Day 116: Catching the Foxes (SoS 2:15)

 Catch us the foxes, The little foxes that spoil the vines, For our vines have tender grapes. (Song of Songs 2:15)

In the previous lesson, we defined little foxes as whatever impedes our unconditional love relationship with God and men. We said they are any actions not motivated by, done in, or result in love. They are also actions that do not promote godly character and spiritual edification.

We said at the centre of these actions and habits is self so we classified them under one broad heading: the works of the flesh. They are not necessarily sins, but they are not expedient and may eventually lead to sin. We said all the works of the flesh Paul mentioned in Galatians 5:19-21 covers them all.

So, to catch the little foxes we must then look at how Paul recommends that we deal with the works of the flesh.

Works of the flesh are propagated by our fleshly desires which are oftentimes legitimate but not submitted to God's will.

Many times when we begin to see these little foxes we begin to strive to get rid of them. Which is not a bad thing, but we must be careful to not reduce our efforts to mere law keeping without allowing the Spirit of God to help and guide us.

Paul in Galatians 5: says:

 But I say, walk and live [habitually] in the [Holy] Spirit [responsive to and controlled and guided by the Spirit]; then you will certainly not gratify the cravings and desires of the flesh (of human nature without God). For the desires of the flesh are opposed to the [Holy] Spirit, and the [desires of the] Spirit are opposed to the flesh (godless human nature); for these are antagonistic to each other [continually withstanding and in conflict with each other], so that you are not free but are prevented from doing what you desire to do. 

Our flesh opposes the Spirit and whichever one gains ascendancy per time gets stronger. Whichever one we continually succumb to dominates our life. To get rid of the little foxes, we must learn to ignore the desires of our flesh. It's what Paul meant when he said in verse 24 of Galatians 5:

 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 

In simple terms, those who have crucified the flesh are not led by what they see or feel.

Let me say again, that these desires sometimes are not sinful but they add no virtue to your spiritual life and give no focus to godly character. Some may however eventually lead to sin. One great example of such is what John calls the love of the world in 1 John 2:15-17:

 Don’t love the world’s ways. Don’t love the world’s goods. Love of the world squeezes out love for the Father. Practically everything that goes on in the world—wanting your own way, wanting everything for yourself, wanting to appear important—has nothing to do with the Father. It just isolates you from him. The world and all its wanting, wanting, wanting is on the way out—but whoever does what God wants is set for eternity. (Message Translation)

If we continually put our desires before God's will, little foxes begin to eat away at our vineyard. 

We must judge our desires by asking the following questions inspired by 1 Corinthians 10:23 (Amplified Classied Version):

 All things are legitimate [permissible–and we are free to do anything we please], but not all things are helpful (expedient, profitable, and wholesome). All things are legitimate, but not all things are constructive [to character] and edifying [to spiritual life].

• Is this helpful to me or another?
• Is it profitable to me or another?
• Is it wholesome? Does it promote my and another's physical, mental, and spiritual well-being?
• Is it constructive to my character or another's?
• Is it edifying to my spiritual life?
• Does it feed my love for God or my love for the world's goods and ways?
• Does it display the unconditional love of the Father?

To let the little foxes run a rampage is to desire to get our way every time. But as we submit to the Spirit of God even when it's difficult on our flesh, our vineyard blossoms and produces fruit for God's glory.

PRAY WITH ME:

Dear Lord, let Your Holy Spirit pour out Your love in my heart anew. Grant me the grace to not live by the desires of my flesh but to submit at all times to the guidance of Your Spirit. Amen.

REFLECT & ACT:

• Have you been walking in the Spirit, following His guidance even in the little things?
• What habits and actions do you know are or has the Lord revealed to you to be little foxes?
• How will you deal with them?
• Read in different versions and meditate on Romans 13:14:

 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.