The next day a great multitude that had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, and cried out: “Hosanna! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!’ The King of Israel!” Then Jesus, when He had found a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written:  “Fear not, daughter of Zion; Behold, your King is coming, Sitting on a donkey’s colt.” (John 12:12-15 (NKJV) 

On this Palm Sunday morning, I felt drawn to spend a few minutes reflecting on the events of some two-thousand years ago that changed, for eternity, the course of mankind.

As Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the back of a borrowed donkey, the crowds cheering “Hosanna”!  “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!”  “The King of Israel!”; even then, Jesus knew.  Their voices were sweet but their hearts were bitter. In just a few short days, the truth that was in their hearts would be exposed as once again their shouts would ring through the streets of Jerusalem.  This time – “CRUCIFY HIM!”  The Messiah.  The Promised One.  The Savior of the world.  The One they had waited for and longed for all those generations.  “Kill Him”!  All because of their selfish pride, need for power, or for some, simply because He didn’t come as they expected.  From cheers to jeers.  From hope to hate.  “Crucify Him!”  And they did.

“Jesus, more often than not, I don’t see you as expected.  I look for you to accomplish Your work in me one way but You choose a better way for You know me, You know my stubborn heart, my weak faith.  Thank you Lord Jesus that you know and that you give just what I need at just the point in time it is needed.  Forgive me when I ignore you or turn away from you because the blessings come in unexpected ways.  Let my cries always be ‘Hosanna’!”

Sunday is coming!

Sandy

Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. So I will bless you as long as I live; in your name I will lift up my hands. My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips (Psalms 63:3-5)

What could be better than life itself?  The loving kindness of the Lord.  Surely He is good.  His mercies are more than the stars of the heavens.  His patience with His children extends far beyond our failures.  His love cannot be measured – it is infinite.

And what does He ask of us?  Not much. Our praise.  Hands open and lifted high.

Let this be our continuous thought – that we will be fully surrendered to Him.  Let this be our constant desire – that we will testify of His loving-kindness.  Let this be the pattern of our lives – thankfulness to Him in every situation.  Let this be always on our lips – praise and glory and honor to the Lord of Lord, the King of Kings, the Savior of our souls.

Sandra

A Prayer of Moses, the man of God. Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations. (Psalms 90:1)

What peace to know that the Lord is our dwelling place – today, tomorrow, and always.  A place where we can rest in safety from the evil that surrounds us.  A place to come to when we’re confused and need truth.  A place where we will find comfort for our body and our spirit.

His word tells us to abide, to dwell in Him.

It’s unavoidable, in this life, there will be troubles – but praise be to God, we have a dwelling place and He is Jesus.

Sandra

“May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble! May the name of the God of Jacob protect you!” (Psalms 20:1)

This morning, thousands are waking up feeling hopeless because of the storm that has passed through, thousands more are in fear and uncertainty because of the storm yet to come.  Here in the peace and quiet comfort of my home, I could think of nothing else to do but pray.

“Lord, we offer back to You this morning Your word of hope for those who are suffering in the aftermath of Hurricane Matthew.  We pray for the hundreds of families in Haiti who are mourning the loss of loved ones; for the hundreds more who have lost all their meager earthly possessions.

We pray for the  hundreds of thousands who are at this moment are in the path of the storm to come. For the many who have left behind their homes and don’t know if there will be anything left when they return.

Jehovah-Rohi, our God who protects, hear the prayers of Your children in this day of trouble.”

Sandra

The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous and his ears toward their cry. (Psalms 34:15)

The LORD is our protector.  He is always watching over us, ever listening for our cries.  When I was a young mother – many, many years ago, there were no baby monitors, no nanny cams to “stand watch” over my babies as they slept.   Myself, and the other mothers of my generation, slept with one ear open.  We were pretty good at it too, in one fell swoop, we could be out of bed and next to the crib at the first whimper.  But there was one night my radar failed.  Somehow, my youngest maneuvered herself around and ended up with her head stuck between the crib railings.  I don’t know how long she wailed before I heard her cries.  Needless to say it was a scary experience and a source of much guilt for having missed her cries.

