Frustrations
Frustrations are those small irritations and discouragements which come, when what we thought would happen….whether we planned it or not….does not happen.
How many times do we have the day planned….and something comes up…interfering with what we thought… should happen?!
And how many times do we get “frustrated”!? We may stop ourselves before we get angry or say hurtful words….but a damp cloth has come over our spirit. And instead of peace, we feel unsettled.
Song of Solomon 2:15 “Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes.”
Isaiah 5:1-2 “Now will I sing to My well-beloved a song of My beloved touching His vineyard. My well-beloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill:
And He fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof , and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a winepress therein:….”
In those days, if you had a vineyard, you might hedge about it….and put men to watch it….for there are many pests which would hinder the harvest of grapes.
The fences usually kept out the larger animals. But the little foxes would squeeze in through the hedge…drawn by the fragrance of the sweet grape blossoms, in the spring.
The trouble is, when a little fox eats one of the blossoms…..he is eating a whole cluster of grapes, in embryo form. That blossom would turn into grapes….and in one bite, it’s gone!
Now I have mentioned this before, that fruit is what the Lord expects from us, as HIs.
The fruit of the Holy Spirit…and the fruit of a Christian, which is another Christian.
In God’s order….the fruit of the Spirit leads to the fruit of a Christian. (whether by witness, prayer, or soul winning)
But the sweet fragrance of the life of the Spirit through us….can be hindered….by little frustrations….by little self-sins. And that hindrance in the life of the Spirit, can interfere with the spreading of the gospel….whether by word or life.
This message is going to deal with frustrations….those things which can snap away our peace and joy in a moment….
….and cause us momentary loss of direction, and give us anguish…. or can balloon into a real problem.
Ecclesiastes 10:1 “Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savor: so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honor.”
(Years ago, the Lord pointed out to me how easy it was for me to deal with the large problems. I would hasten to the Throne of grace and do what the Lord said. End of problem, at least the solution was in the works.
But little frustrations, little hindrances which came up…during the day…..would sometimes make me fall apart! Or get angry…whether I said anything or not (and I often would).
Then the Lord showed me through my husband’s message on “fret not thyself” (Psalm 37:1,8)…that the little things that come up are not just frustrations….but Purpose, God’s Purpose to draw out of me….more subjection and more of a reliance on Him…in all things.
Once I saw that, I started to go to the Lord in prayer every time a frustration came up.
“I know this came through Your hand…tell me how to deal with it….in me, and through me”)
Frustrations are anything that comes along and says…..”That should not have happened…now! What are You doing, Lord?”
But the thing we need to realize is that we will not always know what the Lord is doing….but we can come to Him and submit to what He wants us to do about it!
I would mention here, an example:
Paul and Silas had been called to come to Philippi. In Philippi they were being followed by a demon-possessed girl stating that they were come to show them….”the way of salvation”.
Now this was true….but it grieved Paul’s spirit that it would be shouted out….like common merchandise….from the mouthpiece of the devil.
Paul did nothing for several days….but then, Paul, in Jesus name, cast out the demon.
And they were taken, beaten, and put in jail for it! (Acts 16:19,22-24)
This was not….what they had come to Phillipi for…..or was it?
We all know what happened next….after Paul and Silas prayed, giving themselves into the Lord’s hand for whatever would come….seeing whether the Lord’s Will was done in this….and then….they sang songs!
“And the prisoners heard them.” (What a testimony! No cursing! No yelling! But instead songs of praise to the God that led them there!)
An earthquake interrupted their song….and as we know a Phillippian jailer…and his house….was saved by all of this!
Frustrations are those interruptions to our lives which we did not count on,….nor are prepared for.
But the Lord is….and we can come and surrender to this moment….to this frustration….and be given HIs peace, or HIs word, or HIs song!
Preaching, Teaching, and Notes 