Enjoying the snow, while praying and the fox appeared on this path

It was a standoff.  The biggest fox I’d ever seen… and me…

We’ve lost countless chickens, ducks, turkeys, and even a couple newborn baby goats to fox attacks. They come to kill, steal, and destroy under the guise of the dark.

They can sniff out a bountiful farm a mile away, even sending a few lead foxes to scope out the place before the attack. Then, before dusk, they inch their way closer to their prey- all the while hiding (very sneakily) so as not to get caught.

Yesterday, I took a walk on my prayer path through the newly fallen snow, with the Lord.  I was marveling at each intricate snow flake, the beauty of His creation and then I saw this past summers hornets nest. “Lord thank You for this time of rest on the farm!  Thank you that I don’t have to worry about poisonous snakes, hornets nests, or poison ivy!”

No sooner had that prayer been spoken to the Lord, when the biggest fox I’d ever seen stood directly in front of me.  It was staring right at me! If I didn’t know better, I would’ve thought it was a wolf or a coyote it was so BIG! Any predator looks bigger than life when face to face, the red hair gave him away.  Foxes usually come out at dusk and forage for their kill until just after sunrise.  It was broad daylight–he took me by surprise!

Thankfully, I terrified him and he ran away… Then I did!

After I collected myself, I asked the Lord, “What in the world was that about?” He very gently and sternly showed me…  We can never take a rest from guarding our lives from the schemes of the enemy.  He is always on the prowl looking for ways to kill, steal, and destroy from what is rightfully ours.

We need to guard the perimeter of our home, family, marriage, and (figuratively speaking) our vineyard. We can never take a break from guarding our lives.  If you give the enemy an inch- he’ll not only take a mile…he’ll take everything. . .

In the beginning it may be one fox, then two- then they bring their whole pack.  It’s at that point, a lot is a stake…Dale has had to stay up all night waiting to capture a pack of foxes! But he got ’em!

Isn’t that how the enemy is in our life? Comes when we aren’t watching, he’s sneaky and looks for opportunity to devour us. We have to be on guard all the time, always patrolling the borders around our home, marriages and in our children’s lives.

This morning I asked the Lord to reveal any area of my life that I’ve not guarded and have given the enemy entrance to.  I asked Him to reveal any area of compromise, or sin.

My eyes were closed in prayer when I saw a set of scales—I felt the Lord whisper to my heart that, “everything I think, do, or say glorifies Me or your flesh. Weigh everything on those scales, Sharon—everything.”

Every dollar I spend… book I read… movie I watch… word I speak… every thought glorifies Him or my flesh.  If it doesn’t glorify Him, it will bring compromise into my life and to the fullness of His will becoming manifest.

The little foxes will come to the most bountiful farms. Guard your borders and if you ever find yourself  face to face with a fox- Having done all, STAND. He will flee if you command. Take charge, don’t let the enemy think you’re bait!

Song of Solomon 2:15 “Catch us the foxes, the little foxes that spoil the vines, for our vines have tender grapes.” 

Romans 16:19-20a, “For your obedience is known to all, so that I rejoice over you, but I want you to be wise as to what is good and innocent as to what is evil. The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.”

Our chickens in the snow