Daily Delight
Maybe you remember the children’s song about Zacchaeus– the one that called him a “wee little man.” We remember Zacchaeus for his small stature and, of course, the fact that he climbed a tree to see Jesus! However, it’s not Zacchaeus’ height that stood out to Jesus; it’s his joyful response that He noticed.In Luke 19, we see that a crowd followed Jesus around in Jericho. Being short, Zacchaeus ran ahead of the crowd and climbed a sycamore tree to be able to view Him. And out of the multitudes of people, Jesus called out to Zacchaeus, asking to stay at his house.During Jesus’ time, this would have been unusual! Zacchaeus was a tax collector and tax collectors were known for their deceptiveness. Yet still, Jesus asked to stay with him. What an honor, to be chosen by Jesus! Zacchaeus, who knew he was not worthy, was thrilled by the invitation.Immediately he declared to Jesus that he would give half of his goods to the poor. He said that he would restore to those he deceived four times the amount he received through fraud. (Luke 19:8) His joy resulted in repentance.Just as Jesus called out to Zacchaeus, He is also calling out to us! He is asking for a place in our hearts.Sisters, how we respond to Jesus?It is not always easy to hear that there is sin in our lives, but just like Zacchaeus, we are human. We make mistakes. We sometimes make choices that are not pleasing to God. However, Jesus never forces us to change. He never demands that we repent. Jesus invites us to salvation, to repentance, and to freedom. It is up to us to decide how to respond.When Jesus invites you to repent, will you answer joyfully? When Jesus invites you to change your heart, will you accept? I pray that today you will hurriedly and joyfully respond to Jesus’ invitation with a heartfelt “Yes!”
About the Author
Kirsten Fernandes
