Background Story: Jesus has been healing and delivering people everywhere He went. As His fame has grown, so have the crowds that followed Him.

Read Luke 19:1-10

Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. ² A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. ³ He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. ⁴ So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.

⁵ When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” ⁶ So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.

⁷ All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.”

⁸ But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”

⁹ Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. ¹⁰ For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

Big Idea: Don’t let distractions keep you from Jesus.

One thing is for sure…life is full of distractions! You start your day with a plan and then something happens and your plans are totally disrupted. In this story of Zacchaeus, we see a man who was apparently super short. Jesus was nearby and Zacchaeus wanted to see Him, but his height and the people around him were obstacles. To keep from missing Jesus, this grown man climbed a tree so he didn’t miss an encounter with Jesus.

As you get older, life just gets busier as your responsibilities increase at home and work. In this busy, technology filled world, how can we make sure we don’t miss our encounter with Jesus?

1- Be Intentional: Set intentional time in your day to spend time with God. Like Zacchaeus, get away from the distractions and position yourself in a place to meet Him. For me, I have a place in my house I like to go each morning. Don’t wait and “find time.” Intentionally set that time and guard it as precious.

2- Meet God Throughout the Day: As needs arise, don’t wait until tomorrow’s devotion time to talk to God about it. We are instructed to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). This doesn’t mean shutting your eyes and folding your hands to pray while you’re driving a car. Please don’t do that. It means that throughout your day, you can stop and talk to God about anything. I heard a pastor one time call these breath prayers. As life happens, you can continue in conversation with God, talking to Him about all things.

3- Praise Him All the Time: Praise put everything in its proper place. As you praise, you are reminded that God is strong, faithful, good, holy, righteous, and so much more. Doubt, fear, worry, and insecurity flee as faith rises. When you have the chance, turn on praise music in your day and attune your heart to Him.

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Dig Deeper: Mark 1:35, Luke 6:12, Psalm 27:8, Psalm 55:16-17, Jeremiah 29:13, 1 Corinthians 2:9-12, Philippians 4:4-8, Matthew 6:25-33, Psalm 3:3-5, 2 Timothy 3:14-17

Similar Devotions: A Friend, Your First, The Undertow, Oh So Busy, Authentic Worship, Undivided Heart, Oh My Soul, Caused to Question, So Glad, Been With Jesus, Looking For Water, Training For Water

Devotions4Teens Video: Sneaky Sin, 3 Tips to Help You Grow Closer to God!, Help Reading Your Bible, Becoming More Like Jesus, Thirsting For God