365 Days of the Great Names of God, Day 216: God of Zacchaeus

God of Zacchaeus

"When Jesus came by, he looked up at Zacchaeus and called him by name. 'Zacchaeus!' he said. 'Quick, come down! I must be a guest in your home today...Today salvation has come to this house.'" (Luke 19:5,9a NLT)

So Jesus was in town one day, and Zacchaeus wanted to get a better look at Him. Being short on both height (he didn't have much) and friends (he didn't have any), Zacchaeus found an unconventional vantage point from which to view the Man Himself. He was in a tower, after a fashion.

But it was not a very true tower. Sycamore trees' wood is strong and useful, but as the sycamore ages, a fungus attacks and consumes the heartwood. The fungus doesn’t kill the tree, but it makes it weak and hollow (https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/trees/sycamore/sycamore-tree-care.htm).

Zacchaeus' choices, habits, and lifestyle had not killed him, but they were a fungus that had left him weak and hollow. He sought strength in the sycamore tree, but true Strength found him and called him by name.

I wonder how often I seek strength in things that look sturdy and dependable? They do not kill me, but they leave me weak and hollow. I need to hear the same voice that called to Zacchaaeus calling to me—“Elizabeth! Quick, come down! I must be a guest in your home today!"

*   *   *   *   *   *
Oh, God, show me where I am trusting in hollow sycamore trees instead of in your holiness and salvation. Be not just a guest in my heart's home but a permanent resident to Whom I give the place of honor.