When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:
"Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!"
"Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!"
Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples!"
"I tell you," he replied, "if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out."
As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, "If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God's coming to you." (Luke 19:37-44)
"Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!"
"Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!"
Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples!"
"I tell you," he replied, "if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out."
As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, "If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God's coming to you." (Luke 19:37-44)
I remembered this passage during our practice last night for the APAW this coming Sunday. It doesn't matter how skilled we do our thing, for this is not what the Lord really looks at. He looks at the heart. Never restrain yourself from giving glory to God because you are "just youth" indeed as Jesus said, if we stop, "stones will cry out." We have to recognize God's heart and let our hearts align with His. For when this happens, greater things happen. "Recognize the time of God's coming to you."
Today I am really amazed at the prophet Jeremiah as I read Lamentations how despite his depression and utter sadness in the first 2 chapters he still manages to keep straight and without blemish his perspective on God:
I am the man who has seen afflictionLord, uncloud my eyes that I may watch your faithfulness prove itself pure in the midst of testing. You are my inheritance and I will ask no more. I know you are faithful to save those whose hope is in you.
Because of the rod of His wrath.
Remember my affliction and my wandering, the wormwood and bitterness.
Surely my soul remembers
And is bowed down within me.
This I recall to my mind,
Therefore I have hope.
The LORD'S lovingkindnesses indeed never cease,
For His compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.
"The LORD is my portion," says my soul,
"Therefore I have hope in Him."
The LORD is good to those who wait for Him,
To the person who seeks Him.
It is good that he waits silently
For the salvation of the LORD. (Lamentations 3)
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