You know that the people in Palestine had a great many vineyards. Round these they had sometimes thick hedges or mud walls to protect the fruit from thieves. But the worst robber was the fox, and I will tell you why: it was just because he could not be seen. He dug a deep hole right under the enclosure; and while the owner who was watching that no one climbed OVER his walls, might la thinking that his vines were safe, all the time the thievish little fox was in among the grapes.
When the Bible speaks of the “little foxes that spoil the vines,” it refers to the small sins, which perhaps we think little of, and which no one notices, but these, “little sins,” spoil our “tender grapes,” and we do not bring forth fruit for God. It is to boys and girls who really know Jesus as their Saviour that I now speak.
If you should be overtaken in a fault, or fall into sin, what must you do about CONFESS IT AT ONCE—that is tell God your Father all about it, and seek grace not to do it again, and He will forgive and cleanse you from stain. Thus communion is restored and we can go on with the Lord, walking with Him.
Also, if we have sinned against Mother or Father, brother or sister, neighbor, friend or any other person, we should go to them and tell them what we have done. This is very humbling and hard to do, but it is the only way to deal with these “little that spoil our vines.
ML 05/26/1946