Facing Your Little Foxes

It was a beautiful October day.  The cool soft breeze caressed my skin.  It was a perfect day for my husband and I to take a short hike in the majestic Colorado mountains.  After enjoying a nice picnic during our hike, we decided it was time to get back to our car that was parked at the trailhead.  On our walk back, we took pictures and commented on the beauty of our surroundings. We noticed a commotion as we got closer to our car.  To our shock, someone broke into our car! 

They broke three windows and stole my driver’s license, among a lot of other things.  I felt so dumb leaving my purse with my driver’s license in my car, but I thought, I’ll hide it under my seat, and besides, we will only be gone for thirty minutes. 

Since then, someone has been impersonating me and using my driver’s license to deposit fraudulent checks, withdraw money from my bank account, and get personal loans.  This ordeal took weeks.  We had to talk with law enforcement officers and banks on a daily basis.  I even spoke with the secret service as one time we thought it was an inside job with bank personnel.  This took so much time away from my other responsibilities like working part-time, helping my husband with his pastoral leadership role, and planting a church.  All this while I was still healing from open-heart surgery.  It was absolutely exhausting and scary to think that someone else was pretending to be me.  I had to somehow prove my identity, that I was me – sounds a bit comical. This was a total mess! Can I be real with you? I was totally stressed out and cried my eyes out a few times.

I called out to God to help me and asked why all this was happening to us.  I mean, come on, someone stealing my identity?! In His gentle response, God reminded me of a Bible verse He showed me a while back:

“From the Bridegroom:  The one I love calls to me:

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.

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.

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.” (Songs of Songs 2:10, 13-15, TPT)

Wow! Did you get that? It was as if He was right there next to me in my mess.  He was reminding me that I am His darling and His companion.  He reminded me that my identity is in Him and not in the circumstances around me or what the world may say, but that I am His, His bride.

He was describing this situation as a “troubling fox” that is coming in the way of my relationship with Him. These troubling foxes were taking my time and eyes off of Him.  God was reminding me that I needed to catch these little foxes and remove them from our coming together, but wait, that’s not all! He said, “We will do it together!”  See, in our frustrations and those times we just can’t get our heads above water, we need to remember that we can turn to the One that can make all things possible. We are not alone!

How then do we face those foxes in our lives?

1.  Cry out to God in prayer! Get to know the voice of God by spending time with Him in prayer and in His word (Scripture).  You see, in this Song of Songs verse above, He longs for his dearest (you) to seek Him and draw near to Him.

2. We face them with Chazak!! What?? Yes, Chazak is a Hebrew word used in the Bible to defined as “be courageous.”  Be courageous to hope in the Lord in your situation, and then God will instill courage to your heart. Deuteronomy 31:6 tells us: “Chazak! Be courageous! Do not be afraid or tremble before them. For Adonai your God-He is the One who goes with you.  He will not fail you or abandon you.”

3. Focus on the rock.  Focus on what Jesus did for you.  He died on the cross for you.  He defeated your circumstance when He resurrected on the third day! He took your infirmities and iniquities. No matter the circumstance(s) you’re facing right now, know that the answer is on that rock, on Jesus.

So, as we start National Women’s History month in this month of March, remember who you are woman of God! Remember you were created by the Almighty God and that you belong to Him.  He calls you his “dearest,” “His love,” and “His beautiful companion.” You are not alone. Also, men, I want to remind you of the same thing.  You man of God, you belong to Him.  You are His special and unique creation.  Take your place and Chazak! You can do this, you can catch those troubling little foxes, but only if you do it together with your Bridegroom.

-Judith Saunders