The Lion on a Donkey: When God Exceeds our Expectations

We often expect power to look a certain way. In our world, we tend to equate strength with visible force, loud authority, or the ability to demand a room’s attention. When we find ourselves in a crisis, we instinctively look for a hero who will step in with overwhelming influence to overrule our problems and provide the immediate, tangible solutions we think we need.

God’s ways of meeting our needs often look nothing like what we expect.

The King We Didn't Ask For

In Luke 19, the crowds lining the road to Jerusalem had a very specific "hero" in mind. They were living under a heavy hand of occupation and were desperate for a leader who would provide a quick, powerful fix to their political and social struggles. They wanted a conqueror.

Instead, they got a King on a borrowed donkey.

It is easy to miss the majesty in that moment because it was wrapped in such deep humility. We often do the same in our own lives. We pray for a specific door to open or a certain problem to vanish, and when God answers with a quiet invitation to trust or a path of humility, it can feel like an unmet expectation. Yet, Jesus wasn't ignoring the people's needs; He was addressing a much deeper problem than the one they were focused on. He wasn't there to change their government; He was there to restore their identity and change their eternity.

By doing this, Jesus moves us out of a mindset of being victims of our circumstances and into the eternal reality of those who live under God’s righteous, just, good and sovereign rule.

The Strength in the Struggle

One of the most human moments in this story is when Jesus stops to weep over the city. Even amidst the cheers of the crowd, His heart breaks because He knows they are looking for a version of peace that cannot last. Is He weeping for you now?

When our expectations aren't met, we often feel like God is distant or indifferent. But the "Weeping Lion" shows us a God who is intimately acquainted with our grief. His strength isn't found in a cold display of power, but in a love so profound that He chose to suffer alongside us. He didn't come to simply overrule our pain with a wave of a hand; He came to transform it by walking through it with us.

Moving Forward When Expectations Aren't Met

If you are wrestling with a "silent" prayer or a life that looks different from what you planned, how do you respond to the King on the donkey?

• Look for the "Deep" Fix: Sometimes God leaves a circumstantial problem in place because He is working on a heart-level transformation that will last much longer than a quick solution.

  
  

• Trust the Character, Not the Calendar: Just because the breakthrough hasn't arrived on your timeline doesn't mean the Lion isn't moving. He is good, even when His methods are mysterious.

  
  

• Embrace the Peace Offered: The crowds wanted a war, but Jesus offered peace. Sometimes our expectations go unmet because God is protecting us from a "victory" that would ultimately leave us empty.

  
  

The King on the donkey is still at work. He may not be the hero you were looking for today, but He is the Savior who exceeds anything any of us could imagine.

This devotional was based on a sermon titled "The Triumphant Roar" (Luke 19:28-44 and Revelation 5:5), preached by Pastor Jeremy Collins of the First Presbyterian Church of Bakerstown. You can listen to the full message here: The Triumphant Roar.