Do not be terrified, or afraid of them. The Lord your God, who goes before you, He will fight for you. – Deuteronomy 1:29
A take away from the post “Preparing For Action” is to spend time with God in prayer and planning so instructions are given to take on the challenges ahead. Let us write down these plans of action and get started in our walk of faith today.
God is in control so take courage in the fight as we step ahead with boldness because as the song Battle is the Lord’s by Rebecca St. James ft. Brandon Lake points out, we can have confidence because God is by our side and everything will turn out alright.
Today we are reading the record documented in Mark 11:1-11 of Jesus and the twelve disciples entering Jerusalem for the Jewish feast of Passover. Jesus and the disciples reach Bethany and Jesus tells two disciples to go into the village ahead.
Jesus told them they would see a colt outside in the street tied to a doorway. The instructions were to untie the colt and bring it back to their location in Bethany. The two disciples did as Jesus told them to do. They must have been concerned that they would be caught stealing the colt but they acted in faith and their fears subsided.
Bethany is two miles east of Jerusalem so Jesus rode the colt on Palm Sunday into Jerusalem. It took a lot of courage for Jesus to come into Jerusalem knowing about the sufferings he would endure over the next week.
When Jesus got to Jerusalem, he went to the temple courts to look around to prepare for the week ahead. He knew what he had to endure leading up to and during the crucifixion. After His time of preparation, it was getting late so He went back to Bethany at the Mount of Olives to be with the twelve disciples.
This day with God, let us prepare to take action. Let us spend time planning to gain spiritual assets rather than the accumulation of material assets. Let us rely on the instructions given in the word of God as our guide, write down the plans of action, and take courage as we step ahead with boldness knowing that God is by our side.
This day with You Lord, we pray for the type of courage that Jesus displayed the week leading up to crucifixion. This type of courage enables us to turn what is ordinary into something extraordinary. There is peace in Your presence because we give You full control, the battle is in Your hands, and we will courageously step ahead to face this day with confidence.
Victory starts by having a plan. By accepting God’s plan for us, all we need to do is follow and believe He will provide the power. He will give the upper hand to make what seems impossible possible.
Looking forward to the week ahead, below are some questions for reflection as the journey continues through the book of Mark
Mark 11:1-11 – *What Jewish feast is being observed? In what ways do the disciples act in faith when they follow the instructions given to them by Jesus? What does Jesus do when he gets to Jerusalem?
Mark 11:12-25 – *For what reason does Jesus perpetuate the state in which he finds the fig tree? According to Jesus, what is the purpose of the temple? Why does the action of Jesus within the temple courts bring fear to the priests and scribes? In what ways does Jesus use the fig tree to illustrate prayer?
Below is a link of the index to all previous devotionals so you can go at your own pace or use this as a resource in your own writing.
Like and share so more will be notified. Also, feel free to respond with a short note or a comment about any of the questions above. I welcome any other thoughts or ideas, favorite inspirational videos, photos, or favorite Bible verses. Just add them to the comments or to a Facebook page I’ve set up at this link: This Day With God.
*Adeney, Carol. This Morning with God: A Daily Study Guide to the Entire Bible. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1978. Print.
I hope it has been a great week for you my friends. In my part of the world, there are beginning to be hints of spring as the days get warmer, flowers begin to bloom, and trees begin to grow leaves.
We’ve had a lot of difficulties recently with winter storms along with the pandemic so spring this year seems to have a more important meaning for us. We live in an imperfect world but as brought out in the post “A Perfect Place”, God has a reward for us beyond what we could imagine.
We need this enthusiasm for new beginnings so we can make our current situation “A Better Place” which was a post shared earlier this week. Keep up with my spiritual journey or check in from time to time as we step ahead through God’s Word.
Good qualities originate in God, are implemented with study and prayer, and grow in the heart. They become unseen power that energizes us toward tangible actions.
This Day With God - A Spiritual Journey 