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Today: Psalms 28; Mark 11:1-25; Leviticus 7:11-38; Leviticus 8
Psalm 28
Sometimes we get so weary of waiting for justice. All around us we see wickedness appear to be rewarded. We are surrounded by “those who practice injustice, who speak peace with their neighbors, while evil is in their hearts.” (v.3) Sometimes it seems like God is silent and far away. This is how David felt as he began Psalm 28, as he begged God to “hear the sound of my pleadings when I cry to You for help…” (v.2)
David was feeling alone and overwhelmed and he cried out to God. I visualize David on his knees, hands raised toward God’s holy sanctuary, in the first five verses. As I begin verse 6, I see David stand resolutely to his feet as he loudly declares “Blessed be the LORD!” Even during those inevitable times when it feels as if God has abandoned us, by faith we can declare with David that “He has heard the sound of my pleading.” (v.6) Though it often seems that evil prevails, even still “the LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped; therefore my heart triumphs, and with my song I shall thank Him.” (v.17) Hallelujah!
Mark 11 – Palm Sunday
Matthew recorded Jesus’ instructions to his disciples to go into a village and get a colt. In Mark we learn that bystanders did ask why they were untying the colt, as Jesus had predicted they might. The disciples answered as Jesus had told them to, “The Lord has need of it.” Just as Jesus had foretold, the disciples were immediately granted permission to take the colt.
And Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, as the people shouted His praises. It must have been a bittersweet moment for Jesus. He knew that many of the people welcoming Him so exuberantly would be shouting for His crucifixion in just a few short days. How quickly people turned against Him when their misplaced expectations were not fulfilled.
Leviticus 8
“…just as the LORD had commanded Moses.”
Seven times in Leviticus 8 we are told that Moses followed the LORD’s commands. The last sentence of almost every paragraph in this chapter ends with “…just as the LORD had commanded Moses.”
These were kind of weird things that God commanded Moses to do… so many little steps, so much blood splashing and smearing. It didn’t make a lot of sense.
But God had a plan. Every piece of it had meaning. Everything was saturated in rich symbolism pointing to the coming Christ.
The most important thing was that Moses obeyed, just as the LORD had commanded. He didn’t argue or say, but why, God? This doesn’t make any sense! He obeyed.
God’s ways are higher than ours. There are so many things we don’t understand. But if we follow Him, we can have faith that He does indeed have a plan, a holy perfect plan, even when we have no clue…
