"I see you"

When God gives you a visual a few nights ago that is deeper than you want at that time of night, you are thankful when He follows up with a scripture visual. The other visual may or may not be a blog later, but not yet. The visual ended with the God saying "I see you". which led me to a story of a little man and a tree.

So the visual in scripture was Zacchaeus. I've heard this story, read this story, and taught this story many times over the years. However this time I took yet another look just to see what God wanted to say. God's word is active and alive, what God said through it in one season, may not be what He uses it to say in another season. If He's leading you to a certain passage or story, take a new look at it again.  The verses from Luke 19 are at the bottom if you want to take another look again. 

Zacchaeus wanted to see who Jesus was, but due to what he could see in the physical, he knew he needed a new perspective. When Jesus got to where He already knew Zacchaeus would be, He called out to him. Despite what the other people said about Zacchaeus, he knew what he needed to do. Once he was in the presence of the One he sought out, he was changed. Zacchaeus not only felt the change, he walked it out. 

Zacchaeus wasn't going to let what stood in his way or the comments of others to keep him from seeing who He needed to see. He knew he needed a new perspective in order to get a glimpse of the One he was seeking to see. Let that sink in...how many times do what we need to do in order to get that perspective we need? We want to see Jesus but are we willing to climb the tree to get to that place? Jesus knew where Zacchaeus would be that day even before he climbed the tree. 

Don't let perspective (or lack of) keep you from His presence. Zacchaeus didn't have to climb the tree that day to be seen by Jesus, but he had to climb that day in order for him to see Jesus. God knows where we are at always, but sometimes it takes a climb to get to a place where we can see Him without limitations or distractions. 

Luke 19 Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy.3 He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-figtree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.

5 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.”6 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.

7 All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.”

8 But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”

9 Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”