The little foxes!

(Song of Solomon 2:15) “Take us the foxes, the little foxes that spoil the vines.”

How often have you heard the phrase, it’s only a “little lie”, or a “white lie”? The truth of the matter is a lie is what keeps someone from the truth. It has an agenda, and there is nothing “white” about it! In fact sin actually began with the human race in the Garden of Eden with a lie; it is the liar that lures us into sin. Whether we swindler ourselves in order to find justification for our actions or someone else misrepresentation the actual facts, it still results in the same outcome, SIN! Let’s use an illustration to help us position ourselves; the devil is the father of lies, it all began with him! So then we have the “father of lies” on the one side and we have God who lets say is the “Father of love” on the other, love and truth great allies! “Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.” (1John 4:8) - If someone habitually lies, they then prove their allegiance to their father who is the devil! But before I run away with myself lets back this up with scripture... “You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” (John 8:44) – So then anything that is contrary to the truth comes from him! He is the root of all sin! This is why the gospel is such a glorious message for all who believe, we now have a new Father, Almighty God has afforded us the privilege to address him as “Abba Father”. It is through adoption that we have been ushered into His family. It was and only ever will be the Lord Jesus who has made the way, praise His name! He has defeated the devil, He has defeated the liar! And we now have His Spirit, in fact His Spirit actually lives within us; “What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, "I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” (2Corinthians 6:16) – This does not make a reference to whether we drink coffee, eat sweets or have a glass of wine etc. There is a far deeper implication to being the temple of God, in today’s context if we accommodate a lie or a liars then we defile the temple, but when we declare the truth we uphold the temple of God! If we say we must respect other religions that oppose God then we defile the temple, as we accommodate a lie, but when we declare that the Lord Jesus is the only way, the only truth and the only life, regardless of its outcome, prison and the like, we then uphold the truth and speak out against the liar! The Lord Jesus’ ministry here on earth was full of this type of contention! He came to speak the truth and we must also seek it out.   

This morning I pray that we would have our eyes opened to the deception of sin and the intricacy that it has on our lives, we must be sharp to its trickery and the first thing we like to do is look at others, instead of looking at ourselves, this is very important! A good soldier does not entangle himself with trivia, but focus on the job at hand. So my Great Jehovah God help me, help us, all who have this desire to be alert and honed to the dishonesty of sin like never before, open our eyes to it, help us see with acute clarity. I know that you hear our prayer, for we ask it in the name of Jesus our Saviour and we know we are heard because it is in accordance with your will. For your Word has taught us that all who name the name of Jesus must depart from sin! We often fail, but understand at least in part the magnificence of your mercy and grace, but for some of us (me) our lives have been so filled with squandering your grace that I have often found myself weeping when I reflect on the past. Help us become more like our Saviour and bring glory to your majestic name, for you alone are worthy of all praise!

We (believers) must learn to lose our blinkers; we must not let the “little sins” rob us of walking in victory; it is sin that keeps us from walking in love! Let us not look to quantify, but rather be on the look-out for the little foxes in our lives.

“A little thorn may cause much suffering. A little cloud may hide the sun. Little foxes spoil the vines; and little sins do mischief to the tender heart. These little sins burrow in the soul, and make it so full of that which is hateful to Christ, that he will hold no comfortable fellowship and communion with us. A great sin cannot destroy a Christian, but a little sin can make him miserable. Jesus will not walk with his people unless they drive out every known sin. He says, “If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love, even as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.” Some Christians very seldom enjoy their Saviour’s presence. How is this? Surely it must be an affliction for a tender child to be separated from his father. Art thou a child of God, and yet satisfied to go on without seeing thy Father’s face? What! thou the spouse of Christ, and yet content without his company! Surely, thou hast fallen into a sad state, for the chaste spouse of Christ mourns like a dove without her mate, when he has left her. Ask, then, the question, what has driven Christ from thee? He hides his face behind the wall of thy sins. That wall may be built up of little pebbles, as easily as of great stones. The sea is made of drops; the rocks are made of grains: and the sea which divides thee from Christ may be filled with the drops of thy little sins; and the rock which has well nigh wrecked thy barque, may have been made by the daily working of the coral insects of thy little sins. If thou wouldst live with Christ, and walk with Christ, and see Christ, and have fellowship with Christ, take heed of “the little foxes that spoil the vines, for our vines have tender grapes.” Jesus invites you to go with him and take them. He will surely, like Samson, take the foxes at once and easily. Go with him to the hunting.” (C.H.Spurgeon)

Signing off

Tyrone