Today’s reading is Song of Songs 5:1-8:14, 2 Corinthians 9:1-15, Psalm 51:1-19, Proverbs 22:24-25.
One verse from yesterday’s reading cannot be overlooked for it shouts great truth that will help us in our daily lives.
“Catch all the foxes, those little foxes, before they ruin the vineyard of love, for the grapevines are blossoming.”
Song of Songs 2:15
Let’s think about this in relation to a fruitful spiritual life. If we are abiding in and growing in our relationship with Christ, we will bear spiritual fruit. John 15:16 says, “16 You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name.” God chose us to become sons of God that we may bear fruit. What is spiritual fruit? The answer can be found at the very beginning of the Bible.
11 Then God said, “Let the earth put forth vegetation: plants yielding seed, and fruit trees of every kind on earth that bear fruit with the seed in it.” And it was so. 12 The earth brought forth vegetation: plants yielding seed of every kind, and trees of every kind bearing fruit with the seed in it. And God saw that it was good.
Genesis 1:11-12
From the very beginning of time, God set up the natural and spiritual order of things. In the natural, plants bear fruit with seed in it. The seed in the fruit is used to reproduce itself. And so the process reoccurs over and over. In the same way, God established spiritual fruit bearing at the beginning of time.
28 God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it…
Genesis 1:28
Yes, this, too, is a natural process, in that human beings were to produce more human beings; but it was also spiritual reproduction, because humans were the only creation which was made in the image of God. We are the Image bearers, and as we bear and display the image of God, we produce spiritual fruit—fruit that will last for all eternity. But a word of caution about our fruit-bearing ability is found in John 15.
“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He [a]prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. 3 You are already [b]clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit [c]of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither canyou unless you abide in Me. 5 I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. 7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so [d]prove to be My disciples.
John 15:1-8
We cannot bear spiritual fruit about from Christ. We must stay connected to Him to bear spiritual fruit. And the enemy of our soul does not want this to happen—which leads us back to the assigned reading today:
“Catch all the foxes, those little foxes, before they ruin the vineyard of love, for the grapevines are blossoming.”
Song of Songs 2:15
If you have traveled far with Jesus, you will know that just as we begin to bear fruit, the enemy tries to thwart our efforts or spoil our fruit. Satan is a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour, but sometimes he masquerades as a little fox. Sometimes our spiritual fruit is eaten up and spoiled by the little foxes which need to be caught and dispelled from our spiritual vineyard.
What are the little foxes in your life? You know, those small irritations or inconveniences which thwart our fruitfulness? Often there is a pattern which occurs over and over. Satan is not very smart. He often uses the same old tricks to derail us. And we keep falling for it over and over because we don’t recognize it a “little fox in our vineyard”.
When do the little foxes most often come? Satan knows our weakness. He knows our fears, our scars, our unhealed traumas. He knows what will really stop us in our tracks. He knows when we are tired or bitter or when we have our guard down.
Why do the little foxes come? The enemy sends the little foxes in our life so that we will be hindered in our command to be fruitful and multiply. He cannot do anything about our salvation, for we are the children of God, bought with the price of the blood of Jesus, and sealed by the Holy Spirit. But he can try to prevent us from reproducing the seed of faith in other people.
One thing about the little foxes, though. We are bigger, we are stronger, and they are really more scared of us than we are of them. We just need to catch them. They are sly. They are sneaky. But once we recognize them, we can bind them up with the authority that Christ has given us.
No weapon forged against you will prevail,
and you will refute every tongue that accuses you.
This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord,
and this is their vindication from me,”
declares the Lord.
Isaiah 54:17
17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
Matthew 28:17-18
19 I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.
Luke 10:19
Yep, and even authority over the little foxes in the vineyard.
