In yesterday’s blog we looked at the practical teaching of joy. This morning I was reminded of a time when an every day situation had me so frustrated that I wanted to scream. The Lord taught me a valuable lesson through it.
“Catch the foxes for us— the little foxes that spoil the vineyard. Our vineyard is now in bloom.” Song of Solomon 2:15 CEV
King Solomon said that we are to catch little foxes because they spoil our fruit. In this case, the fruit is joy. I kept running into little foxes on this particular day.
I had just gotten a new computer. My old computer had been around for the last 4-5 years. I knew it inside and out, literally. But it was old and running so slow. I asked our son-in-law to recommend a newer and better computer that would meet my needs and have a relatively easy learning curve for both Dave and I.
I made a list of everything I needed to move from one computer to the other and methodically went about my task. I felt pretty accomplished for a non-computer tech type person. Checking off each item as I completed them. Yes, this was going smoothly until one of those little foxes showed up!
It came in the form of a command “restart to activate new software” and there was a glitch. A phone call in the midst of my concentration proved to be another little fox, a fox of distraction. Launch again, a missing element, another little fox! Frustration mounted…
I’ve learned to recognize the “big” things in my life that seek to get me off course in my relationship with the Lord but more often than not, I get tripped up by these little foxes.
It was certainly time to pray.
I had done that when I started, asking for wisdom and thanking the Father for guiding me through this process but somewhere along the way, I had allowed the frustration to override my peace.
Then I heard these words in my mind, “in my presence is fullness of joy”.
“I don’t feel very joyful right now Father.” “Then you’re not in My presence”. It was a short conversation between the Father and I and He was right.
I was wrapped up in my own little world and I’d forgotten to lean on Him. If God, the Father, is concerned with a small thing like setting up a new computer, let me assure you that the weightier matters of life are certainly within His provision as well.
“LORD, you give me all that I need. You support me. You give me my share. 6 My share is wonderful. My inheritance is very beautiful…8 I always remember that the LORD is with me. He is here, close by my side, so nothing can defeat me. 9 So my heart and soul will be very happy. Even my body will live in safety..11 You will teach me the right way to live. Just being with you will bring complete happiness*. Being at your right side will make me happy forever.” Psalm 16:5-11 ERV *(fullness of joy, KJV)
What little foxes are spoiling your vineyard? Capture them and sit in the Father’s presence. There you will find FULLNESS OF JOY!“