“Catch the foxes for us, The little foxes that are ruining the vineyards, While our vineyards are in blossom." (Song of Sol. 2:15 NASB)

Watch out for the little things

Most Bible commentators believe the passage about little foxes destroying the vineyard is allegorical. The “vineyard” represents a relationship and the

“little foxes” represent the small things that ruin a relationship. Matthew Henry’s commentary described the little foxes this way: “The first risings of sinful thoughts and desires, the beginnings of trifling pursuits which waste the time, trifling visits, small departures from truth, whatever would admit some conformity to the world; all these, and many more, are little foxes which must be removed. This is a charge to believers to mortify their sinful appetites and passions, which are as little foxes, that destroy their graces and comforts, and crush good beginnings. Whatever we find a hinderance to us in that which is good, we must put away.”

The key is to always pay attention to the little things in your relationships. The little things do make a big difference!

Therefore…

• Always be kind – especially in little things

“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” (Eph. 4:32 ESV)

• Always live by the golden rule - especially in little things

“And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.” (Luke 6:31 NIV)

• Always outdo others in showing honor - especially in little things

“Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.” (Rom. 12:10 ESV)

“We love because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19 NIV)

To give the kind of love that God wants you to give, you first have to have His kind of love present in your heart. Look around at society, and you’ll see it’s littered with debris from relationships that have crashed and burned because people didn’t have God’s kind of love present in their hearts. According to the passage above, God loved us first and that enabled us to love others. How do you get this kind of love? You start by letting God love you.

Everyone who loves has been born of God

“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.” (1 John 4:7)

A full understanding and expression of His love

“May the Lord lead your hearts into a full understanding and expression of the love of God and the patient endurance that comes from Christ.” (2 Thess. 3:5)

“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.  Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.” (1 John 4:7-8)

Quote

“One who has been touched by grace will no longer look on those who stray as ‘those evil people’ or ‘those poor people who need our help.’ Nor must we search for signs of ‘loveworthiness.’ Grace teaches us that God loves because of who God is, not because of who we are.” Philip Yancey

“His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.” (2 Peter 1:3 NIV)

A man of knowledge enhances his might

“A wise man is full of strength, and a man of knowledge enhances his might…” (Prov. 24:5 ESV)

God’s people are destroyed for lack of knowledge

“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you from being a priest to me. And since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children. The more they increased, the more they sinned against me; I will change their glory into shame.” (Hosea 4:6-7 ESV)

Therefore…

“The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge, but the mouths of fools feed on folly.” (Prov. 15:14 ESV)

“Teach me good judgment and knowledge, for I believe in your commandments.” (Psalm 199:66 ESV)

“He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak." (Isaiah 40:29, NIV)

No matter what life throws at you, you can have complete confidence that God will meet you where you are and guide your path forward with the strength you need  

God is your refuge and strength

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.” (Psalms 46:1-3 NIV)

The Lord, Himself, is your strength

“Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord himself, is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation.” (Isaiah 12:2 NIV)

Hope in the Lord and renew your strength

“But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” (Isaiah 49:31 NIV)

Therefore…

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”  (Josh. 1:9 BIV)

“Dear children, let us stop just saying we love each other; let us really show it by our actions.” (1 John 3:18 NLT)

Love is more than a feeling

Many pop songs say that love is a feeling. But, by this standard, when feelings are gone, then love is gone. But love is more than feelings, more than  attraction and more than sentimentality. Love is an action; love is a behavior. Many times in the Bible, God commands us to love each other. That’s because it’s something we are to do. Notice in the above verse that He tells us to love by our actions. That’s because love is something you do.

This is how you’re to “do” love

“Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” (1 Cor. 13:4-7 ESV)

Therefore, do the following

“Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.” (1John 3:18 ESV)

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” (John 14:15 ESV)

“Let all that you do be done in love.” (1 Cor. 16:14 ESV

“Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ,” (Eph. 3:8)

You function best in your area of gifting

We all have different gifts in order to serve God and function best in whatever area of calling God has placed us in. For instance, the Apostle Paul, in the passage above, knew that God had given him the grace to preach to the gentiles. Paul focused his energy  on his area of calling, therefore, he excelled in it. 

Serve God well with your gifts

“In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly. (Rom. 12:6-8 NLT)

Each member belongs to all the others

“For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. “ (Rom 12:3-5)

Therefore…

“Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.” (1 Thess. 5:11 ESV)

“... do not give the devil a foothold...” (Eph. 4:27)

Protect your heart

Satan comes “immediately” to take away  the word that was sown in your heart. So, protect it!

“And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.” (Mark 4:15 KJV)

Do not conform to the enemy’s pattern!

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” (Rom. 12:2 NIV)

Take up the shield of faith

“In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.” (Eph. 6:16 NIV)

Diligently keep your heart!

“Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” (Prov. 4:23 KJV)

“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Rom. 12:21 ESV)

Do what is honorable in the sight of all

“Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” (Rom. 12:17-20 ESV)

Be wise, full of mercy and good fruits

“But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.” (James 3:17 ESV)

“For the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.” (James 1:20 ESV)

Love your enemies

“If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.” (Luke 6:32-33 ESV)

“But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.” (Luke 6:35 ESV)

“As they were burying a man, behold, they saw a marauding band; and they cast the man into the grave of Elisha. And when the man touched the bones of Elisha he revived and stood up on his feet.” (2 Kings 13:21 NASB)

A dead body jumps back to life!

Imagine being a pallbearer at the funeral of a friend and you are carrying his dead body to the grave. Suddenly, you see a group of notorious gang members headed your way and imminent danger. So, to get away as quickly as possible, you toss the body into an open grave nearby. But then, something astounding happens! As soon as the body touches the bones of the person already in that grave, your dead friend miraculously comes back to life! That’s exactly what happened in the passage above!

What caused this miraculous event to happen, and why?

There is a reason for everything written in the Bible, even for this incident.  II Kings chapter 2 tells how Elijah passed his prophetic mantle on to the young prophet Elisha. “When they came to the other side, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me what I can do for you before I am taken away.” And Elisha replied, “Please let me inherit a double share of your spirit and become your successor.” “You have asked a difficult thing,” Elijah replied. “If you see me when I am taken from you, then you will get your request. But if not, then you won’t.” As they were walking along and talking, suddenly a chariot of fire appeared, drawn by horses of fire. It drove between the two men, separating them, and Elijah was carried by a whirlwind into heaven. Elisha saw it and cried out, “My father! My father! I see the chariots and charioteers of Israel!” And as they disappeared from sight, Elisha tore his clothes in distress.” (2 Kings 2:8-12 NLT) This bold request of asking for a “double share of Elijah’s spirit” was granted to  Elisha. This meant that Elisha would do twice what Elijah had done during his ministry. Elijah had performed Fourteen miracles by the power of God that rested upon him. If Elisha received a double share of Elijah’s spirit, he would perform at least 28 miracles.

Elijah’s promise of a “double share” is fulfilled after Elisha’s death!

When he died, Elisha had only performed twenty-seven miracles. He was short one miracle as promised! This miracle of resurrection involving his bones made the 28th miracle performed! Thus, this miracle is an accurate fulfillment of the provision of a double portion of the spirit of Elijah resting upon Elisha and could be the reason for this amazing  story.