The Little Foxes Will Do You In

(Reprint from August 2013)

Song Of Songs Chapter 2:15

"Quick! Catch all the little foxes before they ruin the vineyard of your love, for the grapevines are all in blossom."

Interesting verse this morning, isn't it?

What does it have to do with anything? Well, if you look closely you'll see some good instruction on what to beware of.

Scripture presents us with the image of our Lord as the true Vine and Christians as the fruit bearing branches. Every believer is a branch, a little vine in the true Vine, Jesus Christ, bearing fruit for God. Unfortunately, the fruit of many branches are being destroyed and the vines devastated by little foxes. Every lesser sin is a little fox which spoils the branches by tearing them apart and devouring the grapes. Thus Solomon said: Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards, our vineyards that are in bloom. (Song of Solomon 2:15) and James warns, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death. (1:15).

Understand that what is symbolized here (the little foxes) are not wolves in sheep’s clothing that we read about in Scripture. The symbol of the little foxes are not the obvious evil sins that stand out for others to see.The little foxes are the sins that are all too often overlooked or ignored, but are nevertheless ruining the vineyards that are in bloom. The little foxes are sin that we excuse. "It really isn't hurting anyone." That may seem true, but it is destroying your ability to produce the fruit God wants to come from your life.

However small or young these little foxes, or sins, may be, they still carry within themselves a destructive nature. Foxes are sly creatures, mischievous and deceitful, hungry and voracious. They are cunning and will come upon us under cover to feed upon the fruit of our vines and it does not take them long to fatten into big foxes. The once little sin well fed and long nourished, outgrows any other sins in our sin nature, or flesh. These little foxes, now small and nourishing themselves on our vine, destroy any growth that has taken place in our lives.


The problem with little sins is that if they are not caught and destroyed, they grow. The so-called little “white lie” soon becomes the golly-whopper big “black lie.” As these little foxes fatten themselves , and grow more evil,  the once pure in heart becomes dark, hard, and full of secret sin. We must catch the little foxes before they ruin the vineyards.


For someone who is on the road to recovery, it is the "little foxes"...the little sins, left unchecked that will derail us and move us back toward our old lifestyle. That is why a support group and a sponsor are so important to aid us in staying clean and sober. We confess when the little foxes come to destroy the tender young things God is growing in our hearts. We do not move back into the shadows and live our lives with this secret. We drag it out into the glorious light of God's forgiveness where it can be deal with. 

Guard yourselves today....
Don't excuse the little foxes in your life that seek to destroy the vineyard God is growing in you.
Think on these things...

God on you....
mb