Click this link to hear an audio version of the below text narrated by SOTH member Jerry Rhinehart:
Mark 11:1-11 NIV
Jesus Comes to Jerusalem as King
11 As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and just as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 3 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly.’” 4 They went and found a colt outside in the street, tied at a doorway. As they untied it, 5 some people standing there asked, “What are you doing, untying that colt?” 6 They answered as Jesus had told them to, and the people let them go. 7 When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, he sat on it. 8 Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields. 9 Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted, “Hosanna!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” 10 “Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!” “Hosanna in the highest heaven!” 11 Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple courts. He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve.
Have you ever misunderstood Jesus’ purpose? Praising him one day and despairing the next?
Holy and Mighty God. I know that all things work together for good for those who are called according to Your purposes. I trust You and have faith in Your plan but sometimes my heart is fickle. Life is a roller coaster of emotions. There are the mountain top experiences and then there are the deep valleys. I thank You for those times when I truly hear Your voice, when something in the Bible jumps out at me or when I recognize Your hand in a situation or answered prayer. Those are the times when my heart sings with praises. Often during those times, the devil tries to steal my joy. I can quickly lose focus on the good and everything comes crashing down around me. It’s during those high times when something breaks, I get into an argument, I get hurt, or I am blindsided by something horrible in the news and my joy gets short-circuited. I go from praising to disappointment and feeling let down and I question what You are doing. Lord, help me to recognize that even it feels like You have failed to meet my expectations, that You have a bigger purpose. I can rest in the truth that You are always good, but Your ways are not my ways. Even when I have expectations in life that feel unmet, I pray that I can allow You to make a triumphal entry into every area of my heart today. Lord, reign in me with peace and love. Amen