Day one: seek and save
Reading: Luke 19:1-10
Recently, I took my children to the mall for lunch. As we were eating, I noticed a little girl frantically looking for her dad. With tears welling up in her eyes, she called out: “Daddy! Daddy!” There was no sign of him. Suddenly he appeared, and she was visibly relieved. I said to my children, “I’m glad she found her dad!” To which my youngest son replied, “She didn’t find him; he found her.”
Luke wrote about lost people, wandering aimlessly in their sins, who were found by Jesus. This was the case with the chief tax collector, Zacchaeus (Luke 19). He was viewed with disdain by the Jews because he was assisting Rome in burdening the Israelites with heavy taxes, and also because it was likely he had become wealthy by collecting more money than required.
When Jesus entered Jericho, Zacchaeus climbed up into a tree to get a better view of the Savior. Jesus called up to him and said that He must stay at his house (a divine necessity) (v.5). The other people muttered because Jesus was going to stay at the house of a notorious “sinner” (v.7). But Zacchaeus stood before the Lord and repented, and Jesus responded with a summary statement of His mission and purpose on earth: To bring salvation and the kingdom of God to those who are lost (vv.8-10).
God, through Jesus, came looking for us. He went to great lengths to save us, including taking our sins on Himself. He hung on the cross so that we could be dead to sin and live for what is right. He came “to seek and save” us! (v.10). This is good news!
People all around us are lost, and they think nobody cares about them. We have a responsibility to share the good news so that they too can be saved.
Reflection: For what lost person is the Holy Spirit prompting you to pray? How can you show your gratitude to God for His pursuit of you?
Day two: resizing ourselves
Reading: Psalm 19
I recently read an article that described how former US President Theodore Roosevelt would sometimes close a long day spent with diplomats. He would lead them outside of the White House, stand on the lawn, and gaze into the sky. As he scanned the stars and the vastness of the universe, his guests would follow his example. After a lengthy and silent pause, Mr. Roosevelt would say, “Gentlemen, I believe we are small enough now. Let’s go to bed.”
Many years ago when the psalmist wrote Psalm 19, it is conceivable that he was trying to evoke the same response from God’s people. He reminded his readers that God revealed His greatness in creation. What did David mean when he said the heavens are telling of His glory? (Psalm 19:1-6). He was saying that the universe is a revelation of God’s existence and power so great and beautiful that it should lead every human being on the face of the earth to seek out God. To thank Him for bringing him or her into existence. To worship Him.
Since we can’t fully know God’s purposes for our lives through creation, He revealed His purposes through the Scriptures. The Bible teaches us how to live in fellowship with God and in peace and justice with others. When we read God’s law, it will revive our souls, make us wise, bring joy to our heart, and give us insight for living (vv. 7-11).
Thinking about the greatness of God as revealed in creation and the purposes of God as revealed in Scripture should lead us to resize ourselves. We will then look to Him for forgiveness (19:12), protection from selfishness and pride (v.13), and guidance so that our thoughts and words are pleasing in His sight (v.14).
Day three: tending lives
Reading: Matthew 13: 18-23
Liberia’s civil war ended in 2003, but the scars still linger on the streets of its capital, Monrovia. That tangle of weeds and concrete used to be a fountain, that mound of rubble was once a radio station, and that pockmarked building was an office.
As my host pointed out one devastation after another, we felt like the Pevensie children returning to the ruins of Cair Paravel in Prince Caspian or Will Smith surveying what was left of the world in I Am Legend. The destruction was depressing, especially for those who remembered the way things were.
The upkeep of our belongings and homes requires constant attention. We must continually wash, weed, and repair our property. Take a month off, whether from inattention or war, and the entropy of nature begins to take over.
The same is true of our personal lives. Our bodies need exercise to stay fit, our minds need stimulating books and conversation to remain sharp, and our souls must cultivate the spiritual disciplines to keep in step with God. Just as it is harder to contact an old friend whose trail has grown cold, so it becomes more difficult to read the Bible and pray when we fail to practice faith-building disciplines.
Jesus said that His kingdom is like seed that fell on rocky, thorny, and good soil. Rocky people lack depth and so wilt under pressure, thorny people allow the “worries of this life and the lure of wealth” to choke out the gospel, while faithful Christians bear fruit—“thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted” (Matthew 13:22-23).
The difference lies not in the seed but in the soil. If the garden of your life is overgrown with weeds and littered with stones, don’t despair. Seek God’s strength and wisdom as you till the soil.
Reflection: What aspect of your physical, social, or spiritual life have you neglected? Name one thing that you will do today, and another by the end of the week, that will begin to revive this important part of who you are.
day four: come!
Reading: John 1:35-42
In an evangelism class in church, the instructor asked: “How would you introduce Jesus to an unbeliever?
Would you present Jesus as one who solves all our problems, or as one who gives us a healthy self-esteem and happiness?” Good questions!
When introducing Jesus to his two disciples, John the Baptist presents Jesus as the “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (1:29, 36). John reminds us that our basic problem is sin, and our basic need is salvation. Jesus died for our sins.
The disciples immediately followed Jesus (v.37). Jesus then asked them a simple question: “What do you want?” (v.38). Would you have asked Jesus for good health? A better job? A happier marriage? More money?
The disciples asked a rather strange question: “Where are you staying?” (v.38). They weren’t asking for Jesus’ place of residence. What they were actually saying was: We want to spend time with You. They were not seeking something for themselves. They were seeking Jesus Himself. Come and see. The two disciples spent the day with Jesus (v.39). They modeled for us the demands and privilege of discipleship—spending time with Jesus.
Often we miss the opportunity to spend time with our Savior because we’re seeking something other than His presence. Do we desire the Giver more than the gifts? We need to pray like Richard of Chichester: “O most merciful Redeemer, may I know Thee more clearly, love Thee more dearly, follow Thee more nearly, day by day.”
We need to be spending time with Jesus because we want to know Him intimately. We can’t possibly tell others about Him if we don’t really know Him.
Reflection: Have you been spending time with Jesus this past week, talking with Him and listening to His Word?
Day six: most important?
Reading: Matthew 22: 34-40
If you’ve been a believer in Jesus for a while, you can probably easily answer the following question: “Which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?” (Matthew 22:36). The answer Jesus gave? “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind” (v.37).
But is that commandment truly the most important to us? Let me paraphrase that question with two more: Which command most dictates the way we live? Which command most influences our behavior?
Many other “commandments” which—due to our upbringing or personal inclination—may rise as most important. The “law” of watch out for No.1 and the “rule” of self-advancement are two you’ve likely run into.
Imagine this scenario: Someone is spreading vicious rumors about you. What will you do? Immediately launch a counterattack to preserve your good name? Or will you consider what a loving God demands of you, “Never pay back evil with more evil”? (Romans 12:17).
How about when your work piles up, or when you’re feeling pressured to climb over people on your way up the corporate ladder—what is your greatest commandment then? Is it still to love God? To seek the kingdom of God above all else? (Matthew 6:33).
Jesus not only described “loving God” as the greatest commandment, He also said that it is the “first” (v.38). This word implies priority. Loving God must take the highest priority. It takes precedence over any human desires or drives. This commandment must be the first consideration in all our decisions. We must watch out for that No. 1 as we approach our work, relationships, and all of our life.
Simply put, loving God with our all is foremost! Is this commandment the greatest in your life?
Day seven: life’s cliffnotes
Reading: Genesis 50: 14-22
When I taught high school English, my students’ use of CliffsNotes was an ever-present reality. I encouraged them to use these study guides along with reading the novel or play. While it’s true that the literary interpretations found in the guides could help them understand difficult passages, nothing could replace a firsthand reading of the complete works. To read the CliffsNotes in lieu of reading a novel would be like reading a recipe for apple pie instead of tasting the real thing. Shortcuts leave us shortchanged.
The same is true in our spiritual walk. Trials are our classrooms for character development. When pressed by the Potter’s hand, however, we’re tempted to claim that life is unfair or to look for a way out (Jeremiah 18:6).
Well-acquainted with the pain of others’ choices, Joseph knew hard times. The most important lessons he learned, though, came from what he believed about God’s heart (Genesis 50:20). The question is not whether difficult times will come but what our response will be when they do.
Jesus said that rain falls on the just and the unjust (Matthew 5:45). So the challenge is to seek the goodness of His hand in the midst of whatever trials we encounter. Paul wrote, “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them” (Romans 8:28 emphasis added). In order for things to work together for our good . . .
• we must love God, demonstrating it by our obedience (John 14:23).
• we must want to fulfill God’s purpose for our lives (Romans 8:28)—to become like His Son (v.29) for His glory (2 Corinthians 3:18).
As we do these things, like Joseph, we will know God’s goodness even during hard times.
taken from our daily journal
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