JANUARY 9, 2013
Making
It Right
Read: Luke 19:1-10
If I
have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore
fourfold. —Luke 19:8
It
was a perfect day for our garage sale—bright and warm. People
rummaged through clothing,
paperbacks, and mismatched dishes.
I noticed a young woman looking at a string
of white beads. A few
minutes later, the necklace vanished along with its
admirer. I spotted
her in the street, jogged the length of my driveway, and
discovered
the missing jewelry nestled in her palm. As we faced each other with
the knowledge of what had happened, she volunteered to pay for the
stolen item.
Zacchaeus,
the tree-climbing tax collector, met Jesus and was changed.
He vowed to repay
four times the amount of money he had dishonestly
taken from others (Luke
19:8). In those days, tax collectors frequently
overcharged citizens and then
pocketed the extra funds. Zacchaeus’
eagerness to pay back the money and to
donate half of what he owned
to the poor showed a significant change of heart.
He had once been a
taker, but after meeting Jesus he was determined to make
restoration
and be a giver.
Zacchaeus’
example can inspire us to make the same kind of change.
When God reminds us
about items we have taken, taxes left unpaid,
or ways we have wronged others,
we can honor Him by making it right.
Help me, dear Lord, to be honest and true
In all that I say and all that I do;
Give me the courage to do what is right
To bring to the world a glimpse of Your light. —Fasick
A debt is never too old for an honest person to pay.
Source:
Our Daily Bread 2012
