Preparing for the Journey

Matthew 21: 1-11  “And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples, 2. Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me.  3. And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them.  4. All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, 5. TELL YE THE DAUGHTER OF SION, BEHOLD, THY KING COMETH UNTO THEE, MEEK AND SITTING UPON AN ASS, AND A COLT THE FOAL OF AN ASS. 6. And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them. 7. And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon. 8. And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way. 9. And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest. 10. And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this?   11. And the multitude said, this is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.” Traveling can be laborious at times especially when something goes wrong like a flat tire, a vomiting child or a sick husband. We all know how needy a sick husband can be, almost as needy as a child! You can’t look into the future of your journey and know exactly what will happen but rest assured, you can be for the most part, prepared.  As we journey through God’s Word and get to know Him better, we may need a pit stop every now and then to regroup, taking care of these unexpected events.  Take advantage of these times by relaxing and soaking in all that God permits on the journey. If you rush, you may miss that one nugget that is needed for that particular day and what is even more exciting is the fact that the nugget may be needed for someone else. Jesus always had time for people even as He prepared for His entry.  Think about it.  Just one week before his death, He was helping and healing people at every pit stop.  Read again the scripture of His triumphal entry into Jerusalem and then look closely at Mark 11: 1-10, Luke 19: 29-38 and John 12: 12-15. All the Gospels tell this wonderful story of Jesus.  Jerusalem is an awesome place and as I entered the city for the first time, my adrenalin was flowing so fast I believe I could have jumped from the bus and flown away! I kid you not. That is how I was first affected by this amazing, beautiful city! My husband went with me on my second trip to Israel and oh my goodness, I couldn’t wait to share with him the fabulous entrance of Jerusalem with the lights and the magic that was so prevalent as we made that final turn down the winding hill to the city.  All I could think about was our Jesus on that donkey as the people quietly laid the palm branches while others literally spread their garments in the way.  As we get to know Him, we understand God’s passion for us! Everything had to be perfect, exact, because God already knew what we did not know at that time in history.  He has prepared us for our journey and yes that might include a vomiting child, a death, a flat tire, financial reversal but God has thrown down the palms for us as he prepares the way for us in this journey called life.  Do you understand that? Psalm 118: 26 “Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the Lord:  we have blessed you out of the house of the Lord.” Did you know that the palm tree represents peace and plenty? The more weight is hung upon it, the more it thrives.  May the weights (burdens, trials) that are put upon us make us thrive all the more for the Lord Jesus Christ!  I live in Florida and get to see many palms but I’ve never seen Colombia’s  palm trees with the tallest measuring up to 197 feet. There are so many varieties of palms which would make for a grand study, don’t you think?  Oh my! Does it make you want to pick up God’s Word and read more? There is so much in this journey to knowing God and as we climb higher, the more we can realize His greatness. He loves us!  He loves us! Why not join me this Friday for another pit stop to look at some figs? While in Israel, I had the awesome pleasure and privilege of eating the best dates and figs in the entire world. Maybe, I can whet your appetite enough to go and shop for some, bringing them with you while we travel together getting to know our God!   Until Friday and the Figs, Lord willing! - Sharon