The Turn Of The Road.

Isaiah 50:4-9

We are walking in today: The Turn Of The Road.

Isaiah 50:4-9 4) The Lord GOD hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned. 5) The Lord GOD hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back. 6) I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting. 7) For the Lord GOD will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed. 8) He is near that justifieth me; who will contend with me? let us stand together: who is mine adversary? let him come near to me. 9) Behold, the Lord GOD will help me; who is he that shall condemn me? lo, they all shall wax old as a garment; the moth shall eat them up. Have you ever driven down a road thinking you were heading in the right direction only to wind up some place else? I am so bad at directions--my problem is that I think that the road I am taking is in one direction--when in reality I was going some place else. That brings us to Palm Sunday. We know that story so well that it is easy for us to think just like those in Jerusalem that day, that Palm Sunday is taking us some place else. When in reality we are on a different road. A road we might not choose, a road we had not planned on, a road we don't welcome. The crowds that day, when Jesus road into Jerusalem, were ready for change. The oppression of the Roman empire laid heavy on them. The Egyptian captivity from which their forefathers had been delivered, and it was passover week after all. Emotions were running high--plans were being made to gather in homes and rent homes to share a meal--it was the same hope of freedom. That the crowd in Jerusalem invested in Jesus that day. Jesus came in that day, riding to the rescue. It was not the first time, the crowd searched for a leader and it would not be the last. But Jesus seemed different a mystic and yet a mystic who stayed with the common man, ate with the tax collectors, forgave women of poor reputation, played with children and taught vast crowds that came out to hear Him. So on that Sunday morning when Jesus came in riding on a donkey, the symbol of the triumphant king who brought peace to those in Jerusalem took up the chance. Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna! Take a look at the definition of hosanna--save now! or save, we beseech, (Matt. 21:9); save I pray thee; keep; preserve; "Save, we pray!" the cry of the multitudes as they thronged in our Lord's triumphal procession into Jerusalem. (Matthew 21:9,15; Mark 11:9,10; John 12:13) The Psalm from which it was taken, the 118th, was one with which they were familiar from being accustomed to recite the 25th and 26th verses at the feast of tabernacles. Hosanna is also propitious, favorably disposed : benevolent, tending to favor, advantageous. A different road, a different destination. But the road on Palm Sunday was not the road to freedom. It was not the road to sacrifice, not the road to power. It was the road to humility. It was not the road to fame. It was the road to death. It was not the road that the crowds thought it was--the road that God had planned. In our celebration of the wonder of Palm Sunday--we forget that only a few short days later, Jesus would be betrayed, arrested, tried, abandoned, whipped, spat upon, slapped, have His beard torn out, be scorched, tortured with a crown of thorns, mocked, ridiculed and ultimately killed. The same crowed that sung hosannas at His arrival will shout for Pontius Pilate to release Barnabas and to put Jesus to death. This road has taken a different turn. It has lead to a different destination. Isaiah in our passage today--writes perhaps 600 years before Jesus, yet Isaiah's words are both prophetic and descriptive. Isaiah paints the portrait of the suffering servant as one who's back will be beaten--His beard plucked out, who's face would be spat upon and who will be mocked--all of those things happened to Jesus. All of that and more and why? Because the road that Jesus trot was the same road He had always walked, it was the road to humility, of love, of patience, of hope, of encouragement, it was the way of salvation, not the way of an empire. It was the way of the kingdom, not of the king. It was the road to the glory, not to government. It was the way of righteousness, not of wrong. The weary and turned away in their confusion, anger and fear those on Sunday who had welcomed Jesus as their new Messiah to be, by Friday had turned on Him. Weary of disappointment, weary of themselves, and weary of their lives and being so tired of all that they could not control, they cried out for vengeance that they could control. If Jesus would not be their king, then let's be rid of Him, they said. But Isaiah had written 6 centuries before that, this servant of God knew the word that sustains the weary. The word was come unto Me, all that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. And so when the road in Jerusalem changed from triumph to torture, Jesus stayed on it. When the shouting of the crowds moved from joy to judgement--Jesus stayed on it. When the mood of the multitude switched from adoration to accusation, Jesus didn't flinch--when the road became rough, steep and lonely, Jesus kept on going. And though the weary turned away, Jesus did not. His word will sustain the weary and give rest to the restless. Provide peace to the strive torn. His word was His life, His journey, His sacrifice, His violent death, His sinless life, His self giving love that is the road of this week. A road that takes us to where Jesus has been. A road that leads to the cross.

