Monday, August 10, 2015
Many songs, especially the Christian type, have meaningful and sometimes powerful messages. I have no idea what the numbers are but I suspect that among the millions upon millions who have come to Christ, a good percentage of them came by way of a hymn or a song because all of them are really musical sermons, and that includes today’s contemporary Christian music. Most of the Psalms are comprised of poetry and songs.
The world has known many prolific songwriters but I believe that David and his son, Solomon, were the best of the best. Today’s blog is about a message found in one of Solomon’s songs. Song of Solomon 2:15 says: “Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards, our vineyards that are in bloom.” Although this obscure bible book pictures the pure and beautiful relationship between a godly man and his fiancé, later his wife, this one verse alone has valuable advice for all of us. It reminds us that in this life, “little things” can cause a lot of damage. The great missionary, Hudson Taylor wrote this regarding the “little foxes.” [ "The enemies may be small, but the mischief done great . . . And how numerous the little foxes are! Little compromises with the world; disobedience to the still small voice in little things; little indulgences of the flesh to the neglect of duty; little strokes of policy; doing evil in little things that good may come; and the beauty, and the fruitfulness of the vine are sacrificed!" ]
I have lost count of the times and the people I have known throughout the years that have been greatly harmed, some even destroyed completely, by “little things.” These can include, among others, a careless remark, a missed hug or handshake, a little less time for praying and bible reading, a missed church service here and there, etc. If left unchecked, these become “big things.” In fact, because of a “little thing” back in the Garden of Eden, namely a piece of fruit, the wheels of sin began to turn. Not long after that, a “little thing” was the cause of the first recorded murder in the Bible. When you think about it, that God would accept one brother’s offering and not the other, could never be a reason for murder. Abel died even though he himself never did anything to his brother. In that case, Cain made a mountain out of a molehill. Again, a “little thing” was the reason for much pain and sorrow. And that trend continues today. What is the remedy or solution for that situation? Our text verse advises us to catch those little foxes before they do any damage. As it relates to us, we are to always stay close to God and to ask Him to help us identify these "little things" quickly and then give us the grace and wisdom to keep them under control.
Memory Verse for the week: (Ecclesiastes 10:1 NLT) “As dead flies cause even a bottle of perfume to stink, so a little foolishness spoils great wisdom and honor.”
Editor’s note: This has no bearing to most of you, but I wrote this message last Friday.
