Luke 19:10 “for the Son of Man has come to seek and save that which was lost.”
Dear God,
I thank You for this new day with much to appreciate and enjoy in this area of the world. I am very grateful that I have the freedom to worship You at home, and when I visit others for study and prayer, and at church. Again I ask Jesus to have my heart and mind so I will be able to walk His way, which is also Your way.
In my reading of 1 Kings 1 and 2 as well as Luke 19, I have been impressed by the fact that for many of us who think we are true to You in allegiance and actions, we may also be more focused on ourselves. It is easy to not think too much about how true is my/our obedience to all You ask. I/we may be satisfied about our love and service to You; for after all I/we go to church, and are involved in the planned programmes in and out of church? Actually I suspect even then I/we can on occasions still be more preoccupied about advancing my/ourselves and interests, than we are Yours. Then it is all too easy because of our busy schedule for church, home, work, family and friends to only manage to fit time for You here and there, even though it is our determination to make more time for You in our day.
Zacchaeus was a despised tax collector, and when Jesus singled him out up in the tree, and then invited Himself to his home, Zacchaeus was charmed and gave Jesus all his heart. So many of the Jewish people he knew, were ‘hung up’ on his past doings and occupation, and their hearts were not gladdened that he had sought Jesus or that Jesus loved him as he was.
They had expected the longed for Messiah to be the king of Israel, who would get rid of the occupying Romans, and restore their lost fortunes and status as a nation. Therefore the humble loving acts of Jesus did not fit the image at all for many who followed him around. They had failed to comprehend that Jesus was from God’s kingdom, and had come to earth to save all mankind from eternal destruction. Not to set up an earthly kingdom for their benefit!
I give thanks, that through Jesus salvation can be mine today, and I choose in His strength to be true and obedient, seeking to bring the knowledge about the love and salvation through Jesus to another.
Amen
2 Timothy 2: 11-13 “This is a faithful saying: for if we died with Him, we shall also live with Him. If we endure, we shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us. If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself’”
Dear God,
Thank You again for loving me and making Yourself available for us to love and get to know You. Topping this all off, You sent Your only precious Son into the world, to provide a way for each of us to have redemption from sin and eternal death, when we believe and accept Jesus.
In Hebrews 1: 2, I read that You Father God have appointed Your Son to be heir of all things, through whom You made the worlds. You and He are in agreement on all things, it is He “who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.” Hebrews 1: 3
Jesus please change me, so that I am truly Your child, always acknowledging who You are, and what You represent. It is more intimate for me, Father God, that You are revealed through Your Son, Creator and Redeemer. As it is to contemplate, through the power and direction of the Holy Spirit, I will be covered with the righteousness of Jesus and fitted to greet Him with Joy, when He comes again for His own.
Amen