For today, One Year Bible Online links here.
If you acquire wealth by get-rich-quick or dishonest schemes (there is often very little difference between the two), you will quickly lose that wealth. The only wealth that will last is that which is built bit-by-bit through hard work.
The psalmist tells us that God has founded a city which is greatly blessed. That city goes by the name of Jerusalem. The citizens of that city are loved by God, but it is not like other cities. God will write the names of people from every nation down as citizens of His Jerusalem. Yes, I will sing that the source of my life comes from Jerusalem, the city of our God.
Here we have the story of Zacchaeus, one of my favorite Bible stories. I am not sure what it is about this story that I like so much. Perhaps it is the image of Zacchaeus up in the tree, quickly climbing down when Jesus addresses him directly. I always visualize him almost falling out of the tree in his haste to answer Jesus. As I think about it, I realize that much of why I like this story is Zacchaeus’ enthusiastic response to Jesus. The story starts with Zacchaeus trying to find a place to get a look at Jesus as He passes by, but then it quickly changes when Jesus tells Zacchaeus that He is coming to his house. I want to be that enthusiastic about Jesus. On the other hand, are we as welcoming of sinners as Jesus was? Or are we more like the people who grumble because Jesus reached out to Zacchaeus?
Once the people of Israel had taken control of a good portion of the land they set up the Tabernacle at Shiloh. Joshua then turned to the remaining tribes and asked them, “How long are you going to wait before taking possession of the remaining land the Lord, the God of your ancestors, has given to you?” How long are we going to wait until we take ownership of the promises which God has made to us? I am not sure what this means for me, but I feel convicted that there are things which God has been calling me to do that I need to stop waiting for the right time and just do them. I pray that God’s Spirit will make what these are plain to me in the coming days.