"The Little Foxes"

“The Little Foxes”

The story of hens and their fox visitor described in the previous article triggered some other thoughts about foxes. Our New Hampshire condo’s back deck faced a wooded area. One day when Karen and I were feeling down for some reason I looked out and saw a red fox among the trees which reminded us of the variety of God’s creation (Karen calls an event like this a “God hug”). But these beautiful animals can be dangerous as evidenced by the screeching of a mallard duck when it was caught for dinner. And occasionally we’re told that one with rabies has been discovered so extra caution is advised.

Foxes are mentioned eight times in Scripture. Of these occurrences seven are literal and one symbolic: Jesus’ description of Herod Antipas, son of Herod the Great, as a “fox” in Luke 13:32 because of his penchant for treachery. He ruled Galilee and Peraea as a puppet of Rome from 4BC to 39AD, was responsible for the execution of John the Baptist and had a hand in the events leading to Jesus’ crucifixion. Other incidents in his long reign show his cunning and crafty nature.

An obscure passage uses these wild canines to give a warning. In Song of Solomon 2:15 we read, “Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards…that are in bloom.” (Emphasis added). The Hebrew word carries the idea of the youngest or most insignificant. So it wasn’t the adult animals which were destroying the blossoming grapevines—rather it was the smaller and less mature ones.

During my pastoral years I brought a message on this verse (actually I preached it in all four of my churches with appropriate adaptations and updates). My main point was that the “major” sins don’t give us as much trouble as do the more “subtle” ones because they can sneak up on us and escape our notice until we’ve been impacted by them (“…a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.”—Ecclesiastes 10:1). Some of the “little foxes” that can cause big problems are criticizing others (“Do not judge, or you too will be judged.”—Matthew 7:1), complaining over our lot in life (“Do everything without complaining or arguing.”—Philippians 2:14), pride (“…The Lord hates…a proud look….”—Proverbs 6:16-17), gossip (“Fire goes out for lack of fuel, and quarrels disappear when gossip stops.”—Proverbs 26:20, NLT) and spiritual complacency (“{People’s} ways seem right to {them}, but the Lord weighs the heart.”—Proverbs 21:2).

We can avoid the “elephant” sins fairly easily but the “little foxes” must be unmasked and dealt with (“{Those} who conceal {their} sins {do} not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.”—Proverbs 28:13). And always remember, “{God} forgives all my sins….” (Psalm 103:3, emphasis added)—and yours too!

Grace and Blessings!

Jim McMillan

"The Chicken Coop Classroom"

“The Chicken Coop Classroom”

In previous postings I’ve told of my interest in finding the origins of expressions we use to describe some of the situations we encounter in everyday life. One which came to mind recently is “Don’t let the fox guard the hen house”. Basically it means “Don’t give someone a position they can exploit for their own ends”. Its roots are unclear but some trace it back to an anti-imperialism conference held in Brussels, Belgium in 1927 to discuss colonialism throughout the world. The movement never made a significant impact before World War II (probably because some involved had a vested interest in keeping the status quo) but a case could possibly be made that it fueled the drive towards independence for many countries during the 1950’s and 1960’s. Today relatively few areas are still controlled by a “mother country”.

Just recently this saying took on new meaning when Karen called my attention to a news story from an agricultural school in France in which a fox looking for its lunch somehow got trapped in a chicken coop and was pecked to death by its occupants. (It makes one think of “hen-pecked” in an entirely new way!) When threatened the feathered friends didn’t scatter or cower in fear—rather they worked together to deal with their enemy. And the result speaks for itself.

The French hens (presumably more than three) met and fought their foe with a united effort. Too often we as God’s people do just the opposite: we allow division to enter our ranks and begin to fight each other so we’re weaker when Satan attacks. In the long-running satirical comic strip “Pogo” created by Walt Kelly the title character, a possum, says, “We have met our enemy and it is us.” Why does this happen? Our Lord’s brother provides an answer: “What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?” (James 4:1). If we’re out to fulfill our personal agendas we’ll fail, but if we put our preferences aside and work together victory will come.

