When the people thought that Jesus was come to deliver them as their earthly king, they shouted great praise in the streets. Joy filled their hearts to believe they would soon be free from their Roman bondage. They were shouting “Hosanna to the Son of David!” He was very much worthy of such praise, but not for the reasons the people believed. Jesus had something far greater planned!
There have been many times I have sat with older believers while they have expressed the struggle of still “hanging on” in their diseased-ridden body. They longed for heaven, and they could not understand why they were still here. What does God still want us to do before He calls us home to heaven? There are so many possible answers to that question, but let’s look at 9 possibilities.
What does hardship or suffering drive you to? Self-pity? Bitterness? Anger? Retreat? Suffering only reveals the depth of relationship we have already nurtured with the Lord. We must pursue greater relationship with Jesus in good times to be sustained during hard times. What are the non-negotiables for this deeper sustaining relationship?
I am certain we can all agree that a life-threatening storm, a demon possessed man, a 12-year health crisis, and the death of a 12-year-old girl are distractions that overwhelm with discouragements! No doubt many here feel surrounded by distractions and discouragements. Take note of the Lord’s admonishment in verse 50 – Do not be afraid, only believe!
Have you stopped listening to the still small voice of God? Have you decided to live life your way and not God’s way? Have you come across hard pathways of life and wonder how you got here? Have you gotten a distance down the road of life and realized the Bible was right…you shouldn’t have made that choice all those weeks, months, or years ago?
Unfortunately, the world seems to be making far too much impact on the people in the church, instead of the church making a strong impact on the community in which we live! As we were reminded a couple of weeks ago, we do not need more church programs to fix this problem. So, what is the solution for the church to make a bigger impact on the community?
Think about the challenges you and I face on a daily basis – and sometimes, it is more like “moment-to-moment” challenges! These challenges reveal something about us. They reveal we NEED the help of someone greater. We need the help of someone with greater powerful, greater knowledge, greater presence, and greater wisdom…we need Jesus.
The fact of the matter is this kind of godly character begins with our mental rehearsing that eventually translates into our daily choices. So, it is our godly rehearsing that forms godly desires that translates into godly choices that will form godly habits, and then eventually, godly character becomes a reality.
