Little Things

It looks and sounds like we might have a mouse in our house. That is a problem for a few different reasons. First, we did not invite the mouse into our house. Second, so far the mouse has been smarter than the trap setter (that would be me). Third, the presence of the mouse is disruptive, and we are wondering how much damage the mouse is causing.

In Song of Solomon 2:15 it says this:

Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards, our vineyards that are in bloom.

I believe that verse is set in the context of a marriage relationship. From the flow of the passage it would appear that Solomon’s beloved is asking him to capture foxes from their vineyard. The vineyard is probably best understood as their love or relationship in full bloom. Foxes were known in the Middle East to dig around the root systems of plants in a vineyard and in the process damage and disrupt those roots.

Little foxes can do big damage to a vineyard, much like little things can do real damage to a marriage. That damage or its destruction may not be immediate, but it will come. And what was meant to be beautiful fails to blossom.

This principle of little things leading to big damage is not just an issue in marriage. It is easy to ignore little stuff, and maybe even tempting to do. But failing to deal with little things can lead to big problems down the road. Are there little things that you need to address in your relationship with God? How about in your family or your marriage? Now might be the time to do a little thing so the little thing does not become a big thing.