ONLY A DONKEY
The donkey awakened, his mind still savoring the afterglow of the most exciting day of his life. Never before had he felt such a rush of pleasure and pride.

He walked into town and found a group of people by the well. "I’ll show myself to them," he thought.

But they didn’t notice him. They went on drawing their water and paid him no mind.

"Throw your garments down," he said crossly. "Don’t you know who I am?"

They just looked at him in amazement. Someone slapped him across the tail and ordered him to move.

"Miserable heathens!" he muttered to himself. "I’ll just go to the market where the good people are. They will remember me."

But the same thing happened. No one paid any attention to the donkey as he strutted down the main street in front of the market place.

"The palm branches! Where are the palm branches!" he shouted.

"Yesterday, you threw palm branches!"

Hurt and confused, the donkey returned home to his mother.

"Foolish child," she said gently. "Don’t you realize that without Him, you are just an ordinary donkey?"

Just like the donkey who carried Jesus in Jerusalem, we are most fulfilled when we are in the service of Jesus Christ. Without him, all our best efforts are like "filthy rags" (Isaiah 64:6) and amount to nothing. When we lift up Christ, however, we are no longer ordinary people, but key players in God’s plan to redeem the world.

picture courtesy images.google.com & story courtesy & edited from Hot Illustrations for Youth Talks by Wayne Rice.  1994 by Youth Specialties, Inc.

Zion's Coming King

⁹Rejoice greatly, O people of Zion! Shout in triumph, O people of Jerusalem! Look, your king is coming to you. He is righteous and victorious, yet he is humble, riding on a donkey--even on a donkey's colt.

The Triumphal Entry
¹As Jesus and the disciples approached Jerusalem, they came to the town of Bethphage on the Mount of Olives. Jesus sent two of them on ahead. ²"Go into the village over there," he said, "and you will see a donkey tied there, with its colt beside it. Untie them and bring them here. ³If anyone asks what you are doing, just say, `The Lord needs them,' and he will immediately send them." <sup>4</sup>This was done to fulfill the prophecy,
      <sup>5</sup>"Tell the people of Israel,
            `Look, your King is coming to you.
      He is humble, riding on a donkey--
            even on a donkey's colt.'"
    ⁶The two disciples did as Jesus said. ⁷They brought the animals to him and threw their garments over the colt, and he sat on it. ⁸Most of the crowd spread their coats on the road ahead of Jesus, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. ⁹He was in the center of the procession, and the crowds all around him were shouting,
      "Praise God for the Son of David!
      Bless the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
      Praise God in highest heaven!"
    ¹⁰The entire city of Jerusalem was stirred as he entered. "Who is this?" they asked. ¹¹And the crowds replied, "It's Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee."

Consider the details of the story.  As Jesus and His disciples approached Jerusalem, He actually sent two of them ahead telling them that they would find a specific donkey for Him to ride.  WHAT DOES THIS TELL YOU ABOUT JESUS' POWER TO CONTROL CIRCUMSTANCES AND DETAILS?  HOW CAN YOU APPLY THIS TO CHRIST'S IMPACT ON YOUR DAILY LIFE?

Think about the fact that Jesus knew that the disciples would be questioned about their "donkey recruiting" and they would be given the OK by just saying, 'The Lord needs them'.  HOW CAN YOU APPLY THE FACT THAT JESUS USES ORDINARY PEOPLE (AND EVEN AN ANIMAL) TO ACCOMPLISH HIS EXTRAORDINARY PURPOSES?

Remember that without Jesus, we're just ordinary.  But when we serve the humble King of Kings, He uses us to help build His Kingdom in extraordinary ways.

• Pray every day that Jesus will lead you to do "ordinary" acts of service for His extraordinary purposes.
• Keep a written list of how God gives you opportunities to be a "donkey".  As you serve in different ways, write down what God is teaching you.
• If you're making Easter cookies this week, forget the bunnies and baby chicks.  Make some mules!

Daily Devos is published Monday through Friday. Archives can be found at YFC.ORG.  Its purpose is to help you apply truths from God's Word every day.

Our writer, Byron Emmert, has been involved with Youth For Christ for 30 years. He's served as Campus Life Staff, as a writer, and in leadership for the DCLA Conferences. Byron is married to Linda and their family includes two married sons and daughters-in-law, and a daughter in college.  He loves sports, deep dish pizza, and spending time with his family.