Today's encouragement comes from Luke 19:5, where we read these words:
"And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him [Zacchaeus], and said to him, 'Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house.' "This is the only place in the Gospel accounts where I can recall that the Son of God actually "looked up” at/to any man. Zacchaeus, the once-proud, swin-dling tax collector, is now humbled, and honored (by Jesus' presence in his heart, and his house).
Zacchaeus' conversion was thorough, beautiful, and remarkable. He was a comprehensively new man. From now on, the former-cheater would always "look up" to the Blessed Savior, and give Him all the glory and honor. May we do the same.
[Puritan quote of the day: "Surely, if the devil knew how much benefit would accrue to the saints through his temptations, he would quit tempting.”
—Thomas Watson, in, "All Things for Good"]