It is good to be back online to serve the LORD through the writing of this devotional. Though I wrote several while off line, this is something that came this morning, something fresh, something much needed!
Song of Solomon 2:15
"Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes."
Many times in our lives we look at all the big problems and sins within them. When these are usually easily taken care of. It is truly not these that are our major problems, though they are major in size, it is most likely the littlest of sins that will be our undoing! Do we preach or witness to one because of their lying and then ourselves turn and tell a little 'white lie' to keep from hurting someone's feelings? Do we tell others not to fret over their financial problems, yet cry out in prayers of grief because our bills are mounting and funds are dwindling?(Romans 2: 1-4)
These are 'little foxes' hiding within our vineyards. Seeking to destroy our walks for the LORD! In our seeking to be holy and to bring glory unto the LORD, we sometimes miss these little problems that so plaque us. It is these that can be the greatest of hindrances to our glorifying the LORD. For they make us out to be hypocrites in our actions. If there is one thing that I've heard more then anything else, as to why someone didn't go to church. It would be the fact that there are too many hypocrites hiding behind the doors of it's buildings!
On my walks, both of them, most of the people that picked me up and gave me a ride considered themselves Christians. Yet they admitted they didn't go to church often, if at all, because of this fact. They saw so many within the church that "preached" against one thing and then did this very thing themselves or worst. We as the Church(capitalized to show that which JESUS came to raise up), must seek to chase out the 'little foxes' within our own lives. We must seek to be cleansed from all that would place a shadow of doubt in anyone's mind as to WHO it is that we represent and HIS direct character. In JESUS there is not one little shadow of deceit found(Isaiah 53: 9.) HE is perfection personified. Yes I know all too well the fact that we're not JESUS and we're not perfect, but we must strive to do our best to be. Sure we'll only be able to do so much of this in our own power and we'll never truly be perfected until we join HIM. But, with HIS aid, we can inspect all that we say and do and bring them into line with scripture. Making no room for shadows or 'little foxes' to hide. We are those that represent JESUS CHRIST to the world and it is our duty to show all HIS true nature, not something that is only a shabby representation of it.
The next time you look into a mirror, will you be able to say that the reflection there is that of JESUS? Or will you have to say different? The choice is our own. We can chose to live as a shadow of CHRIST or we can chose to be a perfect reflection. One where anyone that sees us will know, that we live and die to bring glory and honor to HE who paid the price for our sins and now sits at the right hand of the FATHER. Yes, we will sin, but we can do our best, with HIS help, to rid our vineyards of the 'little foxes,' that spoil the vines!!!
Other readings: Judges 14: 1- 16:31; James 2: 14-16, 4: 17
Use these verses, but don't stop with them, cross reference and seek out GOD from within HIS WORD!!!
Prayer request can be sent to: prayers@vineofchrist.org
For more on my recent events and my other writings: Blogs from the Vine
GOD bless and good day,Rev. Marshall Barth
Vine of CHRIST Ministries
Vine Ministerial Network International
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