“There was a crooked old man…” by illustrator Arthur Rackham (1867 – 1939)

A couple of unexpected twists to my day but regardless, You, Father, are still Sovereign and it all is in Your hands. May I never forget or take it for granted. Amen.
Luke 19:1-10 (<<click here to read the passage)
I am certain for many of us that if there were an option to do so, would gladly choose to go back in time and right some wrong of which we were guilty.
In doing a little research on a line of thought regarding today’s passage, I came across a very interesting take on a passage from King Solomon’s book of Ecclesiastes. First, here is the verse,
What is crooked cannot be straightened and what is defective and lacking cannot be counted. Ecclesiastes 1:12-18 AMP
When Solomon wrote these words he was referring, not to anything material like a piece of steel, but rather to the circumstances and events of communal life. An obvious example is that the past cannot be changed. An injustice might be resolved, or an apology given, but many lasting effects remain.
We must remember, though, that God has the power to straighten out what is twisted and to supply what is lacking, yet even He will not change the past. However, He can change the way the past affects us…
You can tell by the crowd’s reaction that when Jesus sees Zacchaeus up the sycamore tree and calls him down to go to his home that he had quite the reputation. He wasn’t just any tax collector; he was the chief tax collector to whom others reported… v2 AMP
It sounds like he was so bad that he gave a whole new twist to the idea of being crooked. And as Solomon said, what is crooked cannot be straightened…right? There is no way Zacchaeus could go back in time and right the innumerable wrongs of which he was guilty. But then…he met Jesus! He met the One who did have the power to straighten him out!
By giving to the poor and making restitution-with generous interest—to those he had cheated, Zacchaeus demonstrated inner change by outward action.*
Lord Jesus, my past has too many instances to count of when I too have been crooked in my heart and mindsets. I realize now that just following You in my head or heart alone is not enough. Though it might be easier for me to go back and “fix” things, the best way to fix things is to live out my faith by changing my behavior. I must repent, turn the other way – towards You and Your directives – and be the follower You need me to be. May I too demonstrate my inner change – it is an ongoing part of my life in You – by my outward action. May I love You enough to do what Your love for me calls me to. Amen.

*Life Application Study Bible New Living Translation

Oct 29th, 2020, Thurs, 1:06 pm