Read Verses: Song of Solomon 2:14-17
Key Verse: Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards, our vineyards that are in bloom.
The Song of Solomon is a book about love. And it has one verse in it which is particularly pertinent at this time. Catch the foxes. What are the foxes? Why worry about them? In the Song of Solomon the foxes were a destructive little creature. Cute...but destructive. They run around a vineyard and can do a lot of damage. But this is a picture of problems that can happen between 2 people that love each other...in or study its between us and God. Although this principle holds true in marriage, dating, friendship...anywhere love is trying to grow.
The little foxes are problems which come into a relationship and threaten to destroy it. Why kind of problems might they be? Well, they can be anything that starts to bring distance between two people. It could be a sin, a small one like not listening at the right time. It could be a word spoken in haste. It could be an hour here or there spent on something trivial at the cost of togetherness. My wife and I love each other, and we have a trick....we stop every once in a while and ask each other "What have I done that you don't like". We call them pebbles, small rocks.....small foxes. The big things don't need any explanation, these are small things. The other person can say whatever they want about the pebbles...one talks, the other listens not matter what. Guess what we have noticed? If you take care of problems when they are small, you get along way better.
Too often in relationships we let things build up....and BOOM, an explosion occurs. And when things get that big, nobody wants to listen cause everyone gets defensive. Ears start building up callouses. We really don't want to listen cause the pebbles have become a boulder....but the boulder is made up of pebbles from both parties. It's inseparable and painful to talk about then. This is exactly what Solomon is saying. Let catch the little foxes and get rid of them. Give love a chance.
Applying this to God, a lot of times its not the big problems that cut us off from Him. Its the little problems, the foxes. It's a small area of life we don't want him to have control over. It's a small sin we don't want to acknowledge. It's one particular person who hurt us that we don't want to forgive. In the overall scheme of things, its just a small problem...but guess what? These small problems are big problems when you want to get serious with God. Think of the small problems which can really build up and affect our intimacy with God....
Skipping church once in a while.....you're too busy this Sunday
Not talking to that one person after church......skipping around so you don't cross paths
That extra steak the cashier didn't ring in by accident......we are all trying to survive
I'm so tired, no time for prayer tonight before I go to bed....I'll double up tomorrow
Oh he makes me so mad, I won't make him the desert he wanted...more for me anyways
You know what its like. Nothing major, nobody is really going to gasp...but it is the small things which ruin our spiritual life. There is an old saying which goes like this "Take care of the pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves." It captures the same idea.
How would our relationships be better if we sat down once a week and cleared the slate, started fresh with our friends, our kids, our spouses, our families. Or twice a week? Here is a question for you - "When was the last time you took a hard long look at your life and what your flaws are?" An inventory of where you need to work and grow. A list of problem in your life that you need to work on. A list of sins that you've gotten used to.
You'd be surprised, but Satan knows its the little things that will mess us up. He's trying to get you to ignore them and go after the big things in other peoples lives. Listen to this and apply it if you have wisdom...Nothing in another persons life can affect your relationship with God or your happiness. You got problems, guess what...they are your problems. You deal with the little foxes in your own life...it will pay dividends. Don't give up. Satan tries to convince us that our problems are so small compared to others. Well, they might be....but its the little problems, the little foxes you have to look out for. GET YOUR WALK WITH GOD UNDER CONTROL. You and the Holy Spirit are the only ones who can.
That deeper life with God which makes life so satisfying...its the little foxes which dry out the vine. Its the little foxes which come between the Father's love and us. Then we try to settle for this person not bugging us, and that problem getting fixed. The Secret to Life is in Christ...He came that we might have life to the full....a full and meaningful life. What little things are coming between yourself and Jesus? Make a list and confess them. Make a habit of coming before God and saying "What pebble is in my life that I must confess". Cry out to God on a regular basis and ask him to be merciful to you a sinner. Are you serious about getting closer to God in prayer...in your walk...in discernment and wisdom? Do you thirst for his presence more than anything? Get rid of the little foxes...those little things that are coming between you and God. Get rid of them and keep them out.
Heavenly Father, what things in my life are coming between us? Perhaps I have some sins I need to confess. I bring my heart before you today and ask Lord that you cleanse me from all unrighteousness and free me from sin. My problems are mine, let me see that and get my mind off what other people do. Make me a disciple that puts you first no matter what is going on around me. Take my pride, my selfishness, my anger and false dreams....smash my false ideas about who you are and about how "self-sufficient" I am. I need you, I need you now and I need you to be close. I draw near to you, draw nearer to me. Reveal to me what the little foxes are. In Your name I pray AMEN
Key Verse: Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards, our vineyards that are in bloom.
