Sing praises to God and to his name!
….Sing loud praises to him who rides the clouds.
His name is the Lord—
….rejoice in his presence! Psalm 68:4 NLT
John 12:12-19 (<<click here to read the passage)
Looking at my own life, one of the biggest points of concern is the feeling that I have no control over my life. Others seem to hold that over me, but often I do not.
Some of it is a mindset that I allow to hover over me – society expects this and that, the congregations I serve, church leadership over me, my fellow bus drivers, leadership above me in the school system, my immediate family, my extended family – they all hold a certain amount of sway over my thoughts and actions.
Now some of it is beneficial in that I need to toe the line and do what is expected of me. That is what responsibility is all about. But other times my mind takes the opportunity to fret over things that seem to be a reality, but how often are they just “things” in my head? So-and-so doesn’t like me. So-and-so thinks I should be doing thus-and-thus and I’m not. Should I be? …or not? How much is just stirred up in my brain and how much is an actuality?
And in the middle of it all, it feels like I can’t really be myself if I am to remain a part of any of it. If I’m myself, I feel that I will be pushed even further away. Being in control is a mirage, it seems real but when I attempt to grasp it, it passes through my outstretched hand.
The only thing that I can truly hang on to – and I do so most earnestly! – is my faith in Jesus. Yes, He most definitely has control over my life, but I can truly trust Him to have my best interests at heart. He alone can see through all the smoke and mirrors that all of humanity is prone to erect.
As I examine John 12:12-19 in my Life Application Study Bible, it points out that the Heavenly Father was in control the whole time. He had set everything into motion. He was in total control.
Jesus began his last week on earth by riding into Jerusalem on a donkey under a canopy of palm branches, with crowds hailing him as their king. To announce that he was indeed the Messiah, Jesus chose a time when all Israel would be gathered at Jerusalem, a place where huge crowds could see him, and a way of proclaiming his mission that was unmistakable. On Palm Sunday we celebrate Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem as Lord of lords and King of Peace.
It was all in our Sovereign Lord’s almighty hands! Nothing was amiss. There were no blanks left to fill in. No one else held the reigns. This was all going down according to God’s perfect and holy will!
Jesus was not misled – He knew His destination. No one was forcing His hand. Throughout every single moment in this up-and-coming week, it was all according to a plan that was set in motion before the very creation of the world.
Humanity had rebelled. We had taken control of our lives, yanking them from the grip of our loving Heavenly Father. But God knew what we would do before any one of us had inhaled our first breath. He set into motion our only possibility of salvation…all because He loved us and sought to redeem us, no matter the cost!
Lord Jesus, may I trust in Your control and worry about none other. Your love for me is unfathomable! May I trust in that and that alone! Amen.
Aug 15th, 2021, Sun, 6:42 pm
