Today learn five practical steps to draw closer to God through an unlikely mentor named Zacchaeus.
Although I wrote a little about Zacchaeus in the “Sharing My Faith” post, today we will explore the story of Zacchaeus in more depth, along with selected Scriptures from the book of James, to guide us toward a closer relationship with Jesus.
We learned from a previous post that Zacchaeus (Luke 19: 1—9) was a Jew who aligned himself with the corrupt Roman government, spending his days collecting taxes and lining his pockets with stolen money.
Zacchaeus was curious about this Jesus who was passing through Jericho. For a better view, he climbed a tree, perhaps hoping to witness one of those miracles he heard about.
Nothing in the story indicates Zacchaeus did anything special to catch Jesus’ attention; however, Jesus was not only aware of his presence, but also invited himself to Zacchaeus’ home. Of course, this riled the self-righteous gossipmongers, but Jesus didn’t pay attention. A life was about to change for eternity.
Examining this encounter, I discovered five steps that brought Zacchaeus closer to God:
- “Submit yourselves, then, to God” (Jas 4:7a NIV). Zacchaeus had reasons to stay in the tree: the crowd hated him and might mob him! Instead, he submitted to God’s call by coming down without hesitation or excuse.
- “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (Jas 4:7b). Surely Satan didn’t want Zacchaeus in town that day. Perhaps he planted ideas in his head about staying away from the peasant crowd and counting his money that afternoon. Providing reasons to ignore God is Satan’s specialty. Don’t be fooled by his ploys.
- “Come near to God and he will come near to you” (Jas 4:8a). Zacchaeus only showed up; Jesus took care of the rest. No excuses about the house being a mess or not wanting to inconvenience Jesus. Don’t worry about your hidden sin – he knows about it anyway.
- “Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn, and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom” (Jas 4: 8b, 9). Upon receiving forgiveness, Zacchaeus recognized his depravity. Both his heart and behavior changed, and he made restitution to the people affected by his stealing.
- “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up” (Jas 4:10). Wealth and influence don’t impress Jesus, and Zacchaeus realized this when standing in God’s presence. No matter what your position, be humble, understanding everything is from God.
So, how do you and I apply these five steps in our lives?
- Don’t argue with God when he speaks. Remember my first post. God told me it was time to move on with my life and I rejected his “suggestion.” Listen to God when he speaks.
- Don’t listen to Satan’s lies. For instance, God doesn’t care, or he can’t or won’t help you. Satan also convinces us that God owes us; after all, we teach Sunday school, serve on church committees, work in the nursery, etc. He doesn’t owe us. He gives us more than we deserve, much more. I had to quit blaming God and accept that church work is not a vaccination against the trials and troubles of this world.
- Show up for appointments with God, and don’t do all the talking. Listen to His still, small voice. Pray for sensitivity to the Holy Spirit’s leading. God may speak through other people and Scripture or even in a whirlwind, earthquake, or sounds like thunder.
- Ask God to bring our sin to light, and let our actions reveal a changed heart.
- Realize that we’re not saved because we’re special, but because of God’s gracious love. Be humble in success giving God all the glory.
Learning to follow these five steps helps me when God seems far away. They remind me that when God is distant, guess who moved? And honestly, you can’t get away from God, so your distance from him is a state of mind, not reality.
Where is your walk with the Lord? Do you have suggestions on ways to draw closer to Jesus? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.
Next week’s post is titled “Five Ways to Connect with Kids.” We will explore ways to have meaningful connections with special children in your life. These are especially helpful to grandmothers, godmothers, aunts, or any woman who has a friendship with a child.
Before you leave the website, don’t forget to download the devotions. Our word of the week is “eternal perspective” and the children are studying Genesis 12 -23. Check the archives if you want to start the “Walk Through the Bible” from the beginning.
See you next week!
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