IDOK DEVOTION FOR TUESDAY, JANUARY 12, 2010
Up A Tree
Luke 19:1-10 (New King James Version) [source]
1 Then Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. 2 Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. 3 And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature.
Sometimes measuring up is just so hard. Measuring up to other people’s expectations. Sometimes we even take on other’s expectations of us and we feel even shorter, don’t we? I do. I compare me to others and most often I see me as too short. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree I wonder what our sycamore trees look like today. What do we do to make ourselves feel ‘taller’? What do we do to feel like we measure up? to see Him, for He was going to pass that way. 5 And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, Can you imagine? Wonder what Zacchaeus was thinking. Did he climb the tree to see and not be seen? And if he did, did he feel like he had been found out? Was he relieved? Did he still feel too short or did he feel like he had just instantly grown 2 feet when his eyes met Jesus’ eyes?and said to him, “Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house.” 6 So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully.Looks like there’s our answer – he received Him joyfully. Can you imagine Zacchaeus coming down out of that tree and leading Jesus to his house? Wonder if he thought about whether or not his bed was made that morning – and what the rest of his house looked like? Probably not; but I might have. 7 But when they saw it, they all complained, saying, “He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner.” Praise ABBA that Jesus comes to sinners! How sad ‘they’ didn’t know they were ‘too short’ too. 8 Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold.” Oh yes I would say Zacchaeus received Jesus that day and not just as a guest but as a ‘Permanent Resident’! 9 And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; 10 for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” Oh, the beauty of knowing we are too short – that is if knowing we are too short sends us up THE TREE, straight to Jesus and there we receive and believe His good news – that Salvation is ours in Him and Him alone! Not only our salvation from eternal damnation but from condemning ourselves day after day too.
Romans 8: (New King James Version) 1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. [source]
Thank You, ABBA, You knew I needed that and maybe I am not the only one. Maybe others have Monday mornings when they feel too short and condemned too. Thank You that in You, none of us are too short or condemned, and we have Your Word on it. And thank You that more and more we are standing on Your Word; standing and believing. I pray for all our IDOKs and Readers, You have given me so many wonderful Sisters and Brothers on the other side of this screen. I don’t see their faces, but You do. Even in this very moment You see them, You see their joys and their sorrows and You have the answers, You have the solution to every problem, You have the provision for every need and You are right there and right here to answer and give and provide it all. And so I pray it will be so experimentally for each of them and me too. I pray it will be so for our IDOK Troops too and their families and not only these but all who are spoken here today – every face, every heart – be open before You for every little detail You want to perfect in our needy souls for Jesus’ Name sake. Amen and amen.
Kathie
The White Stone 