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Jesus decided to use one particular donkey, he knew where it was, he sent two disciples to untie it and bring it to him, and he even told them what to say to its owners. Mind you, the disciples didn’t know the owners; in fact, they could have been accused of trying to steal that donkey, because when they found it, they simply started untying it, evidently without asking permission. When the owners asked what they were doing, they replied that Jesus needed it and without any further discussion, that donkey was taken for Jesus to ride on.
As I read this story, I thought, “What do I have tied up that the Lord wants to use?” I think many times we’ve got resources and abilities God would use in his service, but they’re all tied up. We’re using them for our own selfish purposes, or failing to use them at all perhaps, instead of giving them back to God for his eternal purposes.
Think about your resources. For example, your home or apartment. Is it tied up, or do you use it for the Lord? You may say, “Well, my place is small, and it’s not furnished very well.” Or, “I’m not a great cook and I don’t know how to entertain.” You know, that colt was not first-class transportation. It was humble, but Jesus chose it and rode it at the front of a parade.
God isn’t interested in the size or splendor of your home or your culinary skills. Your home is a resource that can be used to build friendships, to encourage people, to show love and care for others. It can offer shelter for others. It can be a great tool in the hands of the Lord, if it’s not all tied up.
I think of a friend who had a lovely home here in the suburbs of Chicago. She and her husband have no children, but they were always sharing their home with others. I remember once when they kept a teenage boy whose father died and whose mother was hospitalized with serious depression.
Barbara and Roger shared their home with that young boy, giving him love and helping him adjust during that difficult period. That resource—their home—was used for eternal purposes, not just something for them to enjoy.
Is your home untied for Jesus to use?