Not so with God. I love they way the Psalmist puts it – His eyes and ears are toward the cries of of His children. Always watching, ever ready to respond, to be at our side, to protect us from that which can harm us.

Some of you are hurting today.  You’re dealing with some hard stuff.  I encourage you, cry out to the LORD.  He is watching over you,  His ear bent toward you, and He will run to you.

Sandra

My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord; In the morning I will direct it to You,
And I will look up.(Psalm 5:3)

And I will look up.

We look around, we look out, we look in, and we look down. We look behind and we look ahead.  We sometimes close our eyes so we don’t have to look at all.

When you need guidance.  When you need strength.
Look up.

When your faith is weak.  When you feel hopeless.
Look up.

When you fail.  When you fall.
Look up.

When you don’t know what to do.
Look Up.

We think – too simple. Too easy. Surely there must be more to it.  If God were as a man we would be right.  But God is not as a man, His ways are not our ways, His thoughts not our thoughts.  God promises us that He hears us and He is there for us.  Day by day, moment by moment.

Just Look Up!

Sandra

Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God (2 Corinthians 3:5)

Ever feel like a square peg trying to fit into a round hole?  Boy I do, often.  Sometimes, it gets so frustrating trying to fit in we just want to give up.  Its not that our hearts are not in it, we want to make a difference, we want our lives to account for something.  But the world comes at us hard and soon we begin to question if even our best efforts are good enough.

I was deep into this mindset recently – but then I came to 2 Corinthians 3:5  and the light came on.  I was right!  I am not sufficient, but most of the time I work as if I am.  I want to be Wonder Woman, to be strong, indestructible, fast, durable, accomplished.  Oh, and one more thing, I want to be beautiful. 

Who we are, the abilities we have, the good of the life we live  – these are gifts from God. He has equipped us to do the work He gives us to do. If we want to enjoy the full benefits of God’s gifts, we have to learn to agree with Him, to accept that its His work, not ours and we have to learn to depend on His sufficiency. We have fit our lives into who God wants us to be rather than striving in our own ideas of who we think we should be.

Remember – you are not who the world says you are, nor even who you say you are – you are who your Father says you are. And He thinks you are pretty wonderful.

Sandra

Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. GOD, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer’s; he makes me tread on my high places. (Habakkuk 3:17-19)

There are times when God’s word leaves little room for comment.  This is one of those times.  And so, I simply ask…

Will this be the day you pray this prayer?  Will this be the day you make it your own?  Will this be the day that you put behind you all troubles and doubts and allow your heart to be filled with the joy of your salvation?

Sandra

 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection (Colossians 3:13-14)

Above all.    Put on love.   Bond of perfection.

As I read the above passage and reflect on the events that took place in our city this past week, I become painfully aware that I am not there yet.  Amidst the anger and violence going on all around us, can I honestly say that I love those who want to do me harm?  Can I say that I forgive, for no other reason than that Christ has forgiven me?  Sadly, I can’t.

Peace seems such an elusive thing these days.  More than ever before, I have been praying for peace – in our world, our nation, our city, in our families.  Here in these verses, we see that it is love for others that produces the peace we long for. It is love which will help us to bear with one another, forgive one another and in turn will bind us in perfect harmony.

It is the Spirit of Christ in us that will bring us to that perfect peace.  We must put aside all strife and come to Him with broken and willing hearts.  He has shown us the way, it is up to us to walk in it.

Sandra

But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him. (1 Corinthians 2:9 NKJV)

The massive sky, the countless stars, the depths of the seas, none of which can be measured. The beauty and wonder of creation with unlimited hues of color, species of every kind throughout nature. The singing of the birds, each kind with a different song, the first cry of a new born, the laughter of a child, comforting words from a friend.

Unimaginable beauty and wonder.  And yet, there is more.

Granted salvation.  Promised eternal life.  The joy of Christ.  Inexplicable peace. Unfailing love.  Endless mercy.  Unmerited grace.

Beautiful words, beautiful promises, beautiful hope.  All these things we see and hear and know –  it would be enough.  And yet, there is more!

Sandra