Be watchful over little things – Part 1

The Bible talks a lot about little things, many of them with great consequences. We have all heard of the little leaven that leavens the whole lump. Twice Daniel speaks of the ‘‘little horn’’ (Daniel 7:8; 8:9). Now we know what great influence that little horn (the antichrist) is going to have on world history and the destiny of man generally.

We speak here of three little things – little foxes, little follies, little fire. All three have one thing in common: their potency to affect the eternal destiny of man lies in their size. They are all little things; they can crawl in imperceptibly. Just as in natural life, little things can injure man the most, so it is in the spiritual life. The things that destroy vital spiritual fibre are the little, little things we allow to work in our lives. And these are the things the Spirit of God is warning all believers about. Along with warning on each of these little evils, the Lord gives us guidance on how to handle each of them.

The fox never goes out alone to seek its food, but always in company of forty or fifty other foxes. They do not go out for their food in the daytime, but wait till it begins to get dark. They eat plants of different kinds; sometimes roots, and at other times fruits. This is the message of our text, “Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines; for our vines have tender grapes.”

First, the “little foxes” refer to whatever we permit to eat off the roots of grace and the fruits of the Spirit from our lives. These things enter into our lives slowly.

“Our vines have tender grapes.” Secondly, the “little foxes” are those things we permit to rob us of the tenderness of heart with which we started the Christian race (Hebrews 3:12-15). They include:
Little unconfessed sin, delayed restitutions.
Little resistance to divine rebuke.
A little root of bitterness that troubles the heart (Hebrews 12:15).
A little carnality that leads to eventual backsliding (1 Kings 11:1-10).
A little fleshly lust that leads to fornication and adultery (1 Peter 2:11).
Little false doctrine/teachers, leading to outright heresy (Ezekiel 13:3,4).
A little worldly association (Hosea 7:8-11).
A little ill-temper that leads to hatred and murder.
A little covetousness that leads to stealing.
A little self-conceit that leads to arrogance and pride.
Little prayerlessness, leading to self-management and spiritual blindness.

The counsel of scripture to us is to “take off” those little foxes that destroy the vine. We can do this by:
• Carrying out a regular character examination (1 Corinthians 11:28,31; 2 Corinthians 13:5).
• Having a regular quiet time (Psalms 5:1–3; 119:105).
• Yielding promptly to the faithful but gentle warning of the Holy Spirit.
• Making yourself accountable to a spiritual mentor (Luke 22:31,32).
• Be sober, be vigilant and prayerful (1 Peter 5:8; Matthew 26:41).
• Making regular use of the means of grace (2 Peter 3:18).
• Further Reading (King James Version): Song of Solomon 2:15; Ecclesiastes 10:1; James 3:5. Song of Solomon 2:13,15; 1 Corinthians 5:6; Hebrews 12:14-17 with Genesis 25:29-34; 1 Peter 2:11; Ephesians 5:3-5; Proverbs 10:19; Hosea 7:8-11; Ezekiel 13:3,4.