Morning Meditation

Good Morning and Happy Wednesday!

In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:4-6 (NIV)

He Said What?!?

“What did he just say?” People were shocked to hear what the tax collector said. They began to mutter amongst themselves. Like all his kind, he was known to cheat and lie in order to line his pockets with monies that didn’t belong to him. All the tax collectors did that. It was even expected. And he was the chief tax collector! But now this sinner named Zacchaeus, who had become wealthy on the backs of the poor, was publicly promising to give half his possessions to the poor! And moreover, he promised to provide monetary reparations for those he had stolen from! Had he lost his mind? (Luke 19:2-8)
Indeed Zacchaeus had lost his mind…and his heart and whatever else he held most precious after an encounter with Jesus Christ. I would argue that Zacchaeus didn’t so much as try to be a better man, as he was changed into a better man by his newfound intimacy with his Lord and savior.
(Luke 19:8)
His spiritual, psychological and emotional metamorphosis stands in blatant contrast to another rich man who seemingly wanted to make the effort to be a better man. But that rich man just couldn’t or wouldn’t allow himself the same intimacy with Christ that Zacchaeus did. That rich man walked away from Christ sadly. (Matthew 19:16-22)
Where do you see yourself? Are you trying to make a change by your own force of will? Don’t you know that it is God who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose? (Philippians 2:13)
It is He who exchanges our rebellious hearts for one fashioned after His. (Ezekiel 11:19)
Where would we be without His Grace?
God is so awesome!
Be encouraged!