Desperately seeking Jesus…
Good morning, sweet friends!
Guess what?!
“This is the day the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it!” Psalm 118:24
I have this scripture on a tea towel hanging from my oven. I see it every single day.
It is a reminder to my heart that today is a new day and I WILL rejoice and be glad!
Sometimes, we just need little reminders, don’t we? The simplest of things can spark a great amount of JOY.
I want to bring something to your awareness today…
God sees you.
Yes, you.
I was starkly reminded of this as I was reading in the book of Luke this morning, in Chapter 19.
Are you familiar with Zacchaeus?
He was the chief tax collector and very wealthy.
I guess you could say, he was the first “Uncle Sam.”
Many people did not like him due to his greed.
He was looked upon as a “sinner”.
Zach (let’s call him this for short), heard Jesus was coming into town and he wanted to see this Jesus for himself.
He had heard the rumors swirling about this man, Jesus.
He wanted a front row seat to his arrival.
Well, Zach was short, so he could not see over the crowd of people.
So, what does he do? He climbs a tree to be able to see Jesus.
He sits in that tree waiting for a glimpse of Jesus.
Well, in a plot twist…Jesus sees HIM.
He spots Zach and calls him by name to come down from the tree.
Ok, let’s rest here for a second.
Imagine you are at your favorite concert and the lead singer stops and points directly at you and CALLS YOU BY YOUR NAME, and asks you to come with him.
This is exactly what happened with Zach.
Jesus tells Zach to come down “immediately” and to take him to his house.
The crowd grew quiet.
Then, they all began to mutter at the absurdity of this “Jesus” going to a “sinner’s” house. They were appalled.
Zach IMMEDIATELY repented of his sins and offered to pay back four times the amount of money that he had swindled from people.
Here is what hits my heart…
Jesus did not ask Zach to do anything. NOTHING.
He just asked Zach if he could come to his house and hang out.
Yet, just the Presence of Jesus alone, made Zach want to change.
The Presence of Jesus melted Zach’s hardened heart right there on the spot.
Friends, are you seeing this?
Jesus saw Zach.
Jesus called Zach by his name.
Jesus goes to his house.
Zach immediately surrenders all he has to Jesus.
Have you ever attended a crowded event or party not knowing many people and someone calls out your name from a distance?
How does it make you feel?
It makes us feel seen.
It makes us feel special.
It makes us feel known.
This is exactly the effect Jesus had on Zach.
Just being in His presence caused walls to break down, his heart to melt, and it made Zach want to obey and follow Jesus.
Love came before obedience.
Jesus’ love for Zach caused the ripple effect of obedience in Zach’s life.
Does Jesus have the same effect on our lives?
Goodness, I hope so.
His Presence, His Word, His Love…
It does not condemn.
It does not shame.
It does not point fingers.
His love covers, protects, and loves.
If you are not feeling this, I urge you to draw close to Jesus today.
Just like Zach climbed up in that tree to get a glimpse of Jesus…
I urge all of us to climb into the life of Jesus in His Word and get a peek of Him.
All it takes is a desire to know Him…
Jesus will take over from there.
He sees you.
He knows you.
He calls you by your own sweet name.
He loves you so much.
You don’t have to clean up for Jesus to see you and love you…
That is where we often get it all wrong.
Zach did not do anything in order for Jesus to see him…
He just showed up for a glimpse…
Jesus saw Him.
After meeting Jesus and being loved and seen by Jesus, that prompted the heart change for Zach.
Jesus is not looking for a list of rules for us to check off before He comes to us…
He just wants us to seek Him.
Just like Zach did…
From that tree.
Jesus says at the end of this passage…
Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” Luke 19:9-10
Funny thing is…
Jesus was already seeking Zach.
Wayyyy before Zach decided to climb into that tree.
He saw Zach first.
“We love because He first loved us.” 1 John 4:19
I have a couple of things for us to ponder today…
Are we seeking Jesus or are we seeking to follow a bunch of rules to get Jesus to notice us.
Who is the Zach in our own lives? Who is the one we think is too far gone for Jesus to save? Who is the one we have given up on because they are just “too far gone”?
Let us all be reminded today of the definition of love…
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7
seeking Jesus,
jill
