Come Down
And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house. ~Luke 19:5
Anyone who has made the arduous attempt of climbing a tall mountain landscape or a steep mountainside knows the elation of standing at the top and seeing the splendor of the valley area below. There is a sense of accomplishment and a feeling of having conquered something that seemed impossible. Anyone who has climbed the ladder of success and has reached the top knows there is a feeling of achievement that we started at the bottom and have arrived. However, we must realize that we cannot stay at the top for long. We must realize in life that accomplishment, acumen, and accumulations lead to pride, self-reliance, and independence from God. We accept the devil’s lie that we have arrived and we deserve what we have achieved. This morning, Zacchaeus teaches us a valuable lesson on humility. He teaches us that we must come down before we can go up.
There is the submission in humility.
Zacchaeus was told to come down out from the tree where he was perched. We have a better appreciation of Jesus when we are humbly at His feet than when we are perched in a tree. Coming down is letting go of our pride, self-promotion, and vainglory. It is realizing that we are nothing and He is all that matters. Zacchaeus had been on top all of his adult life. He needed to come down in order to be saved. He needed to come down in order to be right with God. He needed to come down if he wanted rest for his soul. Have you gotten so high up in your thinking that it might be time for you to submit and come down?
There is the swiftness in humility.
Zacchaeus made haste and came down. When we come face-to-face with our sinfulness and our selfishness, we must move quickly and seek the Lord. Too many Christians think that tomorrow is sufficient for humility. Jesus was coming through where Zacchaeus lived. He needed to come down quickly, or the opportunity to be close to Jesus would be gone. Are you struggling with pride and conceitedness? Then, you need to make haste and come down. If you want the Lord’s closeness in your life and family, then like Zacchaeus, you must make haste and come down.
There is the success in humility.
Zacchaeus got saved! Humility leads to salvation. Humility leads to answered prayer. Humility leads to wrong living being made right.. Humility is favorable with God. "Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time." Not self-promotion, but Savior promotion! Not self-achievement but self-abasement! He that is last shall be first. True success does not come from being lofty and lifted up. True success is nestled in humility.
We need to come down before we can go up. We need to get out of our conceited position, and be comfortable at the feet of the Lord. Take the example of Zacchaeus, and remember how he made haste and came down.
Have a humble God Morning!
Bible Reading Schedule: Malachi 1-4