Sometimes I think the birds feel they have a sanctuary among our trees.  They come and go with different seasons.  The robins are brave.  The blue jays are bold.

The sparrows are many.  The grackles, well…they aren’t my favorites.

            We have all kinds of birds and since they have won our hearts we felt obligated to feed them.  So we bought a feeder.  We filled it up and waited, and waited and waited some more.  They couldn’t see what awaited them. When at last they discovered their feast I had a revelation.  The birds had a feast waiting for them if only they would receive it.

            God has left me a feast in his Word.  When I experience a “famine” in my life, I stumble around, faint with hunger until I remember that my heavenly Father, who feeds the birds of the air and the beasts of the field, will surely feed me and meet my every need.

            I guess you could call me a bird watcher.  A mother sparrow chose the top of our spiny dagger yucca tree.  The leaves have extremely sharp points.  She worked diligently making her nest, intertwining in the leaves of those points.

            A family of cats chose to live under our spreading evergreen bushes by the yucca tree.  I watched in amazement as day after day, one or all of the cats tried desperately to capture the mother bird.  The cats climbed the trunk of the tree only to be gouged by the sharp arrows and then, down came the cats.

            The whole scenario of seeing the cats crouched at the base of the tree; drooling and licking their chops amused us.  The mother bird aware of their presence, kept working as if completely oblivious to their threats.  She had no fear “in the presence of her enemies.”   Her “strong tower” became her refuge of safety.

            When her babies began to try their fledging wings, the cats went into a frenzy.  Any moment they thought a feast might occur.  Yet Mother sparrow had trained her young well.  They too, knew the safety of their “strong tower.”

            I admire the courage and the boldness of that mother bird.  She refused to be intimidated.  She didn’t waste a minute being anxious.  Her focus remained intact and her mission in life would not be distracted.

Many times you and I are “in the presence of our enemies.  Illnesses threaten.  Misunderstandings develop.  Financial problems occur.  Trust is betrayed in relationships, and the list goes on.

            What could have been more threatening to the Mother bird? I thought.  Surely she had a lot to be anxious about:  “Make a nest.  Hatch her brood.  Bring them food.  Not to mention keeping an eye on her children in the meantime.”

            Sometimes I think those little birdbrains have more faith than I do.  I learned a lot from her that day.  Am I not comforted and encouraged by my own “strong tower?”

            “The name of the Lord is a strong tower.  The righteous run to it and are safe”  {Proverbs 18:10).

            I find in Psalm 23:5 that God is with me even when enemies are surrounding me.  I can stand because “Greater is he that is in me than he that is in the world”  (1 John 4:4).

            I, like the mother sparrow, can refuse to be intimidated.  My focus is on my mission in life and I refuse to be distracted too.

            I shed a tear when I saw the mother bird’s children leave the nest for the last time.  I wondered if she felt the same way I did when mine left home. 

            I thanked God for reminding me that his love and care daily surrounds those who love him, even in the presence of enemies.

            Since he watches over the sparrow and her children, I know he watches over my children and me.