I apologize to the single ladies, but this is not a “once upon a time” story where the frog turns into a prince charming. On the contrary, this frog is not to be played with because it is a destroyer. It sneaks in when you least expect it and causes much harm. This frog is like the little foxes that destroy the vineyard.
“Catch the foxes for us, the little foxes that are ruining the vineyards, while our vineyards are in blossom.” Song of Solomon 2:15
I had a big frog in the yard this week and I was very thankful that I had someone to catch it for me before it caused much harm like giving me a heart attack if it should happen to hop in my direction. It was this experience that confirmed that I had to write about frogs this week. This was after my friends who are missionaries had another frog encounter last week on the farm that they live on. However, this frog was not caught before it caused a lot of problems. My unsuspecting friends were unaware that this interloper somehow got into the closed electrical box which regulates the electricity throughout the different areas on the farm. This seemed to be an ambidextrous amphibian as it got one leg on the positive terminal and another on the negative which caused it to cook itself into fried spring chicken while also frying all the cables in the electrical box resulting in a power outage throughout the farm for several days. No normal electrician could fix the cables in this box, because it was a specialized electrical box, so my friends had to find a specialist to get their electricity back.
You might be wondering why I am telling you about this frog story. Well, it is because I want you to think about the little frogs in your life that may be causing an obstruction or complete outage so that the Holy Spirit’s power does not flow through you.
This past weekend I had to do some self-introspection and then some repentance after I came face to face with my frogs, which are pride, self-absorption and wanting to be pleasing to others so they give me positive affirmations. Frankly, I was sickened by these frogs. I thought I had gotten rid of them, but there they were hopping in my face. Now I can’t be the only one with frogs. What are your frogs? Are you having a hard time seeing any of those frogs? Well let me give you some words from the Bible to see if they can help you perceive those pesky pests.
For I am afraid that perhaps when I come I may find you to be not what I wish, and may be found by you to be not what you wish; that perhaps there will be strife, jealousy, angry tempers, selfishness, slanders, gossip, arrogance, disturbances; I am afraid that when I come again my God may humiliate me before you, and I may mourn over many of those who have sinned in the past and not repented of the impurity, sexual immorality, and indecent behavior which they have practiced. 2 Corinthians 12:20-21
Did that help a bit? I hope it did because when we identify any of these issues in our lives, we need to seek to get rid of them as they could cause problems in our relationship with God. If we do not repent of them, it could be difficult for us to be empowered by the Holy Spirit. And it is the Holy Spirit that helps us to keep these frogs out of our lives.
But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the desire of the flesh is against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, in order to keep you from doing whatever you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: sexual immorality, impurity, indecent behavior, idolatry, witchcraft, hostilities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. Galatians 5:16-21
Like the little foxes, the frogs will eat all that is blossoming in our lives, so that we will have no fruit. And God has called us to be fruitful as we abide in Jesus, the Vine. When we are not producing fruit, we may experience seasons when we feel that we are being pruned and being thrown in the fire. This could be a painful time, put still very important to ensure any part of our lives that are not bearing good fruit are being pruned so that we will grow the fruit of the Spirit. And this is fruit that when people taste it, they will see that the Lord is good.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23
Let us be on the alert of the little frogs within us that may damage the fruit of the Spirit and also hinder the flow of the Holy Spirt in our lives.
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