“Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour.” Ecclesiastes 10:1
I’ve often thought about the picture Solomon gives us in this verse. The ointment of the apothecary was valuable, fragrant, and carefully prepared. Yet something as small as a dead fly could contaminate it and cause it to lose its pleasant fragrance. It makes me think about our lives.
Imagine the apothecary as our relationship with the Lord. The ointment represents the fragrance of our worship, our love, our testimony, and the life we are carrying for Christ. And the fly represents those little things we continually wrestle with—the things we may consider insignificant because they seem too small to matter.
Sometimes, the thing hindering us from moving forward with God may seem small, yet it can affect every area of our lives.
A little bitterness left unchecked can become resentment. A little compromise can become a pattern. And a little insecurity can keep us from walking confidently in what God has called us to do.
The problem isn’t always the size of the fly. It’s what happens when we allow it to remain in the ointment.
Every one of us has things we wrestle with. Perhaps it’s pride, worry, insecurity, fear, or envy. Some things need to be repented of, and other things need to be surrendered, healed, or brought into the light. Whatever it is, don’t dismiss it simply because it seems small.
What we tolerate today can become what controls us tomorrow.
The beautiful thing is that when God reveals these things to us, He isn’t trying to shame us. He is trying to restore the fragrance.
Sometimes we ask God for more power, more anointing, more peace, or more joy when He is gently asking us to deal with the little thing we’ve been carrying.
So take a few moments today to become quiet before the Lord, and ask Him:
“Lord, is there anything in my heart that is stealing my joy, disturbing my peace, hindering my growth, or affecting the fragrance of my life?”
Don’t be afraid of what He reveals. The God who shows you the fly is also the God who can remove it.
