It’s The Little Foxes That Spoil The Vines!
Last Friday night FAM Fellowship members participated in our first “FAM Chat”, and despite the short notice, I was very pleased with the participation we had for the first time, and discovered several ways to make it easier and a lot more efficient to manage as the moderator. So we’re really looking forward to the blessings it will provide for all of us in the future, especially how it will enable us to get to know each other better and to share our insight and experience with each other for support and encouragement.
Since our topic was about overcoming discouragement, the conversation was very interesting, and the feedback from members who weren’t able to participate Friday night has been very positive. And one unexpected benefit for me personally is the material some of the interesting and thought provoking comments or questions from the FAM Fellowship members will provide for my SOF posts, such as today!
Since REALLY believing God WILL restore our marriages is a HUGE hurdle and obstacle for a lot of men and women standing for marriage restoration, I was particularly struck by the following response, because it may well explain why so many people struggle with it so much:
“You know, you say this over and over and over again in all of your posts- and again, you made it abundantly clear in your post from 1/11… it all comes down to TRUST. But when you read about all of the problems in the world, kids being abused, kidnapped and murdered, folks dying of all sorts of excruciating diseases. you just wonder why would God even think that the restoration of my marriage is so important relative to everything else…I guess when we box God down to our level of thinking and rationalization (satan’s playground). that’s when we start to question, and weaken, our trust in Him.. I believe you called it “stinkin thinkin”…”
That’s obviously a member who knows me pretty well, and in many ways answered the question himself. Because most of our problems usually are the result of relying on our own very limited understanding, which is EXACTLY what God tells us over and over again NOT to do! So there’s no need to address that aspect of the question, because we already know that when we’re doing something contrary to what the Lord tells us to do, we can’t expect to experience the fullness of His blessings, provision or protection, and we can’t necessarily rely on His supernatural power to work on our behalf for the restoration of our marriages.
However one of the greatest assurances we have that God cares about seemingly insignificant things in comparison to all of the serious issues and problems all around us comes from Matthew 10:29, which says Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. And Psalm 55:22 says Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall. Then 1 Peter 5:7 says Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. So the Lord tells us to cast ALL OF OUR CARES AND ANXIETIES ON HIM, and understanding and believing that in light of everything else we know concerns God gives an even deeper meaning to the preceding verse, because 1 Peter 5:6 says Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. And it’s not possible to consider the great majesty of God and all that concerns Him, without being humbled by the realization that He cares so much about us that HE orchestrates and controls ALL things concerning us. But that’s what Romans 8:28 tells us, because it promises that God will cause EVERYTHING that happens to us, ALL THINGS we care about or are concerned with, to work together for our good if we just love Him and live our lives in accordance with His will and word. And it’s difficult to find a better passage of scripture to remind us of God’s awesome majesty and all that concerns Him, and all that He does, than Job 36-42. Fortunately few of us have experienced, or ever will experience all that Job went through, but we’d all love to have a similar happy ending! So when Satan does his best to convince us that God doesn’t care about the restoration of our marriages or ANYTHING else that concerns us, we should read the above passage of scripture, and remember the great wisdom found in Song of Solomon 2:15, which says Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards, our vineyards that are in bloom. Since “little foxes” (little things) can ruin and destroy vineyards that are already in bloom, the “little things” have to be important to God, especially when we know it’s Satan who comes to kill, steal and destroy. And one of the saddest things that time and experience in marriage restoration ministry continues to reveal is how it is so often the very smallest of things that prevent, and even destroy all hope for marriage restoration, even when it was already in bloom. And most of the time, the root of those “little foxes” can be traced right back to PRIDE, which is why it’s so important for us to fully understand and rely on 1 Peter 5:6-7, which altogether says Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. So remember that the next time Satan plants seeds of doubt, those destructive little foxes, in your mind about how much God cares for you and the restoration of your marriage and family. HE CARES FOR YOU; He’s looking out for you and He’s looking after you; HE’S ALMIGHTY GOD; and He HATES divorce, so be blessed and encouraged!