Luke 19:41-44

41As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it 42and said, "If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. 43The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. 44They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God's coming to you."

How many times has Jesus looked at your life, at my life, and lamented the same thing? Think of a disasterous situation you may have let yourself fall into, and imagine Him, knowing what is about to happen, grieving for you, even to tears: "if you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace..."

Now this is a tough question. What are the things we need to know today that will bring us peace? Or stated differently, are there things that we might be ignorant of today, that if we fail to learn soon, could lead to great calamity for us somewhere down the road?

Dear Lord, may we avoid the kind of destruction that Jerusalem faced, that happend because they "did not recognize the time of Your coming to them". May we recognize Your coming to us-- so that we can have the peace that goes with that. We realize that "recognition" is not just acknowledgement but is also an act, an act of obedience to do Your will even when it is difficult. And we know it will be difficult sometimes. In Jesus Name, Amen.