anglican devotional

The Daily Fountain Devotional of the Church Of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) 19 April 2022 – The Little Foxes

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TOPIC: The Little Foxes

READ: Songs Of Solomon 2:8-17 (NKJV)

  1. The voice of my beloved! Behold, he comes Leaping upon the mountains, Skipping upon the hills.
  2. My beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag. Behold, he stands behind our wall; He is looking through the windows, Gazing through the lattice.
  3. My beloved spoke, and said to me: “Rise up, my love, my fair one, And come away.
  4. For lo, the winter is past, The rain is over [and] gone.
  5. The flowers appear on the earth; The time of singing has come, And the voice of the turtledove Is heard in our land.
  6. The fig tree puts forth her green figs, And the vines [with] the tender grapes Give a good smell. Rise up, my love, my fair one, And come away!
  7. “O my dove, in the clefts of the rock, In the secret [places] of the cliff, Let me see your face, Let me hear your voice; For your voice [is] sweet, And your face [is] lovely.” HER BROTHERS
  8. Catch us the foxes, The little foxes that spoil the vines, For our vines [have] tender grapes. THE SHULAMITE
  9. My beloved [is] mine, and I [am] his. He feeds [his flock] among the lilies. (TO HER BELOVED)
  10. Until the day breaks And the shadows flee away, Turn, my beloved, And be like a gazelle Or a young stag Upon the mountains of Bether. THE SHULAMITE

THE MESSAGE:

In our reading today, the lovers we read about yesterday go on to express their love which was already blooming. They could not do without seeing each other’s faces and hearing each other’s voices. However, they were quick to point out that the foxes could destroy what they cherished most. Our souls ought to be consumed with love for our Master, to the extent that we cannot do without seeing His face – His blazing countenance at the place of prayer; and hearing Him speak to us as a friend to friend.

However, we must beware of the little foxes that come at the bloom of our vineyard. The foxes do not only feed on the grapes, they gnaw on the trunk, dig holes around it and expose the roots – they destroy the entire vine. The little foxes of pride, envy, prayerlessness and contempt dig holes around the trunk of our relationship with Jesus and destroy the once-blooming encounter, if not checked.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, as I grow in my intimacy with You, help me to be mindful of the little foxes and destroy them before they destroy the love we share.