They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road. 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.”

When we see a movement of God that just happens out of spontaneity, it is awesome and bewildering all at the same time.

A few years back, when God called me to plan a rally to support our police officers (who were being persecuted in the country by some in power and in the media) I saw him work this way too. God impressed on me that he wanted me to plan a BIG rally. I had never done this before. So I wrestled in prayer with him for a week. He won over my heart and my worries when he placed these words on my mind: “I AM ALL IN!” What position could I present against this stand of God? If God was all in, I would be all in too.

See, I knew intellectually that God loved our police, who place their lives on the line every day. However, from that day forward, he made this “head knowledge” come home for me. He showed me the extent of his love for them. From the day we planned the event until the night we put it on, not a day passed when someone did not do something to help me. I had a person referred to me who volunteered to do the books. A lady who just moved here gave me $1,000. I had speakers fly in from New York and South Carolina for reduced fees, I had sponsors fund over $40,000. Our website was donated and built. Social media and interview support was provided for free.

Everyone I have talked to in the event planning business since that day, tells me that this event should have taken a year to pull off. We did it in 6 weeks.

So the question is: How does this relate to today’s passage?

Well, what I see here is a movement of God among his people to honor Jesus and praise him as King. People spontaneously laid down their jackets to make a path and a seat for him. (They weren’t worried about losing them and having to buy new ones). They waved branches to show his high position and status. They shouted, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Glory in the highest!” “Peace in heaven!” They did this in front of their leaders, the Pharisees, at great peril to their livelihoods. The Pharisees hated Jesus.

When the Pharisees tried to “reign in” the praise given to Jesus, by calling on him to silence the crowd and rebuke them, he told them the truth: If these disciples did not cry out, the very rocks would be compelled to do so. Why is this? Because it was a spontaneous work of God. God’s message would be proclaimed about Jesus and NO EARTHLY FORCE WOULD STOP HIM. If necessary, if no one spoke to honor him … yes, I believe the rocks definitely would have done so.

We know that, in a way, the rocks moved and spoke at Jesus’ crucifixion later in the story, as an earthquake happened right after his death and the curtain into the Holy of Holies was torn. This sign spoke to a new and more direct way to dwell with God, through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

What will it take to be a part of God’s spontaneous movements happening in our world today? What changes in my heart will I make to open wider my spiritual eyes and reduce my pride? I can be humbly patient and wait on God, but then, when prompted by his Spirit — ACT and join him in his work when he moves!

Lord, I pray that you will move in my heart and fill my mind with your truth and goodness and grace! May I be patient to wait on you and quick to join you in your work. Remove any idol or sinful way from me, I pray. May I keep you on the throne of my heart always!