Ruth Rieder in Covenant by Sacrifice related the story of a man that met an overland traveler, who had walked on foot for a long distance. He was interested in knowing what the greatest difficulty the traveler had encountered was in his long journey.
He suggested that perhaps the mountains on the trail had been the greatest barrier, but the traveler assured his questioner it was not that. Then he suggested that perhaps the swollen streams, which cut across the road, presented the greatest hazard, but it was not that. After a little the traveler said, “What almost defeated me in my journey across the continent was the sand in my shoes.”
Rieder points out that life is forever tripping over small things. It is not the big diversion that will send you down the path of compromise. It is usually just the subtle curve in the road. More than likely the giant assaults of the enemy will not destroy our consecrations. It will probably be nothing more than…little foxes. (See Song of Solomon 2:15.)
photo credit: Johannes Lietz via photo pin cc
James Poitras 