"Blessed be the Name of the Lord." The crowds lining the streets of Jerusalem were shouting and cheering as Jesus passed by. They were honoring Him by throwing down their coats for Him to ride over and were waving palm branches. It was a joy-filled day of adoration and expectation...and then the bubble burst. Jesus was not the one whose mission would rid them of their Roman oppressors. He upset the temple priests by overthrowing tables, criticizing their methods and motives, & insulting them. He disappointed His disciples when He taught them about servant hood rather than rebellion. He allowed Himself to be arrested and even healed one of the enemy soldiers. He refused to answer His critics, stood as a silent sheep when accused, & even His closest friends abandoned Him. No wonder the crowds turned against Him and called for the release of a murderer instead! Jesus was definitely not the messiah the crowds had been waiting for...or was He?
God often comes into our lives in unexpected ways. We think He should do certain things, or has to be a certain way. We even have the audacity to quote verses at Him to show Him what He has to do.We put Him into the box of our own limited understanding and when He doesn't fit, we get disillusioned or disinterested. We turn away in anger or disgust, refusing to adjust our vision to His higher ways. We close our minds to the truth, holding on to our own perceptions and willful ignorance. We release the murderer in our lives, the enemy of our souls, who is determined to do all he can to destroy us but pretends to be our angel of light. He leads us down the path to destruction and we blindly follow, choosing to believe the lies rather than open our minds to God's gentle nudging and constant invitation to return & follow Him. We close our eyes to the eternal plan & reject His sovereignty, living for our own here and now! We want what we want when we want it!
Do you see it? The crowds are a picture of us, of me. We love God when He shows up when, how, and where we want. We whine, cry, complain, and get mad when He chooses to do something different. We let our short-sightedness lead us rather than following after the Good Shepherd who has the best plan, knows the pitfalls, & loves us enough that He laid down His life for us, His wayward sheep. We need to get back into His fold and allow His vision, wisdom, desires, and plan to become ours. After all, we were bought at a tremendous price - we aren't our own anymore.
This week, as Easter approaches and we think of the Lord's great sacrifice for us, examine your heart and repent of any wayward thoughts you have toward God. Reset your focus to follow Him, no matter where He leads, whether it is a predictable or unexpected path. He will bless your life and you will be thankful that you chose to follow Him.
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