THOSE SLY LITTLE FOXES
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“Sin, a little thing? Isn’t it poison? Who knows its deadliness? Sin, a little thing? Don’t little foxes spoil the grapes? Doesn’t the tiny coral insect build a rock which wrecks a navy? Don’t little strokes fell lofty oaks? Won’t continual droppings wear away stones? Sin, a little thing? It girded the Redeemer’s head with thorns, and pierced His heart! It made Him suffer anguish, bitterness, and woe. If you could but weigh the least sin in the scales of eternity, you would fly from it as from a serpent, and abhor the least appearance of evil. Look upon all sin as that which crucified the Savior and you will see it to be “utterly sinful.””
Song of Songs 2:15 Catch us the foxes, The little foxes that spoil the vines, For our vines [have] tender grapes.
In my mid-teens, my parents rented a home on a small and beautiful lake. It is a vivid memory of the glorious colors of those Autumn leaves reflecting off that water! I roamed all over those mountain woods surrounding the lake. One morning while I was squirrel hunting, I happened upon some fox cubs. Talk about cute! They were adorable!
The early stages of sin, seems so small and so insignificant. However, Sin has a mission: to destroy our relationship with the Lord. Jesus said, “A tree is known by it’s fruit.” (Luke 6:44) It is the little things, like compromises, and fleshly choices that nibble away at the fruit. Oh how subtle and sly is this devilish process. Sin always wants to mar our identity in Christ! The last thing the Devil wants is for people to see when they see you, is the reflection of Jesus!
With the help of the Holy Spirit and the grace of God, we catch those sly little, fruit destroying foxes and we kill them! If we tolerate them, they will destroy the fruit in our lives meant for the glory of God! It would be easier if the fruit and vine destroyers were Grizzly Bears! Then we would flee from them in terror! Are there any little foxes in your life that you need the Holy Spirit to help you catch! He’s just waiting for your invitation!
Every blessing!
—Tom