Bees in the Cookie Jar

“They surrounded me like bees; they went out like a fire among thorns; in the name of the Lord I cut them off!”

Psalms 118:12, ESV

One early summer morning, I saw one of our dogs acting in a rather strange fashion. He was leaping all around his pen and every so often would pause, observe, strategize, and then lunge at full speed. The other dog was quietly observing this odd behavior as I was doing. I wondered to myself if he had gotten into a bad patch of grass or maybe was poisoned overnight. Instead, rather than jump to conclusions, I continued to observe quietly and realized that he was trying to catch a bee! Dogs are known to be smart, but every so often, as humans do, they have a lapse in judgment. “Not everything is intended for one to have”, I mused out loud as I proceeded with our morning routine. He kept at it, day after day, in pursuit of a bee. One day he caught it, or rather it caught him and he fell to the ground writhing and whining in pain. “Not everything is intended for one to have”, I softly chided him.

Such was the case with King David. You may remember the story. I’m sure it was not the first time he saw her, that is Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah who incidentally was one of his most loyal soldiers. I’m sure there were several instances where he paused, observed, and strategized. One day, as circumstances would have it, Uriah was out on a mission for the king and David lunged at full speed and took Bathsheba. The rest of the sordid and sultry saga unfolds for your reference in 2 Samuel 11.

Not everything is intended for one to have. Our situations may not be as complicated as David’s nighttime drama, but as simple as yielding to the forbidden cookie jar in our kitchen. At its core is a lack of self-control, which is a fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22. It, along with the other components of the spiritual fruit basket, is an outgrowth of a life yielded to and guarded by the Holy Spirit. It is not an immediate endowment, but a daily struggle and a result of submitting one’s life in a willing fashion.

For those of us who tend fruit trees, we know that not all fruit ripen at once. If eaten too early, a fruit can sour the taste buds and the belly. If left to a point beyond ripeness, it can cause indigestion or even harm. There is something special about fruit that is ripened to perfection. It is not only pleasant to the taste, but beneficial to its partaker. An orchard of ripened fruit is appealing to the eyes and the sense of smell. It is a joy to behold!

So next time you take a bite of succulent fruit, pause, observe, and even strategize, but keep your hand out of the cookie jar and most of all, leave those bees alone!