‘Take us the foxes, the little foxes that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes.’ Song of Solomon 2:15
We all have foxes in our lives that come along just after we
have achieved something good, or feel that we have conquered some thing or
other that kept tripping us up.
Our lives are like vines that are planted to grow up and
produce beautiful grapes that will bring cheer and happiness to those around
us. We are meant to bring forth good fruit that will please God and bring praise
to him for his abundant goodness toward us.
Just when we thought we had actually got everything together
and begun to live on a higher level, some old habit or sin comes along and
beats us yet again. We look at the damage that this causes, not just to our
witness, but to our personal walk with God.
These are the little foxes that we read about in the text above. We appeal to God to take us the little foxes, and remove the destructive work that they do.
But do note that it is ‘us the foxes’. No one else made us
sin or made us lose our temper, or whatever it may have been. It is easy to blame someone else, but to own
up that we alone are the problem is the way to get our prayers answered.
‘Our vines have tender grapes’. The beauty of the fruit that
our lives are designed to produce is precious and tender. It is pure and holy. It
bears the character of Jesus and the nature of our God. We must guard our
hearts (Proverbs 4:23) against the natural foxes that think they have some sort
of right in our lives. The foxes (though small) scratch at the precious fruit
and spoil its looks and sweetness.
Maybe they have been with us for many years and we offer the
excuse that this is just the way we are. We may blame it on our own weakness or
temperament. However, to keep ourselves in the love of God (Jude 1:21), and to abide in truth and love,
we need to ‘lay aside everything that weighs us down, and divorce that
particular sin that does so easily and quickly encircle us.’ (Hebrews 12:1)
We need to call to God for grace and mercy to deliver us
from all that offends, and to make us what he wants us to be. Then our lives will be happier, and our
praises to God be a holy and acceptable offering. The world will see the work
of goodness in our daily walk and give glory to God. (Psalm 40:3)
JGM 2022
