Territorial

A male Red-wing black bird protecting his territory

When I was thinking about captioning this Red-winged black bird, territorial, came to mind. You see, we were on a grassy trail in a park. It was lined on both sides by trees. But the further we walked, the more dense the shrubs and trees became. Summer growth had caused the path to narrow.

Red-wings began to fly over head and give their telltale, shrill cries. This one landed nearby in this territorial pose. I told Doug I thought we should turn back, since we had obviously entered a heavily nested area.

Parents can be territorial of their infants and children; it’s a good thing. Animals and birds and all manner of wildlife display this characteristic. It’s a God-given trait that indicates a loving and protective nature. And God Himself demonstrates it, toward His chosen people in many places in Scripture (in both the Old and New Testaments). He shows it in various Biblical characters lives by providing divine protection, even miracles (take Daniel, and David for instance). But He also feels that way toward you and I—toward every believer.

What an awesome thought, right? This bird made itself visibly larger, broadened its stance. It called out, and almost appears Darth-Vaderish in its pose. God is described as Warrior (Exodus 15:2, Isaiah 42:13). He is called our Refuge/Protector (Psalm 91:2-4, Psalm 18:2). He is our Guardian (Psalm 121:5, 1 Peter 2:25).

So in fact, this Red-wing black bird’s territorial spirit?, means that it cares about its mate and young. How awesome are You, O God, to instill such instinct in Your creatures. And noting this, makes me appreciate Your care and protection over my life, my friends, family and everything—great and small!

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