…he was too short to see over the crowd.
So he ran ahead
and climbed a sycamore-fig tree beside the road,
for Jesus was going to pass that way.
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.”
Zacchaeus quickly climbed down
and took Jesus to his house in great excitement and joy.
But the people were displeased.
“He has gone to be the guest of a notorious sinner,”
they grumbled.
Luke 19:3-7
…who in the world can be saved?”
“What is impossible for people
is possible with God.”
Luke 18:26-27
…’Oh God, be merciful to me,
for I am a sinner.’
…those who exalt themselves will be humbled,
and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Luke 18:13-14
“There was a judge in a certain city,”
he said,
“who neither feared God nor cared about people.
A widow of that city came to him repeatedly,
saying,
‘Give me justice in this dispute with my enemy.’
The judge ignored her for a while,
but finally he said to himself,
‘I don’t fear God or care about people,
but this woman is driving me crazy.
I’m going to see that she gets justice,
because she is wearing me out
with her constant requests!”
Then the Lord said,
“Learn a lesson…
Luke 18:1-6
One day Jesus said to his disciples,
“There will always be temptations to sin,
but what sorrow awaits the person who does the tempting.
Luke 17:1
Several months ago I gave myself a timeout from political news because even I could tell it was making me grouchy.
As I gently waded back into news consumption, it was with full knowledge that, if I were going to keep my attitude intact, I had to have supernatural help. Literally.
So the plan I formulated was that each and every single time I instinctively (and sometimes viscerally) reacted to something I saw from any of the three camps—Obama, Clinton, or Trump—I was to STOP. PRAY. For all three—regardless of which one prompted my prayer.
Then I reminded myself of Romans 13:1
Let every person be subject to the governing authorities.
For there is no authority except from God,
and those that exist have been instituted by God.
So far it has worked beautifully—only 60-ish more days to go.
“If you are faithful in little things,
you will be faithful in large ones.
But if you are dishonest in little things,
you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities.
Luke 16:10
When I read that less than 3% of self-professed Christ followers had ever read the Bible cover to cover, it bothered me immensely. I’d read its entirety when I was a teenager and had studied Scripture in order to teach adult Sunday school classes; but was embarrassed to admit I’d only read God’s complete love letter to me one time.
There were a lot of things in my life I couldn’t control, but that sure wasn’t one of them. So I opened to the first page and began reading through; began again in February 2015; and then again yesterday.
My Bible’s pages are practically dripping with yellow gel marker; and their margins are filling up with tiny notes, prayers, praises, and names (you may know who you are) of people for whom I pray. Just last week the dictionary concordance detached from the rest of the book—result of being carted around so much.
I don’t have a written reading plan to cover chapters, pages, verses or minutes; instead I’m reading to spend time with God in his presence. And I’m usually surprised when I finish and glance at the clock.
The book of Revelation is probably my favorite and I love its promise in Chapter 1, verse 3:
God blesses the one who reads
the words of this prophecy to the church,
and he blesses all who listen to its message
and obey what it says,
for the time is near.
I decided before beginning Revelation last week to read the words aloud, just to myself; and I asked the Lord to show me things I’d not seen before. Not surprisingly, “listen to the Spirit” jumped off the page every single time I saw it.
Yesterday I started all over again, “In the beginning…”—this time with orange gel marker in hand. And I’m paying particular attention to sentences that begin with, “And the LORD said…”
So, if you like a challenge, I challenge you to begin at the beginning; and I’d be more than honored for you to tell me when you reach the end.
“When he finally came to his senses,
he said to himself,
‘At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare,
and here I am dying of hunger!
I will go home to my father and say,
“Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you,
and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.
Please take me on as a hired servant.” ‘
“So he returned home to his father.
And while he was still a long way off,
his father saw him coming.
Filled with love and compassion,
he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him.
Luke 15:17-20
(Photo credit: Joshua Rhodes)
…there is more joy in heaven
over one lost sinner who repents
and returns to God
than over ninety-nine others
who are righteous
and haven’t strayed away!
Luke 15:7
