-God Knows You And Loves You

God Knows You And Loves You

“Then Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature. So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, ‘Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house.’” —  Luke 19:1-5 NKJV

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One of the most enjoyable things tourists do when they travel to the land of Israel is go to see the ancient sycamore trees in Jericho. And they can’t help but wonder which tree it was that Zacchaeus climbed to look for Jesus.

To most people in Jericho at that time, Zacchaeus was more of a nuisance than anything else. Jewish tax collectors were seen as sellouts, people who could make a lot of money working for Rome and ripping off their kinsmen. No one wanted anything to do with them. No one, that is, but Jesus.

The gathering crowd pushed Zacchaeus out of the way. So he climbed up that tree and looked for the Savior. And as Jesus passed that way, to the amazement of that lonely little man, He stopped, looked up at him and called him by name! Zacchaeus must have thought to himself, “He knows my name!”

Isn’t that wonderful about Jesus? He knows you. He knows every hair on your head; they’re even numbered by Him (Mt. 10:30). And He wants to be with you.

No matter who you are or what you’ve done, the best friend you can ever have is Jesus. He loves you so much that He died on the cross for you (Jn. 15:13-15; 3:16). So spend time with Him every day in prayer and in His Word. And remember, when others reject you, Jesus accepts you. So cling to Him every day.

By Patrick Pakai

With permission to publish by: Sam Hadley, Grace & Truth, 210 Chestnut St., Danville, IL., USA. Website: www.gtpress.org

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