Making Room

Daily Scripture Readings

Monday - Proverbs 27:1-10

Tuesday - Luke 19:1-10

Wednesday - Proverbs 27:11-22

Thursday - Psalm 96

Friday - John 1:1-14

Saturday - Revelation 3:14-222 

Opening Prayer

Kind Father, You are the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation. Lord, you know us and you see us through and through. Speak to us afresh, today, that we might see things as you see them. Let us receive both your encouragement and your corrections. In all this let us welcome you into our hearts and lives more fully. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.

Devotional Thoughts:

Have you considered the story of Zaccheaus lately? Tuesday’s reading (Luke 19:1-10) outlines the story of this short tree-climbing tax collector who is eager to get a look at Jesus when He comes by. For as many times as I’ve read the story, I’m always surprised at Jesus’ response. He invites Himself over! Can you imagine what must’ve been going through Zaccheaus’ mind? Shock? Awe? I can’t imagine he had hosted in a while. As a tax collector he was considered a sellout, a cheat, and the odds that anyone wanted to share a meal with him were most likely few if any at all. Talk about scandalous! People mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.” Unfortunately, Luke leaves out the content of the dinner conversation but we see the response. Zaccheaus stands and declares,  “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.” Sounds to me like warm-hearted change. Jesus describes it as salvation having come to Zaccheaus. 

Don’t you love the way God works? A friend once said to me “The Gospel isn’t about getting warm and coming to the fire. It’s about coming to the fire and getting warm.” In a world where it’s easy to see the ways in which others (or ourselves for that matter) aren’t living right we are reminded that God is inviting Himself in–for dinner, but for so much more and that– encounter with God and hospitality with Him is the beginning of life in the Kingdom of God.