The Little Foxes
“Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes.”Song of Solomon 2:15 (KJV)
Most marriages don’t fall apart in one big blow. They drift. A missed conversation, a skipped evening together, a habit of talking only about schedules. None of it seems to matter much, until a couple looks up and feels like roommates.
Solomon’s song has a line for this: “Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes.” It isn’t the big animals that ruin a vineyard. It is the little ones, getting in a bit at a time.
Doing nothing feels neutral, but it isn’t. In a relationship, neglect is still a withdrawal. And the longer it goes, the more it costs to get back to where you were.
Catch a fox this week. Name one small thing that has been crowding out your marriage or your family, and deal with it while it is still small.
Read it yourself
Read Song of Solomon 2:10–15. What season does the passage describe, and why does that make the foxes a danger?
What “little fox” has been getting into your marriage or family lately?
Lord, guard the vines you’ve given me. Show me the small things that are doing damage, and give me the will to deal with them. Amen.