“May God arise, may his enemies be scattered;

May his foes flee before him.”

Psalm 68:1

With Spring Break upon us and so many returning after a warm stay near the beach, I itch to get my own toes in the sand. Last year at the ocean, I vividly remember watching a scene unfold. The typical event left an impression on my soul.

I witnessed a small toddler shovel sand into a bucket under the watchful eye of his mother lounging in a chair nearby. The boy began throwing small bits of shells, attracting a few pesky seagulls. At first, the birds startled the boy. Then he grew in bravery and began to run towards them, growling and swooshing his arms about, trying to scare them. The birds skipped a bit on their feet but stayed grounded with no feeling of threat from the boy. He ran at them again and again. Each time, his mother called him back in a nonchalant tone. Eventually, the birds moved far enough away and they were forgotten.

While I sat watching, I chuckled a little to myself as I imagined the mother responding to the seagulls with the same tactics as her toddler son. Replacing her lackadaisical nod with the ruckus her son created would surely evoke a different response! I imagined the grown woman growling and waving her arms as she ran toward the encroaching birds. Surely the birds would change their tune and take flight at an adult-sized threat hurling toward them with such a racket! I sat and laughed, wondering at such a sight!

Recovering from the humor of my imagination, I felt God nudging my heart toward a bigger truth. While we go on living, interruptions like sickness, broken relationships, feelings of abandonment or isolation, sin, and Satan lurk ever closer to our daily routines. When we realize the pesky nuisance of Satan’s power and his effects, we may very well instinctually fly at them with our own version of the arm-flailing-mouth-growling attack. We may even succeed at chasing away the feelings of desperation for a while, but always sense the lurking presence of the encroaching enemy.

Unlike the boy on the beach, our overseer is not a mother trying to relax on vacation. We have a victor, king, creator, and friend with a watchful eye and a ready hand. At our call for help, He does the work to rid our lives of Satan, sin, and everything lying in wait to pester or devour. Fear of the Lord causes the enemy to flee and scatter, which means the enemy loses influence in our lives.

As audacious as it seems, that God would fly in the face of our enemies with a storming march and strong hand, the picture of such a figure gave me great comfort on the beach that day. The enemy will fail when God fights for us! Biblical evidence of our triumphant king abound. I think of Joshua, David, Paul, and Jesus (hello Easter!) with miraculous victories recorded intentionally to encourage believers like me through space and time.

The astounding evidence leaves no room to question, but I consistently rely on my own strength to combat the pesky enemy. I picture myself as that toddler, rushing ineffectively at the enemy armed with my own remedy and battle cry. Knowing my God as the victor, as the king, as the creator, and as my friend takes a consistent reminder always found in His Word. As I consistently learn and remember the accounts of victory from the Bible, my own battle cry transforms. No longer rushing with my own efforts, I call on the One who knows how to cause enemies to scatter and flee.

Each seagull sighting during this 2021 trip to the beach will evoke a thankful heart. I’ll think of God and His ability to disperse my enemies. I’ll count the times of victory won in my own life through His strong arm. I’ll resign myself to His command. I’ll cease the striving and chasing. I’ll rest in knowing He is fighting for me.

And maybe, I’ll be chasing seagulls on the beach….just for fun!