Daliy Devo- Luke19:1-10 Do You Need To Climb Up or Down A Tree?

Luke 19:1-10

19:1 He entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 And there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich. 3 And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small of stature. 4 So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way. 5 And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully. 7 And when they saw it, they all grumbled, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.” 8 And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.” 9 And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” (ESV)

Lord as I read this read this account of Zacchaeus in Your word, I read it today not as a children's story to be told to a Sunday school class, but as an adult who needs to hear what You want  heard today.

I feel like Zacchaeus in a way. I'm climbing high up here to look into your word because I feel very small compared to it. This is what I see. I see a man who had heard about you. A small, hated man. I know he is small because your  word says he is. I know he is hated because he is a tax collector. We don't even like our present day IRS agents so I know he wasn't liked. But I see a man who desperately wanted to see YOU.

Jesus knew Zacchaeus was looking for him. And Jesus knew this man's heart well enough to invite himself over to dinner. The small, hated, sinner, is the one out of that entire crowd that Jesus wants to spend time with. Zacchaeus didn't hesitate. He JOYFULLY received Jesus. And he immediately repented of the wrong doing he had done. And Jesus' response? He immediately forgave him.

Why oh Lord did You not execute justice for all the wrong he had done to people? Why did You not just cause him to fall out of the tree and die? Why did You not publicly rebuke and humiliate him? That's what those grumblers in the crowd were waiting for. They were not happy that You chose to forgive and spend time with that sinner.

Why?

Verse 10, in Your words Lord, tells it all.
For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.

Help me to be like Zacchaeus. Seeking out You. Seeing You. Choosing to repent when You show me I have done wrong. Accepting Your forgiveness that is Your alone to give. And above all, let me never be a grumbler in the crowd when someone else does those as well. After all, You died and rose for this very thing.

Today:

I will climb whatever tree I need to,so I can see you. The tree of Your word.

I will climb down out of the tree I am in to joyfully receive You.

The tree of my sin.

The tree of my pride.

The tree of lies that You will not forgive.

I will climb, then I will chase after your heart!

Chasing After Their Hearts,

Glenda Johnson