Palm Sunday Joy - Then Came . . .

"And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me." Luke 22:19

Last Sunday, we shouted with the followers in Jerusalem, "Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!"

Then came Maundy Thursday and the Last Supper of our Lord. Jesus knew what was to come and He willingly gave up His own body to be broken and he ultimately died for each of us. Later, what would you have done when the guards came to the Mount of Olives to take Him away while He prayed? Would you have shouted with joy, "Blessed is the name of Jesus?" Or, would you have slipped away into the night and disavowed your relationship to Him? I know what I would like to believe I would do. But, what we do in our hour of trauma is sometimes unpredictable.

Let us pray that we will always claim the name of Jesus; that we will always stand up for Him and proclaim our love for Him, just as He did for us. Let this Maundy Thursday be a day when we take in the body and blood of Jesus Christ so that we become Christlike. May Good Friday be the day we stand at the foot of the cross and wait with Him, rather than run away. Let Sunday, Easter morning, be the day when we KNOW that He has risen from the dead, and because He lives, we too will live. Let us pray:

"Holy Father, Papa God, we bow before your precious name. May your kingdom of love and light come to our hurting world this Easter season. Sometimes, we have not spoken up when others have taken your name and trampled it under their feet. Instead, we maintain peace, rather than saying, "Yes, I believe." All believers around the world, know your blessings of love and forgiveness. May this be the time when we acknowledge you before others and tell them of the peace you have brought to our lives - all because of Christ. In the name of Jesus, your son and our Savior, we pray. Amen"

Doris
"God gives us stories that testify to His love. Let me tell you mine."
Copyright 2014 Doris Gaines Rapp

Website: www.dorisgainesrapp.com