Are You Desperate?

"And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho.  And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich. And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature. And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way. 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. And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully." (Luke 19:1-6).

     Zacchaeus was an unkind man. He took money from tax payers that he was not entitled to take. He was not respected by the people of his town. He was a sinner. He had heard that Jesus was coming through town. He wanted to see Jesus. He didn't want anything or anyone to hinder him from seeing Jesus. Jesus began walking through the crowd, and Zacchaeus could not see Him; because he was a short man. He was desperate to see Jesus, so he climbed a tree to get a better look. I'm sure he thought he was unseen up in that tree. He probably thought no one knew he was there. This Scripture does not say that he wanted to talk to Jesus. It doesn't say that he wanted a miracle from Jesus. It simply says he wanted to see Jesus.  What he didn't understand was that Jesus saw him in that tree. Jesus knew he was there. He stopped walking and began talking with Zacchaeus. He let Zacchaeus know that He wanted to spend some time with him. This was more than Zacchaeus thought would happen. Jesus went to his house! All of this happened because Zacchaeus was desperate to see Jesus!

       Have you ever wanted something?  Have you ever wanted it so badly that you would stop at nothing to make it happen? Desperation leads to action. If you want something badly enough, you will do whatever you can to see it through. What are you desperate for? More money? Relationships?  A fancy house? A new car?  

      Are you desperate for Jesus? Do you look for opportunities to spend time with Him or do you make excuses for not spending that time with Him?  Are you desperate for more of Him? As we see from this story with Zacchaeus, when he was desperate to see Jesus, he got more than that. When we are desperate for more of Jesus, we will not be disappointed. When we are determined to see Jesus, He sees us. 

      We should not allow anything or anyone to hinder us from getting to Jesus. We must be willing to rise above our circumstances. There is no time like now. Too often, we allow busy schedules, t.v. people, possessions, or anything else to keep us from Jesus.  Jesus is more important than anything in this life. If we seek Him, we will find Him. If we are desperate for more of Him, nothing will hinder us. 

     He is passing your way right now. Are you willing to do whatever it takes to receive Him? Are you desperate? Only when you are desperate will you truly make your way to Him. There are so many stories in the Word of God where people were desperate for a miracle. Some cried out to Him, some followed Him to touch Him, while others knelt at His feet. Whatever their circumstance, they didn't let the crowds of people discourage them from seeking Him. They did not stop until they received their miracle. What are you seeking today? Do not allow people to discourage you. Do not let distractions hinder you. Don't let circumstances rob you. If you are desperate for Him, He will come to you and you will never be the same.