So I’m sitting here in the office at home, and although it’s a much cooler day, it’s still a bit muggy. I opened the sliding window and left the timber venetian blinds only just open a little. As I sat there with the cool breeze coming in, I could sit quietly, meditate on the Lord, and bring my petitions before Him. Not long into this time, however, came a buzz. Quite a loud buzz.

Outside the window there came a large fly fossicking around the screen, trying to get in the window. He had the whole outside world to buzz, but he came to my window that I had only just opened at the time I had set aside to commune with the Lord. Typical, isn’t it?

Jesus spoke in parables a lot so that people could understand. Parables are like shadows and types that speak of reality. So in a way, this incident with the buzzing intrusive large fly served as a parable or shadow/type of how the devil tries to penetrate our prayer life but simply can’t.

For instance;

There was a woman who locked herself away in a room to pray. As she prayed, a fly came buzzing, trying to get in the window. Noticing the loud buzzing sound and watching the fly, the woman decided not to fuss and bother with attempts to whoosh it away but decided to wait quietly and keep her heart set on the Lord. After a few moments, the fly flew away and didn’t return.

And so it is with God’s people when setting aside time to commune with Him, that devil, that Beelzebub (it almost sounds like ‘buzz’, doesn’t it?), comes along to try and cut in, tarnish, disturb and corrupt the time with the Lord. Beelzebub seeks to penetrate the prayers of the saints with so many distractions.

Thoughts of others, self and other matters, past, future, crazy thoughts and seemingly reasonable thoughts are all distractions designed to draw the saints away from communing with God in that sacred holy of holies.

Yet if the child of God will remain rested in Christ, calm yet alert, the devil will eventually give up and go away…though waiting for a more opportune time.