I don't know about you but some times there is a turn in the road. When you are at the alter with your spouse, and the honeymoon has begun. Then there is a turn in the road, don't give up just trust God. If Jesus has stopped, and He could have. We all have a turn in the road, in our marriages, on our jobs, in our finances, in our health. God will and can deliver us! What do you do when there is a turn in the road.? Call on Jesus, He came to restore us. Letting us know that God's grace is sufficient. That He will never leave nor forsake us! A turn in a road, thou He slays me, yet will I trust Him. Hold on like never before! God will not and does not lie! The devil comes to steal, kill and destroy! We shall reap the harvest if we faint not! We are to endure until the end. Put on the whole armor of God. The turn in the road, hold on and keep pressing when there is a turn in the road. Jesus rides into praise later, the same crowd cries out to crucify Him. Fiveamprayer, we have to get up and give Him some praise!! To God be the glory! Every turn in the road hidden to us, is already prepared for by God. God is with us--we shall fear no evil! He is with us, though we are in the valley, our Shepherd is with us! He has given us a spirit of power, love and a sound mind. Joy of the Lord is our strength. Keep on walking, trusting and pressing in. Turn in the road, that you didn't plan on but God! Trust Him, He knows plans that He has for us. His grace is sufficient for your turn in the road! We are to line up and keep walking in His word. So many of us are suffering with this turn in the road. We serve a God who has the power to resurrect. We lift up prayer requests those known and unknown--we lift up fiveamprayer for healing, reconciliation, in marriages, in your singleness for a godly mate. He is Jehovah Jireh in our finances, He sits high and looks low. We repent for wanting to give up, and saying forget it. Give us the strength to continue. He is the way--He orders our steps in His word. Thank You Lord! Thank You for the turn in the road. All honor, glory and praise to Your name! It is through Him that we can do all things! Our God makes us better, wiser and stronger! This turn in the road in for our good. It just gets gooder and gooder with every turn.

We seal this prayer in His precious blood, by His Spirit: Genesis32:24-26 24) And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day. 25) And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him. 26) And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.

Welcome to the overflow...

There is a turn in the road, that You would bless us indeed! Shout victory right now!! God is bringing us out! He is on our side! He is the King of kings and the Lord of lords. My soul cries holy! Thank You God for this Palm Sunday weekend. Thank you for this turn in the road. Hallelujah is the highest praise! Thank You God! Thank You God! Think about it, every turn in the road He has kept you in perfect peace. A turn in the road is all that it is. Keep on walking it out. You know what what God has told you--keep on with what God told you. We serve a God who delivers, more than we could ask or think! Thank You Lord! If we had 10,000 tongues we could not thank you enough, for riding in on that donkey on that Palm Sunday. To be our Mediator! Hallelujah! Praise Him! Fiveamprayer praise Him like never before! Thank You for this turn in the road! God knows the plans that He has for you. Bless the Lord in your turn in the road. That unexpected thing that happened. God knew all about it. He knows His plans that He has for you--you are not without covering! You are covered through it all! He is a shelter in a time of storm. Visit us on facebook, it will encourage you! Our Savior is coming in riding a donkey, He came that we would have life and that more abundantly! Worship Him for the turn in the road. Walk in this weekend meditation! Have a supernatural weekend! Thank You Jesus, have a blessed day!