Yesterday our Sunday School lesson was from Song of Solomon, and this verse was a part of our study. Since then, I've been thinking about little foxes.
In Solomon's day, little foxes were a nuisance in much the same way squirrels and chipmunks are a nuisance in my yard. In Solomon's day, the vineyards were not up on trellises but often lay on the ground, and the foxes would come along and eat the crops. If you have squirrels or chipmunks, or rabbits, or deer, doing damage to your garden, then you get the imagery.
In context, Solomon is comparing these little foxes to the little irritations that can cause problems in the marriage relationship. In our day, we are often told not to sweat the small stuff. But Solomon tells us we should. Because it's the little things - the little foxes - that grow into bigger problems.
Particularly in 2020, we can relate to this imagery of little foxes in a way that perhaps we had not previously. These last six months have been filled with foxes. Not literally, of course. (Depending on where you live!) But life in 2020 is full of frustrations and discouragement and all sorts of challenges. Daily we are bombarded with yet another "new normal". (Have I mentioned lately how much I hate that phrase!)
Our foxes have taken various forms. Masks. Closings. Quarantines. Altered school schedules. And the list goes on. We have become so stressed by it all that even the smallest things rattle us. And while we can't control any of these little foxes, these events that have come into our lives, we can control our response. These foxes - these irritations of life - can rob us of our joy. If we let them.
Life is not all about "big" events and "big" choices. Life is also about, perhaps even more about, the little everyday things. The little foxes. The regular, everyday, little frustrations that become big foxes when they are magnified by things like Covid-19.
So what are we to do? How do we deal with the little foxes? It's about focus. If we don't want the foxes to ruin the vineyard, I believe we must learn to "fix our eyes on Jesus" (Hebrews 12:2) and not on our circumstances. We must learn to trust that "God will supply all our needs" (Philippians 4:19) And we must remember that God is working all things together for our good and for His glory. (Romans 8:28-29)
Seeking God. Learning to trust. Giving thanks in all things, even when there are little foxes trying to spoil our joy.
"Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith develops endurance." (James 1:2-3)
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