FAITH CAPSULE:  Zacchaeus demonstrated the desire to find God.

Luke 19:1-10

The name Zacchaeus means pure. 
Zacchaeus had the desire to see Jesus. 
With a pure and sincere heart, he took charge to go after his heart, and grace answered on his behalf when he eventually received Jesus into his house. 
The desire of Zacchaeus to see Jesus overcame hindrances that were in place to deny him from seeing Jesus.
Among hindrances were his profession as a tax collector and his height. 
A tax collector was not characteristically the person who went out of his way to see and have an encounter with Jesus. 
Zacchaeus demonstrated that the way of living life is not enough to deny one from engaging and achieving the desire to have Jesus in life. 
Despite his short stature amid the crowd, his desire elevated him to a position where he could see Jesus. 
What is your challenge stopping you from seeing Jesus and having Him in his house? 
Despite the hindrances of Zacchaeus, the Bible says in Luke 19:4, “So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way.” 
Zacchaeus is an example of someone who knew what he wanted and how to get what he wanted from the Lord and Savior. 
Zacchaeus could have run ahead and stayed in the front line of the crowd. However, he took no chance when he decided to run and climb into a sycamore tree. 
As a short man, Zacchaeus had to engage in an extra challenge to climb into a tree, but the desire of the heart of Zacchaeus enabled him to see who Jesus was. 
Are you taking charge and not allowing any hindrance to deny you of your desire to have a life-changing encounter with Jesus? 
The apostle Paul declared, “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain, but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.”(1 Corinthians 15:10)  
When there is a desire to receive Jesus, grace will deposit what it takes for the desire to become manifest. 
The desire of Zacchaeus energized him to gain the attention of Jesus.
Zacchaeus did not labor in vain because Jesus noticed him.  
Jesus said, “Today salvation has come to this house because he also is a son of Abraham.”(Luke 19:9) 
Indeed and in truth, Zacchaeus, with the meaning of his name (Pure) lived up to the meaning of his name. 
It is written, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” (Matthew 5:8) 
For Zacchaeus, seeing Jesus started on the earth before he got to see Jesus in heaven.
Zacchaeus did not just see Jesus but received Jesus in his house because he sought him.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace of sincere desire of having Jesus come into your life.