Scripture

Our verse for today comes from 2 Samuel 21:10, ” Now Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth and spread it for herself on the rock, from the beginning of harvest until the late rains poured on them from heaven. And she did not allow the birds of the air to rest on them by day nor the beasts of the field by night. ” 

Background

When our family ventures to the mountains each summer, there are several places and activities that we try to make sure and include in our schedule. One is the go-kart rides. My kids would spend the entire week and our year’s savings driving those cars if we let them. We also like to spend some time at a certain park where there are swings, a playground, a sand volleyball court, basketball courts, and a wonderful ice cream shoppe just across the road. We usually meet up with some friends who live nearby and have dinner together. And we also pack a lunch and make our way to our favorite picnic site. It’s off the Blue Ridge Parkway, a few miles from town, and perfect for our flock. A creek forks where the picnic tables are, and each branch has its own set of adventures and fun for the kids, while providing the ideal setting for a relaxing meal. The shade is perfect, the surroundings bucolic, and the memories come flooding back the moment we begin to unpack. Additionally, I can’t remember ever being bothered with bugs and such, nor do any birds swoop down and try to take our food. That blessing shouldn’t be all that surprising considering where we are and when we’re there.

Application

But Rizpah had all that and a whole lot more to suffer through. She made her camp at the foot of her two dead sons, hanged for the evil of their grandfather Saul. Each day and night, Rizpah kept the animals from feasting on the bodies of her children while she mourned the searing loss of her boys. Quite a contrast to my kids skipping rocks and splashing around in a mountain brook. And these stark differences only serve to intensify the fact that sin and temptation are evil, powerful, and a respecter of no one. A perfect picnic can be ruined by its filth, just as loving relationships and promising lives can. Nothing is beyond its reach. And so, our call is to stay close to Jesus. Let nothing, whether pleasure or passivity, come between you and the One who has called you. 

Charge

As we seek Him today, let the beauty of your day remind you of what Satan wants to do with it, and keep yourself clean and close to Christ. 

Salvation – Eternal Life in Less Than 150 Words