The pretty kit fox, or desert fox, is the smallest fox in North America. An adult is only about 20 inches long, and the little ones are so tiny and adorable that if you got a peek at one, you would want to pick it up and hold it. The adults weigh from 3.5 to 6 pounds. They have big ears for their small size, as well as a long tail that adds 10 to 12 inches to their length.
One of the subspecies, the San Joaquin kit fox, is endangered. Part of the problem is that the wolf has been wiped out of California, so the next largest predator, the coyote, has gotten much more common. The coyote is small enough to enter the kit fox’s tunnels leading to dens where the parents and babies should be safe from such dangers. Another problem for the kit fox is the loss of their normal habitat, as businesses and homes take over the land. A big tract of land has been set aside to help protect the kit fox in this area of California.
Since the kit fox lives in hot areas, the Creator has given it several important ways to cool off. One of these is its large ears, which help to let heat escape from its body. Another way it keeps cool is that it normally stays in its den during the hot part of the day. It is normally only active at night and sometimes during the twilight hours. Sometimes, though, you might see them during the day, as they come out to enjoy the sun’s warmth or to let the kits play when they are small.
Another provision the Lord has made for kit foxes is that they don’t seem to need to drink water. Since they live in dry areas, isn’t that kind of the Lord? He has also given them very hairy feet, which helps them have traction on the sandy soil they walk on.
Kit foxes are cute, but our opening verse reminds us that foxes can cause damage to valuable plants. Foxes might be too small to reach the grapes, so they chew away at the vine until it falls so they can reach the grapes. This is a picture of what sin does in our lives. Sin can take away our joy if we allow it in our lives. Sins like jealousy, hatred, covetousness, lust and bitterness all eat away at us until our joy is gone. We are warned to take care of those sins. We do that by confessing them to the Lord and then asking Him to keep us so they don’t grow in our lives again.
Messages of God’s Love 4/16/2023