God’s Perfect Peace

Leave a Comment / Peace, Trust / By

In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah:

We have a strong city;
God makes salvation
its walls and ramparts.
Open the gates
that the righteous nation may enter,
the nation that keeps faith.
You will keep in perfect peace
those whose minds are steadfast,
because they trust in you.
Trust in the Lord forever,
for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal.
He humbles those who dwell on high,
he lays the lofty city low;
he levels it to the ground
and casts it down to the dust.
Isaiah 26:1-5

Definition of Perfect (according to Strong’s Concordance): completeness, soundness, welfare, peace, completeness (in number), safety, soundness (in body), welfare, health, prosperity, peace, quiet, tranquillity, contentment..

It’s difficult to keep our minds focused on the Lord when there is upheaval in the world. All the noise around us along with circumstances try to pressure people into stress, worry, and panic. The news networks are banking on people’s fears by giving them more issues to think and worry about. In addition, there is misinformation, manipulation, and exaggeration that makes it difficult to discern between truth and partial truth.

In the midst of this global issue, we need to remind ourselves that the enemy intends to steal, kill, and destroy people’s peace, wellbeing, and lives. We can’t open ourselves up to all sorts of information out there and expect to keep our peace! The Lord tells us that those whose mind stays on Him, will enjoy perfect peace! According to the above definition,  His peace gives us a sense of safety and contentment. It allows us to know that we are embraced by the Lord of the universe and that we are going to be ok.

A few days ago, I found myself anxious about the future of this country and where we are headed if this situation continues to go on. The more I listened to the news, the more anxious and frustrated I became. I realized that feeding on all this information was not producing any good fruit in my life. So I decided to stop watching the news for a while and not allow all the predictions, speculations, and opinions of people get to my heart. Praise the Lord that I am doing a lot better in the last couple of days!

According to the above scripture, when we remain focused on the Lord and lean into Him, we will get to enjoy His peace. This is a deliberate decision that we have to make. If we have a tendency to rely on our emotions, minds, or will power to control our circumstances, the stress level can even become intensified in these circumstances. This is far greater than any one person, nation, or the entire world to figure out. We need to humble ourselves before the Lord and let Him lead us. He has the solutions to the world’s problems, and He will give us wisdom and insight from heaven.

What is your mind focused on these days!?

I believe we all desire God’s perfect peace. In order to enjoy His peace, we have to do the work of keeping our focus on the Lord. When we show self-control and avoid listening to continual negative reports, we won’t allow our focus to be diverted. This action is a statement of trust that we don’t have to know everything to feel safe and secure; instead, we rely on the one who knows everything and has the power to change things. He is the rock eternal. He is unchanging and reliable. The more we remind ourselves of who God is for us, stress and anxiety will dissipate and will be replaced with the peace and the assurance of our heavenly Father!

 

Image by Daniel Reche from Pixabay

 

Every Good and Perfect Gift…

Leave a Comment / Gift, Goodness, Grace, Mercy / By

In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah:

We have a strong city;
God makes salvation
its walls and ramparts.
Open the gates
that the righteous nation may enter,
the nation that keeps faith. Isaiah 26:1-2

Isaiah declares that the greatness of the city is because God has established it. He is the one who protects its walls with truth and salvation. A righteous nation is one that understands salvation comes from God’s mighty hand and by His grace and mercy the country endures. It is not something that we deserve, nor is it something that can be done apart from Him.

The truth is that many people in our country have forgotten who is the giver of our true freedom. They also thought that it is our ingenuity and hard work that has allowed them to reach the level of success enjoyed by many. Of course, people have worked hard and have been diligent, but unless God enables a person or a nation, we cannot accomplish anything valuable.

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. James 1:17

Success is a blessing when it is founded upon humility and when one truly understands that everything good comes from the Lord! Sadly, in our nation, the greater the success, the more people have placed themselves on the throne. They want to define morality and truth and make every attempt to push God out of public square in order to move forward with their agenda with no limits and hindrance. For others, success has become a distraction from the right priorities in life caring more about having the perfect house rather than a pure heart before God!

The current pandemic is a reality check on who is in control! Three months ago, some people presumed that we can control the climate! Today, the world and all its activities have abruptly come to a halt over a virus! If the Lord were to allow these kinds of issues to happen on a yearly basis no country would be able to enjoy any peace or success. Governments would run out of money, the unemployment rate would be massive, the amount of travel would shrink drastically, and celebrations would be minimized. Basically, people would not able to even enjoy the fruit of their labor.

This moment of time gives us the opportunity to reflect of the giver of every good and perfect gift! Without Him we can do nothing! What are you thankful for!? Take time today and reflect on God’s goodness, protection, and provision in your life! Thank Him for who He is and what He does for us on a daily basis! The world may be in a panic, but to the believers it is time to testify that if it wasn’t for God’s mercy, we would never know what peace and prosperity means. He holds the world and the nations in the palm of His hands. He gives them the power and the opportunity to succeed in their works. We all need to humbly go before the Lord and thank Him for His mercies that are new every morning! Acknowledge Him as the giver of every good and perfect gift and pray that people would recognize God’s mercy and grace in their lives!

 

Image by annca from Pixabay

Peace, Be Still

2 Comments / Be Still, Calm, Peace / By

On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side.” Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him.  And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”

Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?” And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!” Mark 4:35-39

Peace, Be Still… Mark 4:35-39https://knowhisways.com/?p=13315

Posted by Know His Ways on Friday, March 27, 2020

Jesus told His disciples that it was time for them to go to the other side. Where was the other side!? The other side was the country of Gadarenes.  This is the place that Jesus came to heal the so called, “Gardarene Demoniac”. Jesus had a plan and a mission and the enemy had a plan and mission as well!

While Jesus and the disciples were on the boat, a great windstorm arose to the point that the boat was filling with water. The disciples panicked, and all their thoughts about ministering on the other side went out the door! All they could think about was their survival and that they were about to perish. On the other hand, Jesus remained calm to the point that He could actually remain sleep!

Similarly, this is the time that many are fearful and uncertain about their lives, and it is easy to give in to the spirit of fear and panic. Jesus’ disciples were not aware that a good and powerful work was awaiting them on the other side, so all they could focus on were the circumstances that they were in.  I believe there is also great work for us on the other side. We cannot be focused on the circumstances around us and allow them to dictate the level of peace and clarity we have in this hour.

For years, the Lord has given us burden to pray and reach our families, friends, coworkers, society, and the nations. Now, He is preparing us for the harvest! We need to remain alert and available if we are going to cease the moment and make the most of every opportunity!

The disciples accused Jesus of not caring! Because Jesus was silent and calm, they assumed that He didn’t care. The reality was that He did care, but His care was about God’s purpose in His life and accomplishing the mission that the Lord had given Him. He cared about those who were down and out and were under the bondage of sin, religion, and the devil. At the same time,  He was not concerned about the windstorm because He knew the call of God on His life and that His mission on the earth was not finished. Therefore, He did not give in to fear and did not retreat. It would have been easy to tell His disciples to try to go back where they came from and try again after everything is calm, but He did not allow the enemy to dictate How His plans were going to go.

Jesus calmed the storm by commanding the sea to return to peace and stillness. And at this command, a calmness took over.  In this hour, let’s not agree with fear and retreating from God’s purpose. Remain alert, pray with authority, and command the evil to flee. Speak peace and calmness over yourself, your family, and your neighborhood. Be ready for what is on the good works on other side of this and allow God to take charge of this hour in history!

 

Image by Lothar Dieterich from Pixabay

Be Still & Know…

2 Comments / Be Still, Knowing God / By

Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! Psalm 46:10

Definition of “Still” (According to Strong’s Concordance): to let drop, abandon, relax, refrain, forsake.

The Lord is calling each of us to be still before Him. Being still is not necessarily about lack of movement, but it is about abandoning our plans. It is refraining from trying to make something happen. It is about letting go of our agenda and resting before the Lord.

Interestingly, in the above verse, being still and knowing the Lord are connected to each other. That means if we want to know God, we need to be willing to be still before Him. We cannot be focused on our plans and agenda, and at the same time, allow the Lord to lead and guide our lives. In addition, We cannot have two masters. Either we are in charge and are calling all the shots, or God is on the throne and He rules over all our affairs.

In this hour, there is much unrest and uncertainty in the world. There is pressure to try to figure things out. On the other hand, it seems as if humanity is on hold. Everyone is watching and waiting to see how things are going to turn out in the next couple of weeks. People are waiting to see when they can get back to their normal lives.

During this past week, I noticed that a sense of restlessness and helplessness can creep in. We are so used to controlling our lives and day-to-day activities, that it is hard not to be in charge. We enjoy planning our lives months in advance and look forward to events or vacations. However, we can’t do them at this point!  Some of us have taken days off from work to spend time with family and friends who are graduating, having a baby, or getting married, but everything has come to a halt. Now we have to change our expectations and stay put!

This is a reminder of how little control we have over our lives, and just because God in His mercy has allowed us to plan our weeks and months ahead of time, it does not mean that we are entitled to it. Instead of being in charge of our activities, we need to remember God’s promises for us. Our peace comes from knowing and remembering who God is for us. Those truths will settle our spirits.

The above scripture is a great reminder that we have the opportunity to the know the Lord better when we remain still before Him. We may feel awkward about being still, but the more we practice it, the easier it gets. As Americans, we are not good at being still, but we can ask the Lord to help us. As we let go of our hopes, disappointments, and expectations, we will get to know the Lord better for who He really is. The fruit of knowing Him is that He will be lifted and exalted by His people, so they world can get to know Him! Lord teach us to be still, so we can know you better!

 

 

Martha, Martha…

Leave a Comment / Be Still / By

Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word.  But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.”

And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10: 38-42

Here is a 5 minute video on what the Lord put on my heart about the above passage and the times that we are in right now.

Martha, Martha…Luke 10:38-42

Posted by Know His Ways on Friday, March 20, 2020

We live a world that is very busy and active. We are easily distracted with various noises around us, and many of us have a tendency to operate like Martha in the above passage.

Jesus saw Martha being distracted with all the activities. She was worried about being the perfect hostess and making sure everything was just right. However, Jesus knew that His time was limited with His loved ones, and He didn’t want her to miss on valuable time with Him while He was with them.

We can also be worried about many things. We like to have the reputation of having it all together. We want to impress people with how we decorate, cook, and host a gathering. With sites such as Pinterest, event planning and parties have gone to another level. Perfect professional party, shower, and celebration is the goal of many women who are not professional decorators. They are seeking Martha Steward caliber hospitality! The problem is that all those details are very time consuming and they steal our time from sitting still. We are so distracted that we don’t enjoy our family, and we don’t let Jesus touch our hearts. We care more about being impressive than being impressed with His presence in our lives!

Jesus praised Mary for choosing the good part, and that the Lord was not going to take that away from her. That statement from Jesus is profound because it tells us sitting with the Lord and communing with Him is something that the Lord desires and He would not take away the opportunity from us to do it. However, because we are rushed and busy, we allow the enemy to steal the time away from us by agreeing to the fact that we should be doing something else rather than sitting at the Lord’s feet.

The recent pandemic, has brought to a halt many activities in people’s lives. Many people have become house-bound and they are either not working or work with limited hours from home. Furthermore, there are no sporting events to watch on TV and the kids are not doing sports. What a perfect time to be a Mary in this season! Instead of worrying about getting back to the busyness of life, let’s use this time to recharge our batteries, spend time in the presence of the Lord, and listen to His voice and direction.

 

 

 

The Lord, the Anchor of Our Soul

Leave a Comment / Calm, Peace, Stability / By

This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil, where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek. Hebrews 6:19-20

When we think about the Lord and what He means to us, many times we think about how He has changed our lives and set us free from the bondage of sin and destruction. We’re also reminded of how He has grown us and has helped us to overcome in life. Those are all important truths that we should bring to our minds and our hearts. We should be thankful and joyful for God’s loving kindness and His mercies for bringing us through. However, there are times in life that we need to focus on Him as the anchor of our soul!

Definition of anchor (according to Webster’s dictionary): a reliable or principal support , something that serves to hold an object firmly.
The world is in a state of panic and unrest due to a virus with unknown characteristics. The 24/hour news along with social media do their job of mixing facts with half truths and opinions and feed anxious people with as much as information as possible. Obviously many want to be cautious and do their part in not allowing this virus to spread. This causes them to continue to be glued to their TV, radio, and phones for the latest information. However, there is something quiet and insidious going on that as believers we should be aware of.

 

In uncertain times, as the people of God, we should live our lives differently from the world! The Lord is our anchor and the stability of our lives. He is our creator and holds the world and everyone in it in the palm of His hands. It is by His mercies that we wake up everyday to an orderly world. The sun rises everyday and our temperatures remain perfect for human functioning. We have clean air and the capacity to breathe and live. He provides us with daily bread and the ability to eat it and be nourished by it. Sadly, the majority of the people in the world do not acknowledge the Lord, nor do they seek His face. They have no faith that He is present and that He desires to intervene in their lives.  Subsequently, it is logical for them to panic when a situation arises that they cannot control and do not completely understand.

 

Our stability is not founded in the world system, economy, and its version of peace. We know that without the Lord, we cannot live, move, or have our being. So the same God who held our lives three months ago, He is still on the throne, and He is still the stability of our lives! Jesus is our hope and He has gone behind the veil and has revealed the heart of the Father to us. Those who know their heavenly Father, will have a different posture in tumultuous times. Our hope is not anchored in our own strength but in the love of God and in Jesus as our High Priest and intercessor.

 

While we should be wise and follow the recommendation of healthcare professionals, we don’t need to let fear cause panic. As people of God, let every form of fear be expelled in Jesus’ name! God is still on the throne, and He is our protector and deliverer. As Jesus anchors our soul in His peace,, let’s be the agents of His peace, calmness, and stability in these uncertain times!

Image by David Mark from Pixabay

It’s Time to Change! (Part IV)

Leave a Comment / Church, House of God, Worship / By

Then He went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in it, saying to them, “It is written, ‘My house is a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’ ”And He was teaching daily in the temple. But the chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people sought to destroy Him,  and were unable to do anything; for all the people were very attentive to hear Him.Luke 19:45-48

After weeping over the fact that Jerusalem was missing its moment of visitation, Jesus walked into the temple and what He saw there was very distressing to Him! The very temple that was built to be used as a place of worship and prayer had turned into a market. People were making profit out of religious duties and holidays by marking things up and selling them to the people who were visiting the temple.

Jesus was not against buying, selling , or even making a profit, but He was against using the temple of God for selfish gain. The sellers were opportunists who wanted to gouge people on the way to worship, so Jesus sternly turned over the tables because! They were there for their own benefit and not to honor the Lord or worship Him. In reality,  there were plenty of places where they could have set up shop and sold their merchandize, but they were using the name of the Lord and the temple of the Lord to get better profit by being strategically where the worshippers going to show up.

The church is not a place to make profit or make our name be known. We don’t go to church to show off our gifts and abilities and ensure that we get placed in the ministry of our choice and desires. The church is a group of people who are called out from the world, and they assemble for the purpose of corporate worship, teaching, prayer, fellowship, and exhortation. We all are there to honor the name of the Lord and magnify Him corporately. However, sometimes we lose focus of why we are there and what we are to do in the church.

Unfortunately, there are those leaders who use the name of God and manipulate the people of God to give more money to their church or their ministry. Sometimes as church members, we forget the purpose of the church and its value, and we begin to focus on other things. We may go to church with an attitude because we are still mad at somebody from the last time we we were there. We’re even hoping that we don’t have to see them or talk to them. There are some who may only show up on the days they serve and prefer not to go to their church when we are not serving. Others are still stewing over why their friend had a solo part during worship, but they never get a chance to do it. Some are too focused on who is wearing what and who is sitting with whom. There are a few who go to church trying to sell their products or recruit people to sign up with their business. There are a few who come with their title of evangelist, preacher, or prophet and expect someone to quickly place them where they feel are called. When that doesn’t happen, they take off and go somewhere else.

If Jesus were to walk in our church on a Sunday, what would He find? What is the condition of your church? What is the condition of your heart when you go to church? Is He still the main person of the gathering!? Is He still the focus!? Jesus turned over the tables, so His Father’s house could be clear from anything that defiled it. Is there anything that defiles your house of worship at a personal level and the corporate level? It’s time for the people of God to be about the Father’s business and let go of all the carnality and distractions that derail the body of Christ and defile His house of worship!

 

Image by Tom Gordon from Pixabay

It’s Time to Change! (Part III)

Leave a Comment / Change, God's Visitation / By

Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it,  saying, “If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.  Luke 19:41-42

…because you did not know the time of your visitation.” Luke 19:44b

 

Jesus was walking the streets of Jerusalem and saw a group of people who were missing their Messiah! They had all the right words and did all the religious ceremonies, but they were not expecting the Messiah in their midst.  They had become so used to their routine that anything out of ordinary didn’t cause them to pay closer attention to the one who came to save their souls!

The scripture tells us that Jesus wept over Jerusalem because they missed God’s visitation! During this time in the history of Israel, the Lord had not spoken to His prophets for four hundred years, so they had lost the vision that the coming of the Messiah could happen in their lifetime. They may have had an intellectual understanding that Messiah was going to come, but they were not necessarily expecting it in their generation. Furthermore, their ideas of a Messiah were carnal. They thought of someone who could rescue them from the hands of Roman oppression. However, this time God was not working on their political freedom but their spiritual freedom!

Many of us have had grandparents, parents, or friends who cried out on our behalf to pay attention to the Lord. There are people that we also are praying for that they would not miss God’s visitation. It is easy to miss God’s visitation in a culture that is so busy with its goals and plans in life. We don’t slow down to seek the Lord for our daily wisdom and direction. Instead, we bring our agenda to Him and ask Him to bless it.

There are times that God changes the seasons and He wants us to be in tune with the change. There are things that are meant to bring peace to our lives, but it requires us to value God’s direction and instruction even when it is inconvenient or uncomfortable! There are times that God wants us to stop from doing certain things or going in a certain direction.  At other times, He may tell us it’s time to reconcile a relationship. He tells us to pick up the phone and call that person that we have not spoken to in years. This is when we stop arguing with God and do what He tells us to do. We can be masters of justification, but have you noticed that God does not buy our excuses!? Every time the Lord touches an area of our lives, we should celebrate it as a day of visitation from the Lord because He is about to change us and deliver us from something that has held us in bondage!

Are you open and available to God’s visitation? Can He interrupt your plans today? Will you change direction if He tells you to do so? Are you willing to change your vocabulary and how you speak about yourself or others? Will you pick up the phone and reach out to someone you have not spoken to in months or years? We pray for God’s kingdom to come and His will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. Are we making ourselves available for God to visit the earth by using us as conduits of His will on the earth!?

 

It’s Time to Change! (Part II)

Leave a Comment / Change, Fear / By

Now as they heard these things, He spoke another parable, because He was near Jerusalem and because they thought the kingdom of God would appear immediately. Therefore He said: “A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return.  So he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Do business till I come.’  But his citizens hated him, and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We will not have this man to reign over us.’

“And so it was that when he returned, having received the kingdom, he then commanded these servants, to whom he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading. Then came the first, saying, ‘Master, your mina has earned ten minas.’ And he said to him, ‘Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities.’ And the second came, saying, ‘Master, your mina has earned five minas.’ Likewise he said to him, ‘You also be over five cities.’

“Then another came, saying, ‘Master, here is your mina, which I have kept put away in a handkerchief. For I feared you, because you are an austere man. You collect what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.’ And he said to him, ‘Out of your own mouth I will judge you, you wicked servant. You knew that I was an austere man, collecting what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow. Why then did you not put my money in the bank, that at my coming I might have collected it with interest?’

“And he said to those who stood by, ‘Take the mina from him, and give it to him who has ten minas.’ (But they said to him, ‘Master, he has ten minas.’) ‘For I say to you, that to everyone who has will be given; and from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. But bring here those enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, and slay them before me.’ ” Luke 19:11-27

I am continuing with the stories in Luke 19 as the Lord calls us to change in various areas of life! In the last devotional, I shared about Zacchaeus and how the acceptance of Jesus caused him to change his way of life!

In the above parable, the master decided to give different amounts of talents to his servants. The issue was not equality but stewardship. The first two servants stewarded well what was allotted to them and increased what was given to them. The master was pleased with both of them and gave them even more to manage. However, the third servant hid his mina and did not do anything out of fear of the master.

What Jesus addressed in this parable was not performance but stewardship. The scripture tells us that every good and perfect gift comes from above (See James 1:17). When the Lord blesses us, it is not just for ourselves; we are not called to hoard it but to be an outlet. The person who has been anointed by God has a responsibility to use it according to the Lord’s instructions and to be a channel of God’s blessing. God’s gifts are not just for us, and we cannot be selfish with them.  We should be open and available to use them and be a blessing as God has blessed us.

In the above parable, the master expected a return on his investment, but the third master was fearful and did not trust his master’s character. Whenever fear comes in, it sucks faith out of people’s lives and they no longer want to follow God where He leads. The flesh wants to do what is safe and convenient. Interestingly, fear can project itself as wisdom! We need to seek the Lord and allow Him to show us if our hesitation is due to fear or wisdom. 

We don’t control the level of fruitfulness and multiplication, but we need to be faithful in sowing, nurturing, and putting to work what the Lord has blessed us with. Then in due season, God brings the increase, and we can reap a harvest because we have been diligent and unafraid to put to work what He has given us.

Is there anything that you have been afraid to begin? Ask the Lord to show you the reason behind the fear. Allow the Lord to speak to you and move forward. It’s time to change and not hide behind fear!

 

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

It’s Time to Change! (Part I)

Leave a Comment / Acceptance, Change, Conviction / By

Then Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature.  So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way.  And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, “Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house.”  So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully. But when they saw it, they all complained, saying, “He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner.” 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.” And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham;  for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” Luke 19:1-10

Through His journey through various towns and villages, Jesus passed through the town of Jericho. Jericho was the Promised Land that the Israelites received when the Lord instructed Joshua and his people to march around the city seven times. Through their obedience, God made the walls of Jericho fall! However, over the centuries and due to Israel’s disobedience, they lost sovereignty of those lands, and now it was under the Roman Empire.

In this passage, we need find Zacchaeus who was a Jewish man living in Jericho shunned by his own people because he had decided that his success was going to come from collecting taxes from his fellow Jewish people. He used extortion as a means of living in the so called Promised Land. In reality, he had lost his true identity until he met Jesus! 

Despite Zacchaeus’ sins against his countrymen, Jesus chose to spend time with him in his house. He saw Zacchaeus as a lost sheep who needed to come back to the flock. Jesus did not seek the Pharisees because they did not see themselves as sick or in need of help. They probably had the respect of people even if it was superficial, so they did not find themselves in desperate need to change anything in their lives! However, while Zacchaeus had his wealth, he did not have the respect of his countrymen. I wonder if he had any friends except his fellow tax collectors. His only friendships may have come from those who also had had chosen to sell themselves, for a bowl of proverbial stew, to the Roman Empire. 

When Jesus called Zacchaeus’s name and went to his house, it changed everything for him! On the one hand, Zacchaeus must have felt special and accepted, but on the other hand, his sins must have been right before his eyes. What if he used the beautiful dishes of a widow who had to given up her wedding gift to pay her taxes!? What if the rug they were sitting on came from a family of six who could not afford to pay their taxes!?  What if the beautiful picture on the wall had have come from a son who gave up that which he had inherited from his father to pay his taxes!? Every place Jesus looked upon, could have brought to Zacchaeus, the memory of how he obtained those beautiful items. Finally, Zacchaeus could not stand it any longer. He wanted to get his life right with the Lord and enjoy the peace and the rest of God. Jesus’ acceptance had caused all these beautiful things to lose their value and luster. He was ready to give it all up and keep the joy and acceptance that he received in being with Jesus!

This is how Jesus works in our lives as well. He doesn’t come making demands of us to give up our sins, but He comes with His piercing eyes and a heart of love! He looks at us with acceptance and concern. In His eyes, we see that we are far more valuable than selling ourselves to a worldly version of success and acceptance! His concern is that we are genuine and vulnerable with God and are not just trying to play the role of a good Christian!

When we give Him room to come into our hearts, we cannot stand having Jesus walk around the various rooms and see the stuff that are contrary to His desires. The conviction rises up and we feel like it’s time to change! I don’t want Jesus to look at things that make Him uncomfortable to be here! He is worthy for me to let go of anything that does not please Him! How about you? If Jesus were to come to your home, what will he see? What has to change for Jesus to feel welcome in your life?

 

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay