"BE INTENTIONAL"

Luke 19:1-10 (NLT)

“Jesus entered Jericho and made his way through the town. 2 There was a man there named Zacchaeus. He was the chief tax collector in the region, and he had become very rich. 3 He tried to get a look at Jesus, but he was too short to see over the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree beside the road, for Jesus was going to pass that way.5 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.”6 Zacchaeus quickly climbed down and took Jesus to his house in great excitement and joy. 7 But the people were displeased. “He has gone to be the guest of a notorious sinner,” they grumbled. 8 Meanwhile, Zacchaeus stood before the Lord and said, “I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord, and if I have cheated people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much!” 9 Jesus responded, “Salvation has come to this home today, for this man has shown himself to be a true son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.”

According to the Britannica dictionary, Intentional means, “done in a way that is planned or intended: deliberate”. To be intentional, is to make a deliberate choice that highlights what is important to us. Trying to accomplish a goal with intent, at the end of the day, brings purpose to our lives. As we read in our previous blog, “What’s your choice?”, we must acknowledge the importance of making the right choice in our daily lives. We want to be intentional knowing that the result of our choice will be pleasing unto the Lord. One Thursday, I was in the kitchen preparing meals for work. While doing so, I looked at the time and realized I had about 3 hours before church started and I still needed to finish up laundry and complete my daily devotion. I started to think about all I had to accomplish, and heard the soft still voice of the Lord say, “Be Intentional”. As I finished preparing my meals, I eliminated the laundry for another time; to make time to hear the Word of God. There was such a deep hunger in my soul, that nothing else mattered at that moment.

If we can be transparent with ourselves, at times, we submit to the less important things to do and miss out on what’s more important at that moment. As believers we know that Jesus is the living Word; active, powerful and what we need to survive. At the home of Martha and Mary (Luke 10:38-42), The Lord explained to Martha, “You are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed- or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her” (v.41-42). We also see a parallel mindset, as Mary's, in Zacchaeus; when he realized Jesus was coming through the town. He made the effort by running ahead to climb a tree just to see Jesus. Despite Zacchaeus' reputation, limitations, the crowd, and the naysayers, he looked past it all and pursued what was important.

The Bible declares, in John 6:44 “For no one can come to me unless the father who sent me draws them to me, and at the last day I will raise them up” (NLT). As the Lord pulled on Zacchaeus heart, he responded with great joy! The Lord looked up at Zacchaeus in the Sycamore-fig tree and said, “Quick, come down! I must be a guest in your home today”. Zacchaeus' encounter, with Jesus, reveals a life of transformation, Faith, Love, Grace and true repentance. According to Psalm 51:17, the Lord desires a broken (humility) spirit and a contrite (repentant) heart; He will not despise (reject) it. God will never reject a person that humbles themself, by acknowledging their wrongs and seeking God's help for making it right. We are all a working progress in the hands of the Potter. When we answer the call of the Lord, we must let Him mold us and shape us into His perfect Will; by yielding to nudges that create the purposeful changes He makes in our life. As we go throughout this week, let us “BE INTENTIONAL” in everything we do. Not only will you experience the Joy of the Lord by doing so, but just like Zacchaeus; salvation will manifest in our families and many others that God adds to our lives.

Please set time aside to read the scriptures referenced throughout.