I had a dream from the Lord the other day. I saw someone I know stumble upon foxes and face threats from them. I checked with the Lord, and He led me to read Song of Solomon chapter 2.
Song of Solomon 2:15 (NKJV) says, 'Catch us the foxes, the little foxes that spoil the vines, for our vines have tender grapes.'
The Common English Bible (CEB) puts it this way, 'Catch foxes for us - those little foxes that spoil vineyards, now that our vineyards are in bloom!'
Beloved of God, the Lord is telling you to 'nip it in the bud' the noises, wrong thoughts, wrong mentality, wrong perception, or wrong philosophy that try to 'spoil' your calling, purpose, and development in life.
In your personal life, do not allow anyone, anything, or any situation to negatively affect your relationship with the Lord. In your spiritual ministry, do not allow anyone, anything, or any situation to make you undermine the calling or the ministry that God has put upon your life.
Song of Solomon 2:2 (CEB) says, 'Like a lily among thornbushes, so is my dearest among the young women.'
Maybe you've been thinking that other people are always doing better or living better than you. You might be thinking that no one will ever appreciate you, or ever notice you. But the Lord is saying here that you are special to Him! He always takes notice of you and watches over you, even when you are not aware of it. Just don't compare yourself with others. Instead, look to the Lord who loves you and who calls you His beloved.
If there's been not-so-good thing that happened in your life recently, and this makes you doubt God's love for you, doubt not! He has never given up on you. He has never abandoned you. You may not understand why certain bad things happened, but one thing you must know is that the Lord has never given up on you, and will never give up on you! He promised this in His Word.
Song of Solomon 2:10-14 (CEB) says, 'My lover spoke and said to me, "Rise up, my dearest, my fairest, and go. Here, the winter is past; the rains have come and gone. Blossoms have appeared in the land; the season of singing has arrived, and the sound of the turtledove is heard in our land. The green fruit is on the fig tree, and the grapevines in bloom are fragrant. Rise up, my dearest, my fairest, and go. My dove - in the rock crevices, hidden in the cliff face - let me catch sight of you; let me hear your voice! The sound of your voice is sweet, and the sight of you is lovely."'
So, beloved of God, what do you do when you're surrounded by voices of doubt 'attacking' your mind, emotion, and faith? Rise up all the more, and draw near to the Lord! In Song of Solomon 2:14 that we've read just now, the Lord is saying that He is pleased to see you and hear your voice! Therefore, shun the voices that try to pull you away from Him, and draw closer to Him instead. Read His Word, talk to Him, sing to Him, and worship Him.
In the New Testament, James 4:8 (NKJV) says, 'Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.'
The Easy-to-Read Version (ERV) puts it this way, 'Come near to God and He will come near to you. You are sinners, so clean sin out of your lives. You are trying to follow God and the world at the same time. Make your thinking pure.'
The Bible says here that you need to decide what kind of mentality you are to put on (or put away) in order to live a life that is closer and closer to God. Obviously, the right thing to do is to choose His way and His thoughts. And surely, you're never going to make a wrong turn in your life!
Prayer:
"O Lord God, we thank You for alerting us of 'foxes' in our lives and ministries. We choose to nip 'all the negative thoughts and worldly influences' in the bud. We choose to shun anything that causes us to doubt Your love for us and Your calling upon our lives. We want to draw near to You, and even closer than before. When no one notices us, we know You do. When no one acknowledges us, we know You do. Thank You for Your love, assurance, and affirmation in our lives. We praise You for Your love and faithfulness in our lives. In the name of Jesus. Amen."