Climbing Trees

Luke 19: 1-10 1 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 being a short man he could not, because of the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree 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 what was lost."
Today in service we heard awesome message about Zaccehaus...and the Lord just spoke to my heart. As the minister started speaking today, she pointed out that Zaccheaus, was a very wealthy man. But something in his life was missing. I just started praying..."God, why did Zaccheaus really climb that old tree for?" I mean yeah, I know he was a wee little man and climbed into the tree to see who Jesus was, but why did he really climb into that tree. He could have just pressed his way through the crowd.
Zaccheaus was short, no doubt about it...but he was also rich. But something was missing in his life. Something that can only be fulfilled by a relationship with Jesus Christ our savior. The reason he climbed into that tree was the same reason we all climb trees (spiritually speaking)...we want to see and be close to the living God. The God that came to earth in the form of a living, breathing man to love us, to teach us and to give us much needed forgivness.
Notice what happened, Jesus told Zaccheaus, "Come down immediately..." In other words, don't hesitate to see me...come now...come see me now. Jesus also says "I am going to your house for dinner." He called Zaccheaus by his name...a very personal thing to do, and then he said, "I am coming to your house..." I want to come live within your heart. Zaccheaus wasn't expecting that Jesus would see him or mention him...but He did...He took Zaccheaus' very impersonal way of getting to see Jesus, and turned it into a personal experience by going to spend time with Zaccheaus.
Each day, we climb trees to just see God. To see what he looks like or to be closer to Him. But while we are up there we often treat it as something impersonal...and we shouldn't. We should treat each moment that we spend with God as a treat...Jesus came to our "house" to live...and we should take that very seriously...because it's that relationship with Jesus that purifies us...converts our mistakes and sins into lessons we can use for His glory.
Today I want to encourage you to take time and seek out those places that you need God to come into and sweep out. Invite God to come to your house...to live with you, to call you by your name...