Devotions

Most agree that the Song of Solomon is a representation of Christ and His Bride. In this book we find an important verse, a request to the Bridegroom coming from those who know Him: “Catch the foxes for us, the little foxes that are ruining the vineyards, while our vineyards are in blossom” (Song of Solomon 2:15, NASB).

When you consider the size of a vineyard, a fox seems fairly insignificant. Nevertheless, a little fox has the potential to eat up the grapes and diminish the beauty of a blossoming vineyard. In the same way, you and I may find ourselves in a fruitful season — a time when things we have prayed and believed for are coming to pass. Yet we must take heed, for often there are little things in our lives that, if left unattended, can greatly diminish our testimony. We see an example of this in the book of Matthew.  

“When [Jesus and His disciples] had come to Capernaum, those who received the temple tax came to Peter and said, ‘Does your Teacher not pay the temple tax?’ He said, ‘Yes’” (Matthew 17:24-25, NKJV). Up to this point, almost everything in Peter’s walk with Jesus had gone well. It was a fruitful season! However, Jesus knew that small things in Peter’s life needed to be dealt with, lest his future fruitfulness be diminished.

When Peter was approached by the collectors of the temple tax, he lied! Neither he nor Jesus had actually paid the temple tax. Later Jesus explains to Peter that they are not required to pay that tax (see Matthew 17:25-26). “Only strangers pay taxes. We are sons of the One who owns the temple! Therefore, there is no penalty for us.”

This is a type of you and me realizing that our sins are covered. Because we came to Christ, we have been forgiven. All our failings and shortcomings were fully covered by the sacrifice of Jesus at Calvary.

Carter Conlon joined the pastoral staff of Times Square Church in 1994 at the invitation of the founding pastor, David Wilkerson, and was appointed Senior Pastor in 2001. 

Do you wake up every day in anguish over a besetting habit or lust in your life? God knows all about the sin remaining in your heart. He knows you hate it and have wept over it and He wants you to hear this word: “The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in Him and I am helped” (Psalm 28:7).

Satan wants you to be afraid that you will never be delivered, never be free. But David said, “I will fear no evil” (Psalm 23:4).

God says to all grieving, hurting saints, “Fear not! I see and know all your suffering and I will not allow Satan to destroy you.”

You may ask, “But what am I to do? How can I have the Lord’s peace in all this?” The answer is found in God’s word to Moses and Israel. With the sea before them, an enemy behind them, and no place to turn, God commanded them, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. . . . The Lord will fight for you and you shall hold your peace” (Exodus 14:13-14).

This last phrase, “Hold your peace,” means no more worrying, no more trying to figure everything out on your own. Instead, trust God to make a way for you.

Joshua and his army had to march all night to Gibeon, where they faced a massive military machine. Joshua looked down at the battlefield and saw the valley filled with mighty chariots and well-trained infantrymen — yet, all he had was a band of weary, unskilled troops.

“The Lord said to Joshua, Do not fear them, for I have delivered them into your hand; not a man of them shall stand before you” (Joshua 10:8).

God declared victory even before Joshua went into battle! He said, “The victory is already won. Now, go and fight, knowing I have promised you the victory.”

That is the message of the cross! The victory has already been won for us. 

“You shall not be afraid of them” (Deuteronomy 7:18). For Israel, “them” represented the massive, well-armed heathen nations they faced. For us today, “them” represents every problem, trouble, and overwhelming difficulty we face in life.

God tells us that we are not to fear! And because He says so, no other explanation is needed. He is all powerful and wholly aware of the satanic strongholds we face. He knows every trial and temptation that Satan will ever throw at us. And still He commands us, “You shall not fear any of them!”

Abraham was living in a strange country, surrounded by powerful kings, not knowing where he would end up. Yet, God’s first word to him was, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward” (Genesis 15:1).

The meaning of this verse is, “I will be a wall around you, your protector, your defense.” In essence, God was telling Abraham, “You are going to face difficulties but I will protect you through them all.” Abraham responded by believing God’s word to him: “And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness” (verse 6).

Abraham’s son Isaac also lived in a hostile environment, surrounded by Philistines who hated him, harassed him, and wanted him off their land. Scripture says that every time Isaac dug a well for a supply of water, the Philistines filled it back up (see Genesis 26:15).

Everywhere Isaac went he felt nothing but contention. A cloud of doubt formed over him and he wondered if he could ever make it. But God gave Isaac the same word He had given Abraham: “Do not fear, for I am with you. I will bless you and multiply your descendants for My servant Abraham’s sake” (Genesis 26:24).

Today, like Isaac, we are the children of Abraham and God makes the same promise to us: “If you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise” (Galatians 3:29). 

Satan has a strategy to deceive believers and make them doubt the faithfulness of God in answering prayer. He would have us believe that God has shut His ears to our cries and left us to work things out for ourselves.

A great tragedy in the Church today is that so few believe in the power and effectiveness of prayer. Without meaning to blaspheme, multitudes of God’s people can be heard complaining, “I pray but I get no answers. I’ve prayed so hard for so long without any results. All I want is a little evidence that God is changing things. How long must I wait?” These believers no longer visit their secret place of prayer because they are convinced that their petitions, born in prayer, are somewhere miscarried at His throne. Others are convinced that only “spiritual giants” can get their prayers through to God.

In all honesty, many saints of God struggle with doubts: “If God’s ear is open to my diligent prayer, why is there such little evidence of His answering?” Have you been praying a certain prayer for a long time without receiving an answer? Have even years gone by and still you wait, hoping . . . yet wondering?

Let’s be careful not to charge God with being slothful, unconcerned about our needs and petitions, as Job did. Job complained, “I cry to you for help and you do not answer me; I stand, and you only look at me” (Job 30:20, ESV).

Job’s vision of God’s faithfulness was clouded by his present difficulties, and he ended up accusing God of forgetting him.

It is time for Christians to take an honest look at the reasons our prayers are aborted. We might be guilty of charging God with neglect when all along our own behavior is responsible.

“Wait on the Lord, and keep His way, and He shall exalt you to inherit the land” (Psalm 37:34).  

Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, was returning home from being with Ahab, the evil king of Israel. The Lord sent a prophet out to meet him, with these strong words, “Jehu the son of Hanani the [prophet] went out to meet him, and said to King Jehoshaphat, Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the Lord? Therefore the wrath of the Lord is upon you” (2 Chronicles 19:2).

God was saying to Jehoshaphat, “Ahab was my enemy — an idolator — and you made friends with him. You indulged his wicked life and didn’t take a stand against it. You may think it’s a light thing to join in with someone who is against Me, but you don’t realize the consequences of such actions.”

At this point you may be thinking, “I understand that Ahab was evil, but when I think of my own friends, there’s no way I consider them to be God’s enemies.” Yet, consider what the Word says.

Does your friend take the Lord’s side in all things? “He who is not with Me is against Me” (Luke 11:23). 

Is your friend’s counsel full of rebellion? “Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft” (1 Samuel 15:23).

Does your friend speak evil of godly people? “He who condemns the just . . . is an abomination to the Lord” (Proverbs 17:15).

This is not a game! Your companions are a serious matter to God because their actions have serious consequences. “You give your mouth to evil . . . [you] speak against your brother. . . . Now consider this, you who forget God, lest I tear you in pieces” (Psalm 50:19-20, 22).

Thank God, the king humbled himself and repented: “Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the Lord” (2 Chronicles 20:3). And God responded to Jehoshaphat’s brokenness by giving Judah total victory over the Moabites. The Bible tells us, “Then the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet, for his God gave him rest all around” (verse 30).