in mid-air when they are on the prowl. The devil seeks to do the same thing to us. But God has given us natural and supernatural protection. On the natural side He has given us a brain and we are to use it. We should be thinking about the ways the devil would try to snag us and be on the lookout constantly. We should neither sleep nor slumber when it comes to his potential attack. Be alert as Jesus commands us.
The psalmists repeatedly ask the Lord to hide them under His wings. This hiding is His supernatural protection. When Satan attacks, we should not try to fight the battle on our own. Psalm 119:114 says, “You are my refuge and shield.” Running to God amid an attack is not cowardly; it is the only way to go. How do we do this? First, by prayer. Isaiah 55:6 says, “Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near.” This call to God will not go unanswered. Second, we take refuge in the Lord by letting Him do the fighting for us. As Israel was ready to cross the Red Sea, the people were afraid of Pharaoh and his men. But Moses said in Exodus 14:14, “The Lord will fight for you; you have only to keep still.” If I hide and remain still while taking pictures of the birds, they soon forget that I am there, and I can get a good picture. If we hide in God and remain still, He is all the protection we need.
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