That must have been one heck of a Monday. Can you imagine? The hope, the anticipation of what was yet to come?
Yesterday was Palm Sunday, when we celebrate Jesus entering Jerusalem and the people laying palm branches down for the donkey to walk on as Jesus entered the city saying, “Hosanna, Hosanna!” meaning, “Save Us Now!”
They waited in anticipation.
Some of us may have initially felt that anticipation a few weeks ago as our calendars cleared. We saw the schedules open up and anticipated some nerf wars and puzzles with our kids. We laid out the red carpet in anticipation of family bonding over the next couple of weeks together.
As a few weeks have stretched into many, what we may have anticipated as the kids having a few weeks off school has turned into a shutdown. These days are very likely much more complicated than we expected.
On Palm Sunday, Jesus was indeed coming in triumphal entry to Jerusalem to save His people who He dearly loved, but that saving didn’t happen as the people had anticipated either.
What the people anticipated was that Jesus would be the king coming to rule their land, but He was actually a King coming to rule their hearts. It was more than they could have expected, better than they could have hoped, but it came about differently.
When life turns out differently than we were expecting, can we hold it loosely enough that we still choose to trust that God has a plan, or will we pick up our palm branches and go home?
The hope of eternity is for those of us who stay, but at times following our King may not be the easy way. It certainly wouldn’t have been an easy week for those holding the palm branches and laying down their coats.
When things shake out differently than we anticipate, will we stay? Will we hold it in our hands and ask, “God, what is this?” “What is happening?” “What is this truth You want me to know?”
For those who continue to yield to Jesus as King, even when in the upcoming days He would not have looked like one, and definitely not treated as one, God had salvation.
In this current time, Jesus is not treated as King. Many, I would even say most of us, have packed up our palm branches of praise and built our own kingdoms out of them.
During this time of uncertainty, just like the people of Jerusalem were in, will you choose to stay and praise God as King even when things are not turning out as expected and society isn’t treating Him as such?
For those of us who choose to stay, God has good things ahead.
HLLF,
