Memorise: For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. - Luke 19:10
Read: Luke 19:1-10 (KJV)
1 And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho.
2 And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich.
3 And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature.
4 And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way.
5 And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house.
6 And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully.
7 And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner.
8 And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.
9 And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham.
10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.
Bible in One Year: Proverbs 24:23-27:22; 1 John 2:7-27
MESSAGE:
While on earth, Jesus demonstrated the nature and character of God to man (John 14:8-11).There was no one who came in contact with Him that did not testify of His goodness. Why was this always the case? It is because Jesus knew the purpose of His coming to earth. When the purpose of a thing is not known, abuse is inevitable. Because Jesus knew why He was here, He never wasted any opportunity. He was so committed to the business of seeking the lost that He even became the guest of sinners. There is so much potential being wasted today, because very few people are committed to the business of wining souls; whereas this is the global mandate given to every believer by the Lord. There is no one in Jesus' cabinet that is useless. Before He came into their lives, they might have been ordinary men, but after they became citizens of His kingdom, they became valuable instruments in the hands of God.
Anyone could be lost, irrespective of their position, titles or academic achievement. Even if you are a renowned professor, as long as you do not have Jesus in your heart, you are lost. There is no one who Jesus cannot receive. He is waiting earnestly for everyone to come to Him. In our Bible reading today, a chief sinner came to Jesus, and he got his salvation. This is the beauty of salvation: all you need to do is come to Jesus and receive Him as your Lord and Saviour. Salvation is for all. No matter how terrible you have been, just try Jesus, and He will make sense out of your life. He will not only receive you to Himself, He will polish away your rough ends to the point where you become a testimony to the entire world. All you need to do is make straight your crooked ways. Even if you have backslidden, He is waiting to accept you back by His love. To be lost in sin is a terrible thing. Sin has wages, and the wages of sin is death. It is sin that produces sickness, affliction, bondage and distress; but the moment you are found by the Lord through salvation, you begin to enjoy good health, abundant life and the peace of God, and live a holy life that counts to His glory. When you allow yourself to be found by the Lord, you can be assured that in your salvation lies your breakthroughs and victory. I was formerly lost, but when Jesus came into my life, everything changed. This can be your testimony too. Your past will no longer matter to God; He will only use it as a testimony of His faithfulness.
Prayer Point: Father, please save all those who are lost in my family.
Open Heavens Daily Devotional guide was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical church in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer's Ministries.
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