During the spring and summer, I often see tiny birds driving off much larger ones. I’ve often wondered about this. How does such a tiny bird have the courage, speed and strength to attack and drive off a much larger one? Finally my curiosity got the better of me, and I googled it. Here is what I found:
This rather common practice in the bird world is called “mobbing”, and the smaller, weaker bird is known as the “mobber”. Mobbing is probably a bit more common in the spring than in other seasons, as the most common reason is protection of the mobber’s nest and young. It is also sometimes done to protect a food source.
The mobber will usually attack another, larger bird, but mobbing has also been known to be an attack on a mammal, even one as large a cow. Common mobbers include chickadees, titmice, kingbirds, blackbirds, grackles, jays, and crows; while common targets include hawks, crows, ravens, herons and owls. Interestingly according to my Internet source, the mobber is most often successful.
The information only served to further prick my curiosity: How can a bird as tiny as a titmouse or a chickadee have enough strength, speed and ferocity to drive off a bird as large as a hawk or a heron?
Apparently the mobber’s success is due to its greater maneuverability. In addition, the mobber often takes the target completely by surprise, and these two factors take away much of the predator’s advantage. *
But you didn’t really come to read this site because you wanted a lesson on birds, so what does this have to do with the stormy trials you are currently going through?
Just this: when the target bird enters the mobber’s territory, the mobber suddenly finds himself in the midst of a major trial, one that could take the life of his mate or young, or even take his own life. Isn’t this how we feel in the midst of our storms?
So often as the storms press in, we feel like there is no way out. The illness is just too big for us. There isn’t any solution to our financial difficulties. Our relationship problems just won’t go away, etc. It is at this moment that we can take lessons from the mobber: We can rise up in the middle of our storm and drive it away!
Will we be successful?
Remember that the mobber relies on the element of surprise as well as on their greater maneuverability to succeed. We, also have something that is to our advantage: We have the power of Jesus Christ, who died on the cross to give us victory: “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” (Gal 5:1)
It is our choice if we USE that power, or if we simply let the waves of the storm overcome us.
Like the little mobbers who rely on surprise and maneuverability, we can rely on Jesus’ resurrection power to drive off the predator that wants to rob us and our families of our peace in Jesus.
Friends, I encourage each of you to learn a valuable lesson from the mobbers. In the face of whatever your storm may be, rise up in the power of Jesus’ name and command it to leave!
The other day, the spirit of anxiety and fear overcame someone in my family. I felt so helpless. I had no idea what to do. As I drove to work, I began to pray, and suddenly it came to me: I needed to be a mobber! I rose up in the power of Jesus’ name and commanded that filthy spirit away from my loved one. I declared his power broken, and then I prayed a hedge of protection over my family member that the predator would not be able to return.
When I got home that evening, I found an entirely different person waiting for me. He was completely and totally free of anxiety and fear, he had decided to take a step out in faith and let God handle the situation he had been so imprisoned by.
What about it friends? In the face of our trials, let’s be mobbers! We will be amazed at how Jesus’ resurrection power will drive away the “predators” of our circumstances!
In His love,
Lyn
Lynona Gordon Chaffart, Speech-Language Pathologist, mother of two, Author — “Aboard God’s Train — A Journey With God Through the Valley of Cancer”, Author and Moderator for The Nugget, a tri-weekly internet newsletter, and Scriptural Nuggets, a website devoted to Christian devotionals and inspirational poems, with Answers2Prayer Ministries. Follow Lyn on Twitter @lynchaffart.