Little Foxes

Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread. I'm Mike Whitmer, and I titled our reading, Little Foxes. A pilot couldn't fit his tea into the cup holder, so he set it on the center console. When the plane hit turbulence, the drink spilled onto the control panel, shutting off an engine. The flight was diverted and landed safely. But when it happened again to a crew from a different airline two months later, the manufacturer realized there was a problem.

The plane cost US $300 million, but its cup holders were too small. This seemingly small oversight led to some harrowing moments. Small details can wreck the grandest plans, so the man in the Song of Songs urges his lover to catch the little foxes that ruin the vineyards of their love. He'd seen foxes climb over walls and dig out vines in search of grapes.

They were hard to catch as they darted into the vineyard, then melted back into the night. But they must not be ignored. What threatens your closest relationships? It may not be large offenses. It might be the little foxes, a small comment here or a slight there that digs at the root of your love.

Minor offenses add up, and what once was a blossoming friendship or passionate marriage might be in danger of dying. May God help us catch the little foxes. Let's ask for and grant forgiveness as needed, and nourish our vineyards in the soil of ordinary acts of thoughtfulness, as God provides what we need. Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from Song of Songs, chapter 2, verses 3-15. This is a love poem between a man and a woman.

The woman speaks first. Like an apple tree, among the trees of the forest, is my beloved among the young men. I delight to sit in his shade, and his fruit is sweet to my taste. Let him lead me to the banquet hall, and let his banner over me be love. Strengthen me with raisins, refresh me with apples, for I am faint with love. His left arm is under my head, and his right arm embraces me. Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you by the gazelles and by the does of the field.

Do not arouse or awaken love until it so desires. Listen, my beloved, look, here he comes, leaping across the mountains, bounding over the hills. My beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag.

Look, there he stands behind our wall, gazing through the windows, peering through the lattice. My beloved spoke and said to me, Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, come with me. See, the winter is past, the rains are over and gone, flowers appear on the earth, the season of singing has come, the cooing of doves is heard in our land, the fig tree formed its early fruit, the blossoming vines spread their fragrance. Arise, come, my darling, my beautiful one, come with me. Now the man speaks, my dove in the clefts of the rock, in the hiding places on the mountainside, show me your face, let me hear your voice, for your voice is sweet and your face is lovely.

Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards, our vineyards that are in bloom. Let's pray. Father, may your extraordinary love flow through us in ordinary ways. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Today's encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread Ministries.