Triumphant, yet, humble

Rejoice, O people of Zion! Shout in triumph, O people of Jerusalem! Look, your king is coming to you. He is righteous and victorious, yet he is humble, riding on a donkey— riding on a donkey’s colt. ~ Zechariah 9:9 (NLT)

That is what the Son of Man has done: He came to serve, not be served—and then to give away his life in exchange for the many who are held hostage. ~ Matthew 20:28 (MSG)

KEY IDEA:

The Lord Jesus is our powerful yet humble Savior.

PRAYER:

Thank you, Lord Jesus, for the sacrifice that rescues us from the forces of evil. That is so mind-boggling -- that you could accomplish all that without the use of force or coersion. I admit that I too often admire and try to imitate the powerful people of the world -- those who seek to get what they understand to be good results through the use of power and control. Guide me deeper into your military strategy so that I can admire and imitate you. Amen.

Trust him forward!

The Tenth Sunday after Pentecost

Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and he will help you. ~ Psalm 37:5 (NLT) 

I am 100% certain of this -- God won't leave you hanging. He is going to finish what he started and on the day when Christ Jesus has the grand opening for his kingdom y'all will already be looking a lot like him -- so good! ~ Philippians 1:6 (ABP)

KEY IDEA:

Trust Christ to get you to where you need to be.

PRAYER:

Dear God, thank you for holding my hand along the way. I pull away sometimes because I'm immature and impulsive. Fortunately, I haven't hurt myself so much that I'm beyond repair. You still want to lead me and I still want you to lead me. My goal is to live from this day forward as a mature, convinced, and convincing follower of Christ Jesus 100% of the time -- even before the day of Christ. Amen.

Resisting the "demons"

This is what the Lord, the Hebrews’ God, says: How long will you refuse to respect me? ~ Exodus 10:3 (CEB)

Therefore, submit to God. Resist the devil, and he will run away from you. ~ James 4:7 (CEB)

KEY IDEA:

The key to success is to respect God and live under his instruction.

PRAYER:

God, I feel powerless over the "demons'' which have so much influence over the way I think and act. I feel like I need to chase them away before I can turn to you. But I now understand that things work the opposite way -- that as I submit to you the demons will flee. Help me to keep my focus on you. I am expecting that the resistance will be successful in Jesus' name. Amen.

The Lord knows and cares

I, the Lord, will care for that vineyard; I will water it at the right time. No one will hurt it, because I will guard it day and night. ~ Isaiah 27:3 (NCV)

God’s truth stands firm like a foundation stone with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and “All who belong to the Lord must turn away from evil.” ~ 2 Timothy 2:19 (NLT)

KEY IDEA:

The Lord knows and cares for his people.

PRAYER:

Dear Lord God, I appreciate it that you have initiated our relationship. It is not something I've had to make happen. From the beginning, it has all been you and your grace. You know me and you care about me even though I get distracted by less important or even sinful matters. Help me to remain mindful of our relationship on a moment to moment basis. I am going to live boldly under your watchful eye. Amen.