James 4:7
‘Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.’
DAILY READING – 1 Corinthians 11:1-16; 2 Kings 4; Amos 9
In the News in 1984 was the story of an unemployed cleaning woman in Saint Louis, Mrs. Fielder, whose house was almost brought down by bees. Mrs. Fielder said she noticed bees around her house, soon after she bought it 12 years earlier. Since there were only a few, she made no effort to deal with them. Over time, the bees continued to fly in and out the attic vent while the woman remained unconcerned, unaware of the growing city of bees. She didn’t think much about them until when she saw them going in and out of a small hole in the outside bricks of the house. Unknown to her, the whole attic had become a bee-hive.
Mrs. Fielder was asleep one Sunday night when she suddenly heard what sounded like breaking plaster. She switched on the light and saw that a corner of the ceiling was bent down. An hour later, a large part of the ceiling collapsed and about 50 pounds of honey hit the floor next to Mrs. Fielder’s bed. The ceiling of the second- floor bedroom finally caved in under the weight of hundreds of pounds of honey and thousands of angry bees.
While Mrs. Fielder escaped serious injury, she was unable to repair the damage of her accumulated neglect.
A bee is a little thing. Two or three bees are still little and should not be a bother. However as the number keeps growing it can become a concern.
Just like the bees built up gradually in Mrs. Fielder’s house, little things have the potential of sneaking in and building up until they cause major damage..
Song of Songs 2:15 says ‘Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes..’
In Solomon’s days vineyards were very important, and vine owners did everything they could to protect them. Lots of things could harm the growing grapes such as bears, thieves, wind and other natural disasters . So, the farmers would come up with a plan to protect against the big threats. But, it was not the big things that were the real problem. While the grapes were growing, little foxes would sneak in at night, under the cover of darkness, and gnaw on the tendrils and eat the flowers before the grapes were set — destroying the entire harvest in a single night.
In the same way, the greatest danger Christians today face are not the so-called “big sins” but the little foxes that can quietly slip into one’s life. One small wrong thought, not dealt with, can eventually destroy what a man has spent a lifetime building.
Just like the bees in that woman’s house, a wrong thought going through our mind, may at first not be a concern. But if we don’t deal with that thought, it will keep building up. The more we dwell on it the more it grows. Until it becomes a major bloc in our mentality and can become a destructive reality.
Paul wrote in 1 Cor. 10:12, “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.’
A frog put into boiling hot water, will jump right out. However, if you put a frog in cool water and then slowly raise the temperature, it will stay right there until it boils to death.
The enemy knows that many Christians may not jump in and commit a major sin — but, if he started out with little white lies, then eventually it could get to the point where sin completely filled the life of the Christian and ruined his walk and witness.
1 Cor 5:6 says, ” Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?
The accumulation of little foxes can spoil the vine. Those fleeting thoughts that may seem harmless now, can bring down a great Christian testimony. Therefore give no room to the devil.
Some have said a saint is a sinner who sins less, but that is not true. God’s will is not that we sin less — God’s will is that we do not sin at all. All unrighteousness is sin. Ezekiel 18:20 says The soul that sinneth, it shall die..
In John 8:11 Jesus said to the woman caught in adultery “Go and sin no more!”
If Jesus says it, then it is possible.
Jesus has given us the power to overcome sin.
In Luke 10:19 Jesus said ‘Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.’ we have been given power over every power of the enemy including the power over sin.
James 4:7 says ‘Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you’.
Christ has given us the power to resist sin in our lives. Therefore it is time to get rid of the little foxes. Let us get rid of any junk trying to build up in our minds. Let us feed rather on The Word of God so that our mind can be daily renewed to live righteous and holy. By The Word, let Christ dominate our minds. And if there be any sin or habit trying to dominate you, today begin to plead the blood of Jesus against them. As you do, your victory over such sins will be established in Jesus Name.
PRAYER: Lord, Please grant me the grace to always pursue holiness and righteousness in all I do. May the little foxes of sin never gain a hold on my life. I know that by The Blood, I have truly overcome every force of sin in Jesus name. .
quote
The battle you are faced with today is a good warfare because God has already foreordained victorious end for you.
[CULLED FROM THE BOOK SUPERNATURAL LOVE OF GOD]