Oceans in the Desert

By Kathi Pelton

Over the past few months many lives have been barraged with chaos coming from every side. I’d describe it as if thousands of “little foxes” were dumped into your lives and as you were shaking off one fox from biting your left ankle, ten more would begin nipping at your right ankle. This has consumed time, finances, energy, intimacy and peace. Often, as you were fighting off these little foxes attacking your life, you also saw that those closest to you were also being attacked by these foxes. So, in the midst of fighting off your own foxes, you have also been running to aid others.

Song of Solomon 2:15 says,

“Catch all the foxes, those little foxes, before they ruin the vineyard of love, for the grapevines are blossoming!”

When does the enemy send forth the foxes? When the vines (God’s people) are beginning to bear the beginnings of fruit upon their lives. These little foxes bring forth disturbances and frantic “fight or flight” reactions that can ruin the blossoming of intimacy and the tender fruit that will yield new wine— if allowed to mature and grow.

The little foxes can also be personal struggles, weaknesses, sin and fleshly appetites that create compromise. The enemy will stir the appetite for the things that will bring shame and cause God’s people to want to hide their faces from their Beloved. Suddenly, an acute awareness of flaws and “blemishes” causes the believer to hide their face and seclude themselves from the Lord.

You are not to hide in shame— but together with the Lord, let Him lift you up, brush you off and begin to chase those foxes out of the vineyard. Your Beloved is there to help you! He is on your side and is present to fight for you against all that is harassing you and all that has weakened you. He is washing you and inviting you into the ark of His safety and shelter.

Fight or flight do not have to be the only choices that you have. These little foxes come to provoke fear and frantic reactions. They are drawn to the frantic activity of human reactions. But, God is fighting for you and He is giving charge to His angels concerning you. I hear you pause and just begin to pray these words from Matthew 6:13,

“And don’t let me yield to temptation, but rescue me from the evil one.”

Deliver us from the little foxes. Keep us from temptation and rescue us from the evil one. The Lord is even now answering your prayer for deliverance. Remember the words from Psalm 46,

“Here he comes! The Commander! The mighty Lord of Angel Armies is on our side. The God of Jacob fights for us! Pause in his presence—

Everyone look!

Come and see the breathtaking wonders of our God. For he brings both ruin and revival. He’s the one who makes conflicts end throughout the earth, breaking and burning every weapon of war. Surrender your anxiety! Be silent and stop your striving and you will see that I am God. I am the God above all the nations, and I will be exalted throughout the whole earth.

Here he stands! The Commander! The mighty Lord of Angel Armies is on our side! The God of Jacob fights for us! Pause in his presence” Psalms‬ ‭46‬:‭7‬-‭11‬ ‭TPT‬‬

Surrender your anxiety— make room for the Lord to show all that HE ALONE IS GOD! Your striving is merely spoiling the tender fruit of trust and intimacy. He is fighting for you and you can rest in His presence (do not hide from His presence). He is fighting for you. He is giving His angels charge over you. He is flighting for those you love and He is able to do what you are not able to do.

Just stop and breathe. Take a deep breath and remind yourself that He is God and you are not. Pause and surrender your frantic efforts so that you can yield to His strength and His might to deliver you.

“Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.” Zechariah 4:6

You are about to see that He is God in every area of your life and it will bring you peace.

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