“I grabbed him, body slammed him and put him in a nice headlock and waited till the deputies showed up,” the teen's dad told the news source.
Here's the story: It took place last Thursday, April 7, 2011, in the state of Oregon. A 13 year old girl was walking home from school when a sex offender approached her asking for her name and then tried to grab her by the shoulder. Her first instinct was to Run! Then she used her cell to call her dad. Dad arrives quickly and the two of them drive around the area looking for the offender. They spot him a few blocks away. The dad gets out...grabs the guy...body slams him (and for this I applaud) and anchors him in a nice headlock....just controlling the situation, which in this case is one mean sex offender...until the deputies arrive (and again, I must applaud!!)
My hat is off to this dad! He did what every dad would do. He rushed to her ... put her in his protective care...and went after the attacker. He located the villian and he apprehended him. He saved his daughter, and possibly another teen, from an attack! He stopped the enemy in his tracks.
I call this dad a hero. But actually, he did what came natural as a dad. He was simply protecting his child. That's what our Heavenly Father does for us!
When you are uneasy, feeling threatened or insecure, or facing an overwhelming situation in your life. The hand of the attacker is touching your shoulder...
#1. Run. Don't stand idle and spend your energy worrying. Don't entertain the enemy! Stop battling the situation with your human strength. Remember, you can't reason with the attacker once he has targeted you with an intent. His intent is to bring you under his control for his purpose. Escaping the presence of the attacker diminishes his ability to fulfill this evil intent. Run to the Word of God. Run to prayer. Run.
#2. Yell. Call out to your Heavenly Father! Get His attention. Tell Him what is happening. When you do this, your Father will act in that same protective mode as the girl's dad...and rush to where you are. He is everywhere at once. He is all-power and all-knowing...He will arrive faster than the speed-of-light...He will show no mercy to the one coming against you. If the teen had not called her dad last Thursday, he wouldn't have known of her danger. She knew what to do. She escaped the enemy's presence - She contacted her dad. ~ Run and Yell.
#3. Stay in the presence of your Father. Ride with Him. Just because your Heavenly Father came to your rescue doesn't mean that you can turn your back on Him. There's a very old story about a man who was sliding off his roof and he cried out to God to save him. About that time a nail caught his britches and he said, "Never mind, God, this nail saved me." Too many people live risky lives, neglecting to stay in the presence of the Father. They only want Him when they are in trouble. Your absence from the presence of the Father paints a bright yellow bullseye on your back and it says, "Hey, devil, I'm weak! Attack me!" Stay, remain, dwell...in your Father's presence. It's safe there.
#4. Identify the culprit. Point him out. Who attacked you? Who threatened you? What/Who is it that is stealing your peace? What or who is a threat to your children? Why are finances scarce? I can just see myself sitting beside Jesus Christ and pointing to the enemy of my soul and saying, "There he is, Jesus! That's him!" Yes, I feel pretty tough sitting in the presence of Jesus and naming the culprit!
#5. Wait. There are battles in life that must be fought under the direction and guidance of God. Check them out in the Old Testament. They moved when He said to move. They fought when He said to fight. They conquered at His command. And not until. There are times you are to stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. You will win no war unless you follow His Word. But if you obey the Word, there's is no army big enough nor strong enough to stand against you.
#6. Watch. Faith comes into play here. The teen stood by and watched the event unfold. She had done all she could. She did all that was within her strength to do. She stood by and watchde her father take action against her enemy. If you have little faith, you probably won't be still and watch. You will get involved, but in ways that only hinder. Little faith is why we prefer to be involved. The flesh itches to be busy. Pride and Ego call the shots. We call everyone we know and talk - we blame - we get in the way. Stop. Watch God work. Be still. Be quiet.
#7. Rejoice. The young girl saw her enemy brought down and held captive. She watched her dad. He was her deliverer! She could go home, untouched, unharmed, and unafraid. I see her racing inside her home - hugging her mom and other family members. No doubt she is one happy gal...knowing her dad fought for her that day.
Well, we've covered a lot in this blog. I just want you to know one thing. Your Heavenly Father loves you so much more than your earthly father. Matthew 7:11 and Luke 11:13 tell us that if our earthly father knows how to give good gifts... how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him - and how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them who ask?
You have a strong and loving heavenly Father. Run to Him. Call to Him. Stay in His presence. Watch Him work in your behalf. Identify the real enemy. Wait on the Lord. Watch and pray. And lastly, Rejoice. Your Heavenly Father loves you, too.
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