The Song of Solomon is a book about love. And it has one verse in it which is particularly pertinent at this time. Catch the foxes. What are the foxes? Why worry about them? In the Song of Solomon the foxes were a destructive little creature. Cute...but destructive. They run around a vineyard and can do a lot of damage. But this is a picture of problems that can happen between 2 people that love each other...in or study its between us and God. Although this principle holds true in marriage, dating, friendship...anywhere love is trying to grow.
The little foxes are problems which come into a relationship and threaten to destroy it. Why kind of problems might they be? Well, they can be anything that starts to bring distance between two people. It could be a sin, a small one like not listening at the right time. It could be a word spoken in haste. It could be an hour here or there spent on something trivial at the cost of togetherness. My wife and I love each other, and we have a trick....we stop every once in a while and ask each other "What have I done that you don't like". We call them pebbles, small rocks.....small foxes. The big things don't need any explanation, these are small things. The other person can say whatever they want about the pebbles...one talks, the other listens not matter what. Guess what we have noticed? If you take care of problems when they are small, you get along way better.
Too often in relationships we let things build up....and BOOM, an explosion occurs. And when things get that big, nobody wants to listen cause everyone gets defensive. Ears start building up callouses. We really don't want to listen cause the pebbles have become a boulder....but the boulder is made up of pebbles from both parties. It's inseparable and painful to talk about then. This is exactly what Solomon is saying. Let catch the little foxes and get rid of them. Give love a chance.
Applying this to God, a lot of times its not the big problems that cut us off from Him. Its the little problems, the foxes. It's a small area of life we don't want him to have control over. It's a small sin we don't want to acknowledge. It's one particular person who hurt us that we don't want to forgive. In the overall scheme of things, its just a small problem...but guess what? These small problems are big problems when you want to get serious with God. Think of the small problems which can really build up and affect our intimacy with God....
Skipping church once in a while.....you're too busy this Sunday
Not talking to that one person after church......skipping around so you don't cross paths
That extra steak the cashier didn't ring in by accident......we are all trying to survive
I'm so tired, no time for prayer tonight before I go to bed....I'll double up tomorrow
Oh he makes me so mad, I won't make him the desert he wanted...more for me anyways
You know what its like. Nothing major, nobody is really going to gasp...but it is the small things which ruin our spiritual life. There is an old saying which goes like this "Take care of the pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves." It captures the same idea.
How would our relationships be better if we sat down once a week and cleared the slate, started fresh with our friends, our kids, our spouses, our families. Or twice a week? Here is a question for you - "When was the last time you took a hard long look at your life and what your flaws are?" An inventory of where you need to work and grow. A list of problem in your life that you need to work on. A list of sins that you've gotten used to.
You'd be surprised, but Satan knows its the little things that will mess us up. He's trying to get you to ignore them and go after the big things in other peoples lives. Listen to this and apply it if you have wisdom...Nothing in another persons life can affect your relationship with God or your happiness. You got problems, guess what...they are your problems. You deal with the little foxes in your own life...it will pay dividends. Don't give up. Satan tries to convince us that our problems are so small compared to others. Well, they might be....but its the little problems, the little foxes you have to look out for. GET YOUR WALK WITH GOD UNDER CONTROL. You and the Holy Spirit are the only ones who can.
That deeper life with God which makes life so satisfying...its the little foxes which dry out the vine. Its the little foxes which come between the Father's love and us. Then we try to settle for this person not bugging us, and that problem getting fixed. The Secret to Life is in Christ...He came that we might have life to the full....a full and meaningful life. What little things are coming between yourself and Jesus? Make a list and confess them. Make a habit of coming before God and saying "What pebble is in my life that I must confess". Cry out to God on a regular basis and ask him to be merciful to you a sinner. Are you serious about getting closer to God in prayer...in your walk...in discernment and wisdom? Do you thirst for his presence more than anything? Get rid of the little foxes...those little things that are coming between you and God. Get rid of them and keep them out.
Heavenly Father, what things in my life are coming between us? Perhaps I have some sins I need to confess. I bring my heart before you today and ask Lord that you cleanse me from all unrighteousness and free me from sin. My problems are mine, let me see that and get my mind off what other people do. Make me a disciple that puts you first no matter what is going on around me. Take my pride, my selfishness, my anger and false dreams....smash my false ideas about who you are and about how "self-sufficient" I am. I need you, I need you now and I need you to be close. I draw near to you, draw nearer to me. Reveal to me what the little foxes are. In Your name I pray AMEN
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