ESOCS Devotional 27 February 2024 – The Lord Has Need of You
MEMORY VERSE: “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them.”Matthew 21:2-3
TEXT: 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.
Read Other ESOCS Devotional here
In Jesus’ time, a donkey was a valuable possession for the ordinary middle-class family. On the day of His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, Jesus instructed His disciples to go into the city, untie a colt from its post outside a certain house and then bring it to Him for His use. The only explanation that the disciples were to give to the owner was that “the Lord has need of them.”
Many people, much like the untied donkey, feel as though they have come to the end of the road, waiting. Never really discovering what for. I have found it even more common for those of us in our late forties, fifties, sixties, and seventies to play the conversations over and over asking ourselves, “What’s next? What now?” As people who have absorbed life’s blows, endured the wounds of failure, enjoyed our accomplishments and relished in our successes, we find that we still wonder. We converse with friends, we seek counsel, we pray and we search for that which matters. We long to know about our significance. If this is you, I have good news for you!
Allow me to pose these questions: Are there ropes holding you back, keeping you from knowing which direction to take? Are there ropes that keep you stuck? Have you accepted the lie, agreed with the argument that life is over and there is nothing left? Do you hear the whisper, “I’m too old, too much time has been lost”? Do you wonder where to start? Do thoughts of starting over overwhelm you?
Jesus knows this, He comes to untie the ropes that are holding you back, to break every yoke, and to declare to you that your life is not over. There is still much to be done. The Lord has need of you! He is in the business of untying donkeys of breaking people free from that which holds them back. You were not created to stay tied up on the post of the city gate. If you feel ordinary and insignificant, I submit to you that He uses ordinary people, strengthening them in the significance of relationship with Him all for the advancement of His kingdom.
- The Lord is still in the work of making you to experience His goodness in life. Just be patience and very soon, He will untie all restrictions against your life.
- Lord, please lose me from all bandages in my life, in Jesus name.
Further Reading: 1 Samuel 17:26-50; Jeremiah 10:11-16; James 1:12
ESOCS Devotional 27 February 2024
