Topic: Climb The Tree – Jentezen Franklin Ministry Daily Devotional 21 MARCH  2024

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Climb The Tree

“The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7

There was a man in Luke 19 named Zacchaeus who was a tax collector. He really wanted to see Jesus but he was too short to see over all the people. He could have let the crowd stop him from trying, but he was so determined to see Jesus for himself that he climbed up a tree. When Jesus got to the tree, he stopped and looked up and told him to come down because He was going to stay at his house that day. Then, some of the people began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.” But right then and there, Zacchaeus humbled himself and repented of his sins. Then Jesus said to him, “Today, salvation has come to this house.” 

Zacchaeus would have never gotten to God if it weren’t for the tree (the cross). The Bible says we have all fallen short of the glory of God. The tree, which represents Calvary, caused Zacchaeus to be seen and forgiven. He could not have done it on his own. 

Jesus saw Zacchaeus in that tree and knew he had a heart that was hungry to know him. It didn’t matter that he wasn’t perfect. The crowd saw a greedy tax collector who had wronged the community for many years, but Jesus saw his heart. 

All it takes to move from death to life is to have a heart that is open to receiving Jesus. Like Zacchaeus, you have to get over your own limitations. You must press through the crowd and ignore what others may think of you. You may have family and friends who will sneer at you for becoming a Christian because they can only see the old you. But God only sees the tree. He sees the cross that pardons you from all your sins and makes you right with Him. When God sees you in “Calvary’s tree,” He accepts you into His kingdom, and the amazing thing is that your family will be impacted as well. Notice that Jesus said, “Salvation has come to this house.” When you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, the generations that follow you will be affected. Your decisions today will affect your children and your children’s children. So don’t let anything or anyone stop you from getting to Jesus.

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