Passage of the Day:
In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab out with the king’s men and the whole Israelite army. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained in Jerusalem. 2 One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful, 3 and David sent someone to find out about her. The man said, “She is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite.” 4 Then David sent messengers to get her. She came to him, and he slept with her. (Now she was purifying herself from her monthly uncleanness.) Then she went back home. 5 The woman conceived and sent word to David, saying, “I am pregnant.” 6 So David sent this word to Joab: “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” And Joab sent him to David. 7 When Uriah came to him, David asked him how Joab was, how the soldiers were and how the war was going. 8 Then David said to Uriah, “Go down to your house and wash your feet.” So Uriah left the palace, and a gift from the king was sent after him. 9 But Uriah slept at the entrance to the palace with all his master’s servants and did not go down to his house, 2 Samuel 11:1-9.
Reflection:
When elders clamored and demanded that the prophet Samuel give Israel a king in 1 Samuel 8:4, one of the king’s responsibilities was to lead this nation off to war each spring. Since the higher elevations were either snow covered or too soft to travel in large groups, wars became a seasonal activity each spring. However, according to Samuel, David decided to take an extended vacation. Rather than go off to work to lead Israel’s army, David suddenly had plenty of free time, taking a stroll on the roof of his palace one evening. David’s boredom combined with idle hands gave the Devil a foothold, Ephesians 4:27. David’s lustful decision supports the theory that Idle hands are the devil’s workshop. This is why Christian’s must learn to eliminate idleness.
Prayerful Action:
My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. “Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you as my priests; because you have ignored the law of your God, I also will ignore your children, Hosea 4:6.
Building Up Believe Believing Behavior:
One of the Bible transitions for Hosea 4:6 replaces knowledge with vision. If this is the intent of Hosea, people without vision open their lives up to self-destruction. Subsequently, if you wake up day after day without knowing where you are going or what you need to do, idleness will lead you astray. If idleness continues to occupy your time, you may experience your own prodigal story until you come to your senses, Luke 15:17. Vision oriented Christians see the big picture like Jesus, replacing idle time by meeting with God everything morning to give you daily directions, Mark 1:38.
Song of the Day:
Rachel Rachel’s version of Kansas’ classic tune Carry On Wayward Son reminds me how easy idleness can lead you down a lonesome road. If you ever find yourself wasting time on your phone or turning off your mind to binge your favorite show, eliminate idleness by setting daily goals to keep you on track spiritually.
by Jay Mankus
ExpressYourself4Him 