They Are Weak, but He Is Strong
Catch the foxes for us,
the little foxes
that spoil the vineyards,
for our vineyards are in blossom.
(Song of Songs 2:15)
I first learned about the concept of “foxes in the vineyard” from a sermon series led by Ben Stuart, the executive director of Breakaway Ministries in College Station. (Want to hear his perspective? Follow this link, and jump ahead to 26:27. Or, preferably, watch the whole series.) The idea is that foxes would devour the buds in blossoming vineyards, halting the progression of life.
Ben explains these verses from the standpoint of marriage, but the concept can be applied to many other areas of life.
Recently, there has been a group of foxes in my husband’s ministry, and the effects of this have bled into my own ministry.
Months ago, as I explained the situation to a friend, he responded, “Don’t let this steal the joy from your ministry.”
His words struck a familiar chord, and I soon realized why.
“… and the foxes in the vineyard will not steal my joy,
because You are good to me.”
During the past several months, I have watched my husband struggle with the foxes in his ministry. I have watched him face bullies time and time again. I have watched him respond gently and speak truth in love. I have watched him study his mentor’s attitude and methods, and I have watched him yearn to grow as a teacher and a coach and a man of God.
Those foxes have nothing on him. He continues to draw nearer to Christ, the bringer of life.
Friends, the foxes you face in your marriage, your workplace, your community… They are destroyers of life, and they have no place in the vineyard. The devil loves to attack those who are strong in their faith, and ultimately he is the source of the foxes we face.
As I watched my sweet husband persevere, I found myself becoming overly sensitive to criticism. My attitude turned cynical and defensive, my fists perpetually up and ready to fight. I swatted at past critiques like flies, always buzzing in my ears.
The overarching theme? I am not enough.
What is your context? How often are you confronted with the reality that you are not enough?
For weeks, I have been pouting. Catch the little foxes, I grumbled. They’re ruining my vineyard! If it weren’t for the foxes, I would be content. I would be successful. I would be enough.
Suddenly, while spending time in the Word, it became painfully apparent: Foxes were not to blame for the lack of life in my vineyard.
That same day, Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. And great crowds gathered about Him, so that He got into a boat and sat down. And the whole crowd stood on the beach. And He told them many things in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty…
… As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away.”
(Matthew 13:1–8, 20–21)
Sure, there are occasional foxes in my ministry. But more often, my own selfishness is the problem. I self-righteously assume that I am the good soil in the parable, ignoring the obvious rocks. Then, when challenges arise, I shrivel back and point fingers.
I am not enough, but Jesus is.
But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
(2 Corinthians 12:9–10)
Whatever your context, you alone are not enough.
Friends, Jesus yearns to be in relationship with you. Don’t hide your weaknesses from Him; His power shines through our shortcomings. Don’t shrink away when the troubles of this world overwhelm you; draw ever closer to the One who died to give us life in abundance.
There is no fox too crafty, no rock too heavy for Jesus.
So get ’em outta the vineyard.