John 12:12-16 NIV — from biblegateway.com
Jesus Comes to Jerusalem as King
12 The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. 13 They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting,
“Hosanna![a]”
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”[b]
“Blessed is the king of Israel!”
14 Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, as it is written:
15 “Do not be afraid, Daughter Zion;
see, your king is coming,
seated on a donkey’s colt.”[c]
16 At first his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that these things had been done to him.
But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
Psalms 36:5-7 NIV — from bible.com
Your love, LORD, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies. Your righteousness is like the highest mountains, your justice like the great deep. You, LORD, preserve both people and animals. How priceless is your unfailing love, O God! People take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
Luke 5:31-32 — from bible.com
“Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.””
Luke 5:31-32 NIV
From DSC:
LORD, thank you for your grace, patience, and love.
Psalms 34:18 NIV — from bible.com
The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
.
Psalms 34:8 NIV — from bible.com
Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.
When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy on me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD.” And you forgave the guilt of my sin.
From DSC:
I’m very grateful for the LORD’s grace, forgiveness, love/friendship, faithfulness, mercy, wisdom, guidance, and patience. Thank you LORD! And thank you for being *active* in my life. As you know, I need that.
It’s taken me years…no…decades to better understand and connect my mind and my heart with some of these things. For example, I used to see the LORD as a toe-tapping heavenly Being…looking down scornfully at me from above and saying, “Get your *(&^ together Daniel!” For years, I didn’t see Him as being on my team.
As my spiritual journey continued — and after many years, trials, and failures had passed — I came to see that He actually WAS on my team. I had had an incorrect view of Him.
Over time, his toe stopped tapping in my mind. I discovered that He did want what was best for me. At times, my trust levels weren’t what I thought they were. By demonstrating His faithfulness, my trust levels have risen. Thanks again LORD.
I realize that I still have a long ways to go yet.
Deuteronomy 7:9 — from biblegateway.com
Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments.
Leviticus 19:35-36 NIV — from bible.com
Do not use dishonest standards when measuring length, weight or quantity. Use honest scales and honest weights, an honest ephah and an honest hin. I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt.
Joshua 1:9 — from biblegateway.com
9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
From DSC:
For me, “being with you” isn’t enough — at least in the sense of how I’ve historically thought about that phrase. As the years went by, I needed the LORD to be ACTIVELY with me. Taking action, not just watching. Participating, not just observing.
The older I’ve gotten, the more I realize that the LORD is very active in my/our lives. In fact, I think that if we knew the extent of His activities, our minds would likely be blown.
That doesn’t address all of the “but why?” questions I and others have. But I appreciate the LORD being active. I need Him to be active. And I think that He expects me to be active in return — to make use of the talents/gifts that He gave to me. These days, I’m trying to figure out what that next chapter looks like for my family and me.
10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.