Julie Lavender

CONSIDER THE ROBBER FLY
by Julie Lavender

On my walk with God this morning, something zoomed past my face and landed on a nearby leaf. Closer inspection revealed a robber fly.

Robber flies are fast-flying, beard-faced, six-legged creatures that feed on other insects. Quite often, robber flies choose to attack insects much larger than themselves.

BUG WITH A BEARD...

They like to find a perch and wait patiently… waiting to ambush another insect, usually while the insect is in mid-flight.

The robber fly rushes out when a desired, unsuspecting prey flutters by. The attacking insect wraps its bristly legs around its lunch’s head or back, stabs it with needlelike mouthparts, and injects saliva that contains nerve toxins and digestive enzymes.

The toxins and digestive enzymes take effect very quickly, immobilizing the prey and liquefying its insides.

The robber fly sucks out the prey’s insides, using its mouthparts like a straw.

EWWWW....

Gross and icky? Yes, but that’s just the way God designed the robber fly.

My medical-entomologist husband told me he’d once seen an ordinary-sized robber fly take down a much-larger and thicker-bodied bumble bee. “You should’ve seen it, Julie – it was quite impressive!” (It’s amazing the events that excite an entomologist!)

The robber fly reminds me of the story of David and Goliath in 1 Samuel 17. David faced a foe much larger than himself, too. But he had God on his side – David knew he would defeat the giant.

Is there a giant in your life? A difficult situation that seems impossible, insurmountable?

A test you need to pass? A deadline to meet at work? An addiction to overcome? An estranged relationship that needs mending?

About this time of year on many occasions, I felt like the completion of another school year with my four homeschooled offspring was an insurmountable task. On some of those school years, it was just an imaginary fear and we had no trouble getting all the work completed.

On some occasions though, it took until the middle of the summer to mark everything off my lesson plans. With God’s help, we did what it took to make it happen. Things may not have gone as I had planned, but God guided me to success with what seemed like a bigger giant than I could handle.

"LOOK, I AM THE LORD, THE GOD OVER EVERY CREATURE. IS ANYTHING TOO DIFFICULT FOR ME?" (Jeremiah 32:27 CSB)

God equipped the robber fly with the mechanics it needs to successfully dine on insects often twice its size. God equips you and me with what we need to be victorious with our own giants, with help from Him, of course.

What about you? Are you facing a ‘giant’ this week? I have a couple of family members facing issues that seem huge. Will you please pray for them? May I pray for you?

Comment below and let’s pray for each other!