How Quickly We Turn

“Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” Luke 19:38

These were the words of a patriotic crowd in Jerusalem just a week before Jesus was crucified. Unfortunately, they were sadly mistaken about Jesus' mission here. They thought he came to free the Israelites from the rule of the oppressive Roman empire. But, his mission was far greater than that. He came to free mankind from the tyranny of sin. He came to restore us to right standing with God. Jesus' willing sacrifice on the cross to die for our sins opened the door for anyone who believes in him and receives him as their Lord and Savior to enjoy a blessed life and eternity in Heaven after we leave this planet.

The amped-up crowd in Jerusalem that day were sorely disappointed that Jesus was not who they thought he was and did not do what they thought he would. For in just a few days, they were shouting, "Crucify him. Crucify him!"

We might shake our heads at the way they so quickly went from worshiping Jesus to condemning him, but let's stop and think for a moment.

Have you ever assumed that Jesus (God) would do something in your life, only to be disappointed that he didn't act the way you thought he would or should? How did that affect your attitude toward Him?

Here's the truth - God has a wonderful plan for our lives. He is not at our beck and call like some genie that is required to do our bidding. The issue is not his failure, but our unrealistic or misinformed understanding of who he is and what he wants to do in our lives, which is to make us one of his family and to transform our sinful nature until it matches the sinless nature of Jesus Christ.

This happens naturally as we lean into his word, into prayer and into obedience to his directions. These daily practices will  allow that transformation to take place. It's an ongoing process, which will only be fully achieved when we finally go to be with him. In the meantime, we live under the blessings of our relationship with God - never alone, because he has promised never to leave us or forsake us.

So, the next time God doesn't act the way we think he should, let's recall that he is God and will do what's best for us. 

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