Jesus Enters Jerusalem

"The Lord hath need of him." Upon hearing those words, a certain man long ago immediately released his colt into the care of the disciples. His plans for the colt no longer mattered; in fact, quite likely his ownership of the colt was not a primary concern of his anymore. The important thing was that "the Lord hath need of him."

"The Lord hath need of him." Would such a statement be sufficient to pry loose my stuff from me? I like to think so. And I imagine you feel the same way. But again, it is not the words nor the thoughts nor the feelings that count here so much as the life. I am challenged again to release to the Master's use all that belongs to me.

Stuff. What have you got that the Lord could use? Not much? Hmm. If that is your complaint or your excuse, then you need to remember the story of the steward with just one talent. Then consider this: if you don't allow the Master to use the little you have, very likely you will not allow Him to use any more you might acquire later. So go ahead. Give the Lord free, unlimited access to that lawnmower, that car, that bicycle, that sewing machine, that tape player, that computer, that pen and paper, that book collection, and that whatever-it-is-you-have. "The Lord hath need"!

Time. Time, time, time--always here, always full, always fleeting, never enough. If we just had more time.... Well, my friend, I will let you in on a little secret: you've got time sufficient. The issue really isn't time, but what will you do with it. The Lord could really use your time...to bless and encourage others, to get some church and community jobs done, to benefit your parents and other family members, to commune with you through His Word and prayer, to write notes of encouragement and news, and to do plenty other "timely" things. "The Lord hath need"! Rights. What rights do you claim? The right to have your own job, the right to date, the right to own a car, the right to make your own decisions, the right to comfort and pleasure, the right to travel, the right to go to Bible School, the right to freedom and prosperity--and we could right on, right?! And the Lord wants you to surrender ever single one of those rights to Him. That means never claiming as your own even the possibility of having these. With your rights in His hand, the Lord can put you and use you right where He wishes. "The Lord hath need"!

Skills. God has given us or has helped us acquire skills. And as you mature further, those skills will most likely increase in number and perfection. Most people naturally use their skills mostly to benefit Me Truly. What a waste! Don't be one of those. I doubt if you have to look very diligently before finding at least five opportunities for putting your skills to work profiting others. "The Lord hath need"!

Now think about this: "Hosanna; Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord: Blessed be the kingdom of our father David, that cometh in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest." These were the cries of the crowd as they witnessed Jesus using that man's property. I believe that yielding our stuff to the Lord's use will always bring praise and exaltation to the Lord.

Stuff, time, rights, skills--can you really believe that "the Lord hath need" of yours?! Meditate on this old song, slightly modified: "Give of your best to the Master. Give him yourself in your youth."

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