6-26-2014

 Good Morning All,

        Song of Solomon 2:15; “Catch us the foxes, the little foxes; that ruin the vineyards— for our vineyards are in blossom.”

     If any of you have every dealt with any kind of equipment that has moving parts, you know what a bearing is.  A bearing holds a shaft in place while it turns.  There are bearings in everything.  There are wheel bearings in your car, there are tiny bearings in electric motors, there are big bearings in tractors and planters and combines.  Bearings truly hold the world together in many aspects.

    The amazing thing about bearings is that it takes so little to wreck them.  It only takes a few grains of sand that gets in the bearing; that can cause the bearing to literally explode.  When this happens the wheel can fall off of your car or the electric motor will just stop, or the tractor or combine or planter will stop.  There may even end up being more damage to the car or the motor or the tractor as it suddenly and often times violently stops.  Huge and expensive equipment can be reduced to not much more than scrap metal by a few grains of sand.  Cars can be involved in accidents that take lives because of a few grains of sand.

    In many ways, our relationships can be like those bearing.  It only takes a little bit of trouble to escalate into calamity.  How many times have siblings refused to speak to each other for years but not really remember why?  How many times have friendships been broken over minor misunderstandings that were not healed before they became a malignant growth on the friendship? 

    God gives us the pleasure of friendship, of loving families, of marriage but it takes work from us as well.  There is always something trying to destroy those relationships.  It is sin and the devil trying to be the “sand in the bearing” in your life.  It can take the form of jealousy, or greed or envy.  It can show itself as hurt feelings and pride that refuses to let go or to reach out to heal.  It can start with something as simple as a forgotten date and mushroom into a broken relationship.

    So we have to keep the sand out or catch the little foxes like our verse tells us.  We have to pay attention to the relationships in our lives in order to keep them healthy.  We need to communicate with each other; clearly speaking but more importantly, listening to what is said and meant.  We need to value and respect these relationships so that they can strengthen and grow.  If we ignore them or take them for granted, little foxes can dig them up and ruin them.  Little grains of sand can destroy the bearing and leave us with nothing of value and difficult to restore.  So take care of your friendships and your other relationships, they are a gift from God to be cared for.

Gracious Father, help me to value the many relationships that you have given to me.  Guide me to see the blessings that they are.  Help me to make them stronger.  Be with those who are suffering from broken and wounded relationships.  Help them to heal; help them to reconcile.  In the precious name of Jesus, our risen Savior, Amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret