Wholeness through divine intervention may not be our plan, but it is God’s. We may think we have our own path figured out, but the good news is the Lord always has a better one. His plans require divine intervention—and that intervention is always aimed at making us whole. We often think we know best …
Zacchaeus demonstrated evidence of transformation that had happened in his heart as Jesus came to his house. Luke 19: 8 Meanwhile, Zacchaeus stood before the Lord and said, “I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord, and if I have cheated people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much!” …
Overcoming societal judgment is challenging and requires God’s strength, as Zacchaeus’s story illustrates. We may like to think people’s critical comments don’t affect us, but they do. As Jesus entered the town of Jericho on His way to die for our sins, He encountered a man named Zacchaeus. He was so eager to see Him …
Zacchaeus had climbed a tree to see Jesus, and Jesus asked to come to his house. Zacchaeus responded with a joyful reception of Jesus. Luke 19: 5 When Jesus came by, he looked up at Zacchaeus and called him by name. “Zacchaeus!” he said. “Quick, come down! I must be a guest in your home today.” …
Today, billions of people inhabit the earth, yet Jesus knows your name and understands your struggles. Scripture calls believers the sheep of His pasture, and our loving Shepherd knows each of us personally, even when we don’t know Him. Jesus, our Good Shepherd, was making His way toward Jerusalem to lay down His life on …
Zacchaeus was a worldly, wealthy man. But we see him climbing to see Jesus in our story. Luke 19: 3 He tried to get a look at Jesus, but he was too short to see over the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree beside the road, for Jesus was going to pass …
Zacchaeus’s story was one of worldly wealth and spiritual poverty until he was drawn to Jesus. Our Savior was journeying to Jerusalem to lay down His life for sinners.Luke 19:1Jesus entered Jericho and made his way through the town. 2 There was a man there named Zacchaeus. He was the chief tax collector in the region, …
God had told Ananias that He had a mission for Saul. This enabled Ananias to see through God’s eyes. Ananias knew of Saul’s reputation for persecuting Christians and was understandably afraid of him. But Ananias’ faith was stronger than his fear, and he obeyed God’s instructions. Acts 9: 17 So Ananias went and found Saul. He …
Being an instrument of God to build His Kingdom is a gift only He can bestow upon us. As the story of Saul—whom we later come to know as the Apostle Paul—unfolds, he believes he is building God’s Kingdom by persecuting believers. Yet on his way to Damascus to continue this mission, the Lord suddenly …
Obeying God can stretch us because it often requires leaving our comfort zones. This fosters spiritual growth by deepening our faith and by trusting His wisdom more than our own. Although challenging, this “holy stretch” encourages us to go beyond self-reliance. It can foster a deep dependence on the Holy Spirit and lead to increased …