Being different from the crowd can be painful at times. Zacchaeus knew what it was like. He had the reputation of being an untrustworthy tax collector. Even though he was a wealthy man, he had another disadvantage. He was too short to peek around the crowd in order to see Jesus coming.
What would you do if you were Zacchaeus? Would you have felt angry at God for making you too short? Despite disadvantages, Zacchaeus refused to give up. He was proactive in his quest to see Jesus. He ran ahead of everyone to climb the sycamore-fig tree so he’d be able to see Jesus as He came down the lane.
Zacchaeus waited in hope. Hope leads to faith, and faith attracts something amazing. Walking past, Jesus noticed Zacchaeus in the tree and asked him to come down so he could go to his house for dinner. Zacchaeus’ uniqueness enabled him to stand out from the crowd. Jesus responded to the impoverishment of the man’s soul with mercy and forgiveness, shining His light on him.
You might not be too short physically, but perhaps you are short of something that you long for? Could you be facing a hardship such as sickness, lack of something you desire, pain from a broken relationship, or feel disadvantaged? Wait in hope, knowing that Jesus won’t pass you by either when you seek Him out.
Dear Father God, Search my heart and if there is any bitterness against you due to any circumstance or even affliction that has happened to me in the past, I let it go now. Please soften my heart Lord to accept that you are sovereign, faithful, kind and loving and that you will never allow me to go through anything that’s beyond what I can bear when leaning on you. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Go Deeper ― If you believe that there is anything that’s preventing you from moving forward, see if you are “coming up short” in hope? Ask God to reveal His mercy and thank Him for not passing you by.
Further reading: Jesus Came to Bring Hope.