How well do you follow instructions? Do you listen for all the instructions to be given? Or do you assume you know what is going to be said and head off on a task before receiving all the instructions? Do you recognize the moment? Or does it take someone to point it out to you?
Following instructions can be a tricky at times. This is especially true if we do not wait to hear the full set of instructions. Sometimes we hear the first bit of the instruction and think we know what the full instruction will be. We may be correct sometimes, and yet there will inevitably be times when we are not.
The disciples listened to Jesus’ entire set of instructions. I’m sure they wondered how Jesus could give them such a strange command. In their case, they had been with Him long enough, seen enough of His miracles, and heard enough of His lessons to know to listen to Him. So, despite the strangeness of it, they followed His instruction just as He said. They brought the donkey and the colt to Him. They put their cloaks on them and Jesus got on board.
If we are lucky, we may have someone in our life whom we can trust implicitly. If we do, we follow their instruction, even if they sometimes seem weird, out of place, or incorrect. If the person we trust is worth our trust, the instruction will turn out perfect for the situation. However, it may take some time to see just how perfect the guidance was.
Recognizing the moment, the disciples not only put their cloaks on the donkey, but they also started putting them down on the ground. Other disciples put theirs down, and those that didn’t have a cloak put tree branches down. They recognized the moment was divine.
We, too, can recognize those divine moments. We can recognize the moments when something unique and special is happening. When we do, we may feel compelled to do something we would not otherwise do, just as the disciples did. If we find ourselves in a situation like that, go with it. God is at work.
I pray we all have someone we can fully trust. I pray we listen carefully and follow their instructions. I pray each one of us recognize those special moments as they come into our lives. Find someone you can trust. Trust in God. Trust in Jesus. Recognize the special moments.
Matthew 21:6-7 The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them; they brought the donkey and the colt, and put their cloaks on them, and he sat on them.
Marty Pressey 