Previous Challenge Entry (Level 3 - Advanced)
Topic: WILD (11/16/17)
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TITLE: The Spider, the Rock Badger, and the Donkey | Previous Challenge Entry
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11/22/17 -
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A little background on the participants:
Spider – Proverbs 30:24-28 (KJV) states, “There be four
things which are little upon the earth, but they are
exceeding wise..."
Rock badger – Proverbs 30:26 (KJV) states, “The conies (rock
badgers) are but a feeble folk, yet make they their
houses in the rocks;.”
Donkey - It seems clear that a donkey is a simple, humble
creature and if God can use a donkey and make one talk,
God can use anyone.
At Jesus’ baptism, God put His sign of approval on Jesus and declared Him to be “His beloved Son in Whom He is well-pleased.” Then, the very next thing, God sent his “beloved” son to a place to be confronted by Satan – a lonely place with little food, comfort, or even water. He sent him into the wilderness!
The scene is unlike those paintings in the museums. You know the ones! They depict Jesus sitting on a comfortable rock, wearing a pressed and blindingly white robe. Sporting a well-trimmed beard, whitened teeth, and clean, nicely brushed hair topped with a glowing halo, he holds a beautiful child in one arm and a fluffy newborn lamb in the other. At his feet are clean, cheerful, rosy-cheeked children, seemingly in rapt attention. More lambs are at his side, and the background is blooming flowers.
The reality here would be starkly different. Present would be craggy rocks, a blinding hot sun, and Satan. Wild animals would be present and observing and could include spider, rock badger, and donkey.
The spider crawls to the rocks and whispers into a seemingly empty hole. “Hey badger, come out and watch this.”
Badger answers, “Is it safe?”
“Donkey is here also – it looks like the two are focused on their struggle.”
Badger emerges, “Hey donkey, you know these two?”
“Not really. The guy with horns is that bad angel everyone's been talking about. But the other, I don’t know – he just appeared.”
Badger asks, “What are they doing?”
Shrugging her eight shoulders, spider replies, “I don’t know, but I heard something about temptation and Son of God. I’m not sure we oughta be here!”
Donkey scratches his ears against a handy rock. “I don’t recognize the new guy, but I have this strange feeling he and I are going to know one another eventually. He will probably ride me at some point.”
Badger answers. “That’s not surprising. I think I saw him in the river a little while ago when I was getting a drink. The sky got all crazy, I saw Dove and heard a loud voice. It all scared me, and I ran back here.”
Spider rubs her cheek and says, “On second thought, let’s stay awhile. I’d like to talk to this new guy. I think he has a lot he could teach us.”
In this scene, one of the strangest detours in the Gospels, instead of comfort, Jesus is sent to be tempted and to spend time with the wild animals! Undoubtedly this is not a random detail, so then what’s the point? What significance is it to Jesus’ ministry?
Many life-shaping wilderness stories are in the Bible - Adam and Eve, Moses, the Israelites, Elijah, John, and Jesus. By sheer grace, God does not want anyone to live even for a brief period in a dream world. He does not abandon us to dreams. He is a God of the truth.
Modern facts are: bees sting, spouses cheat, churches get shot up, and even the best crocodile hunters die. Our fears persist, but with Jesus, we know better times are to come.
At each moment of our day, we have a choice. - A choice to be W.I.L.D. or not.
W...illingly surrender to Him,
I...ntentionally choose Him,
L...ove Him most, and
D...o his commands
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I like your creative take on the topic.