Mark 11:3 "And if any man say unto you, Why do ye this? say ye that the Lord hath need of him; and straightway he will send him hither."
If you look at the context of this verse, you see that Jesus has commanded two of his disciples to go into a village and take a colt that they will find as soon as they enter. Jesus then tells them that the owner will send the colt willingly once they tell him that Jesus needs it. This is the colt that Jesus will ride into Jerusalem during what is known as "The Triumphal Entry".
There are two things I notice the owner of the colt did in this verse:
1. He did not question the Lord's need.
Once he heard that Jesus needed the colt, the owner did not ask questions such as "Does He really need it?", "Well, what does He need it for?", or "Couldn't he find someone else's colt to use?". The owner understood that when the Lord needs something, we must trust that He has a perfect plan and respond in obedience.
2. He responded to the Lord's need immediately.
The verse says that "straightway he will send him hither". The owner did not hesitate to respond to Jesus' need. He didn't wait a little while to see if this was what he really wanted to do. Instead, he jumped at the opportunity to be a part of God's plan. He sent the colt "straightway".
What is Jesus asking of you today? Is there something that he needs from you that you have not surrendered yet? Each day brings new opportunities for obedience. It is up to us to respond immediately and without question. God has a plan to use your sacrifices for His glory. Are you willing?
Have a blessed Holy Week,
Thoughtful devotion — Am I obedient straightway?