During their wanderings in the wilderness God told the Israelites that if they obeyed Him, “Five of you will chase a hundred, and a hundred of you will chase ten thousand, and your enemies will fall….” (Leviticus 26:8). See how much more can be accomplished by cooperation than competition? So let’s stop being dumb clucks, wipe the egg off our faces and learn from some of God’s creatures.

Grace and Blessings!

Jim McMillan

"Leave the Past in the Past"

“Leave the Past in the Past”

One of my daily prayer requests is for God to help me focus on the future rather than on the past. It’s easy to dwell on our struggles, misfortunes, betrayals by others and sins of days gone by but can our fretting ever change what’s already happened? Yet God can teach us valuable lessons from past events—in fact, it’s one of the reasons He’s provided us with His Written Word (“For all those words which were written long ago are meant to teach us today; that when we read in the Scriptures of the endurance of {people} and of all the help that God gave them in those days, we may be encouraged to go on hoping in our own time.”—Romans 15:4, Phillips). On the other hand, we can so bask in the “successes” of our personal history that we lose the incentive to change and/or do better—the Book of Hebrews addressed this tendency in God’s people of the late first century (and the early 21^st).

Pastor Rick Warren observes, “God never wastes a hurt”. In other words, He uses them to shape our lives for the better. Almost two millennia ago Paul stated this principle thusly: “…I do not count myself an expert in all of this (i.e. knowing Christ intimately), but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where Christ is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back.” (Philippians 3:13-14, TM). Even earlier God’s prophet echoed His words to His people: “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing!” (Isaiah 43:18-19). That “new thing” began in us when we received Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17) and will continue until we’re with Him (Philippians 1:6). So we’re all works in progress.

In 1945 Benny Benjamin and George David Weiss wrote a song describing one’s failure to find true love because he went about it in the wrong way. It was recorded by Patti Page in 1954 and remained on the Billboard charts for 23 weeks. The chorus speaks to our leaving the past in the past:

Cross over the bridge, cross over the bridge

Change your reckless way o’livin’, cross over the bridge

Leave your fickle past behind you and true romance will find you

Brother, cross over the bridge

Will we leave our “fickle past behind us” and “cross over the bridge” to find our life’s purpose by living for and following Christ?

Grace and Blessings!

Jim McMillan

"Night Vision"

“Night Vision”

Night vision goggles were invented in Germany during the 1930’s and used by the Axis Powers during World War II. What the Germans might not have known was that the U.S. was developing the same kind of instrument simultaneously. So whatever advantage the Germans thought they had was effectively neutralized. The same type of tool is still used today, most prominently by Special Forces. They’re available to civilians but some security experts feel they pose a risk to public safety. It’s likely this debate will continue.

We have a number of more conventional means to help us see when darkness falls. Our cars have headlights, many roads are illuminated by streetlights and we often keep flashlights close by. But even with these aids some feel nervous about walking or driving once the sun goes down. And artificial lighting covers only a limited area, which contributes to our uneasiness.

As David thought of God’s care for and presence with him he wrote, “If I say, ‘Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,’ even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.” (Psalm 139:11-12). God’s prophet agrees (“…He knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with him.”—Daniel 2:22). So God has no need for night vision goggles—He views all through His eyes of light.

So…is this good news or bad news? Both! We can take comfort that God is always with us, sees our needs and is ready, willing and able to help (“The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their cry….”—Psalm 34:15). But it’s also sobering to think that nothing we say or do is beyond His notice (“Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”—Hebrews 4:13, emphasis added). The certainty of our being answerable to God for our words and deeds ought to prompt us to think before speaking or acting (whether during the daylight hours or at night). So let’s heed the admonition of the Apostle Paul: “…Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus….” (Colossians 3:17). Day or night, we won’t go wrong if we do.

Grace and Blessings!

Jim McMillan