Figs or Foxes?
Has the Lord gone silent in your life?
Do areas of your life where you were once fruitful seem barren in this season?
God has a plan for you. He has not left you and wants to draw you close. He is longing for a deeper intimate relationship with you.
When I was about 8 years old, my brother and I went to our cousins’ house to go swimming. We were about the same age and really enjoyed our times together. My uncle, like my Stepdad, was an angry dad and this particular day he was especially in a bad mood. “Dad, can we go swimming?” my cousin asked “You kids help me clean the garage for 15 minutes first!” He snarled at us. So we began to help him clean the garage. When the time was up, my cousin asked again “Can we go swimming now?” My uncle got angry and yelled “You can go swimming when I tell you you can go swimming!” My cousin ran inside the house sobbing. My aunt, who was inside the house and had no idea what was happening in the garage, saw what had happened and came to our defense, “Why is it that when you’re not having fun that none of us can have fun? Your niece and nephew are scared of you as well as your own kids!” “Well good. They should be scared of me!” my uncle replied.
We got to go swimming that day, but it didn’t feel like we were allowed to enjoy it.
Have you felt like God is looking for problems to fix within you and nothing you do seems to be good enough for Him to bless you? Do you feel unworthy of enjoying the gifts that He gives you? If you answered yes, there is good news for you. Father God is not the angry dad wanting you to be scared of Him, Jesus is not the angry husband punishing you with a wilderness season and the Holy Spirit is not sitting idly by in the dysfunction of your humanity. He is kind. Jesus laid His life down for you so that you could walk in abundant intimacy with Him. He wants constant companionship with you and wants you to enjoy life with Him.
You have permission to enjoy being with God and to rest in Him.
Are you able to envision Jesus saying this to you?
'Arise, my dearest. Hurry, my darling. Come away with me! I have come as you have asked to draw you to my heart and lead you out. For now is the time, my beautiful one. The season has changed, the bondage of your barren winter has ended, and the season of hiding is over and gone. The rains have soaked the earth and left it bright with blossoming flowers. The season for singing and pruning the vines has arrived. I hear the cooing of doves in our land, filling the air with songs to awaken you and guide you forth. Can you not discern this new day of destiny breaking forth around you? The early signs of my purposes and plans are bursting forth. The budding vines of new life are now blooming everywhere. The fragrance of their flowers whispers, “There is change in the air.” Arise, my love, my beautiful companion, and run with me to the higher place. For now is the time to arise and come away with me. For you are my dove, hidden in the split-open rock. It was I who took you and hid you up high in the secret stairway of the sky. Let me see your radiant face and hear your sweet voice. How beautiful your eyes of worship and lovely your voice in prayer. You must catch the troubling foxes, those sly little foxes that hinder our relationship. For they raid our budding vineyard of love to ruin what I’ve planted within you. Will you catch them and remove them for me? We will do it together.'
God’s blessing is contingent upon His character, not ours. He first loved us. He is the initiator. The radical good news of the Gospel is the news that seems so good that it is hard to accept as truth. If you are not seeing the goodness of God in your season, take a look at what He said in His Word.
'This is love: He loved us long before we loved him . It was his love, not ours. He proved it by sending his Son to be the pleasing sacrificial offering to take away our sins. '
“It was His love, not ours.” Wow! His goodness is not dependent upon our performance and His blood made us worthy.
'He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?'
This is really good news! This is counter cultural and radically different from what we have been taught by religion. The Lord wants to speak to you even more than you want to hear Him. He also wants to hear your voice.
Now that you know that you have God’s attention, does He have yours?
Can you spot the areas of your heart that have sneaky, deceitful perspectives, remarks, and attitudes towards God and other people that do not line up with Heaven?
What are the troubling foxes in your vineyard?
Have you tried everything known to man to get things cleaned up in your vineyard but nothing seems to work?
Ask the Holy Spirit these questions:
“Holy Spirit, what are the troubling foxes keeping me from going to the depths with You?”
“Holy Spirit, what is Your truth about these distractions and lies?”
“Holy Spirit, what are You giving me in place of the foxes that were raiding our vineyard?”
The good news is you don’t have to have it all together before you can spend time with God. He already knows where you are at and is waiting for you with open arms. Be encouraged to approach Him with an unveiled face. He wants your honesty and doesn’t want you to hide from Him any longer.
If you feel like God is giving you the cold shoulder or the silent treatment, it’s time to come in for a Sozo. You are worth the investment!
