The Devil is a Sly Ole Fox

1970 something

“The Devil is a sly ole fox, if I could catch him I’d put him in a box, lock that box and throw away the key for all those tricks he’s played on me." In the 70s when I learned this little song, I had not seen very many of his tricks. Oh how many times since then, I’ve wished I had found that box and key!

Today
For many years, it has not been uncommon for me to wake up with a verse or song in my mind. A few months ago, I woke several days with “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death” going through my mind. It became so overshadowing that I found myself terribly afraid that someone dear to me was going to die and God was somehow trying to prepare me. After several sleepless nights, I heard Him clearly say to me that it was not Him waking me with this verse. Startled, I said out loud, but it’s your word. To which he replied, he tried the same thing on me. It was only then that I realized the sly ole fox had tricked me! Using something as simple and yet as intimate as my waking pattern, he had used the very scripture that God provided to bring hope to bring fear. And then, I could hear the rest of the verse “I will fear no evil for thou art with me“. The fox left that out!

So often when we’ve been tricked we want to hide, give up, or berate ourselves. When what He wants us to do is lock the box and throw away the key! “Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sins are put out of sight, Yes, what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of sin” Romans 4:7 and 8.(NLT)

I think this is what Jesus wanted for Peter after he had been tricked into denying he even knew Jesus. When Jesus next saw Peter He had only one question, Do you love me? One question He asked 3 times. I often wonder if this was because Peter kept trying to remind him of what he had done. He wanted to make sure Jesus knew he had fallen prey to the enemy‘s schemes. What Jesus wanted to know was, Do you love me? He had an assignment for Peter to move forward and the only thing that mattered was that He loved Peter and Peter loved Him.

We’ve all been tricked, but He still has an assignment for each of us. And Jesus says, Do you love me? Then, go in my name and …. .
 
Thanks for listening,
See you next Sunday
 
Ronda

Stephen's grandmother always had something good to say about everyone. One day, he said to her, Grandma Dear I think you would have something good to say about the devil.  To which she quickly replied, he's persistent!