Come Down
“How often they rebelled against Him in the wilderness and grieved Him in the desert! Again and again, they tempted God, and pained the Holy One of Israel. They did not remember His power, the day when He redeemed them from the adversary,
“He gave also their crops to the grasshopper and the product of their labour to the locust. He destroyed their vines with hailstones and their sycamore trees with frost.” Psalm 78:40-42, 46-47
“Then Amos replied to Amaziah, ‘I am not a prophet, nor am I the son of a prophet; for I am a herdsman and a grower of sycamore figs. But the Lord took me from following the flock and the Lord said to me, Go prophesy to My people Israel.’ Now hear the word of the Lord; you are saying, ‘You shall not prophesy against Israel nor shall you speak against the house of Isaac.’” Amos 7:14-16
The sycamore-fig tree is an ancient tree that grows to impressive heights and provides refreshing shade to all. The fruit is a small, nutrient-dense fruit that is still eaten today for its bone strengthening and anti-inflammatory benefits. In biblical times it was primarily used to feed animals.
When I think of a sycamore tree, the story of Zacchaeus (Luke 10:1-10) comes to mind. He was the short and dishonest chief tax-collector in Jericho who climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Jesus as He was passing by.
But Jesus noticed him and called him to come down and told him He would be staying at his house today. The crowd was jealous of Zachaeus and as his heart changed, he realised the importance of repentance and the need to right his wrongs to the people. His story is about how saving faith changes us – not for personal reward or gain, but for our good and His glory.
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Take care with love, especially His, from Darlene, who still prays for you each day.
PS: You can also find the devotions on line/ on your mobile phone here: www.weakdaydevotion.com .
NOTES: I choose to believe the Bible because it's a reliable collection of historical documents written down by eyewitnesses during the lifetime of other eyewitnesses. They reported supernatural events that took place before, of specific prophecies; and claim that their writings are divine rather than human in origin.
The Five Solas: Individuals are saved by grace alone, through faith alone in Christ alone, as revealed by Scripture alone to the glory of God alone!
Find my full statement of faith: https://especiallyhislove.blogspot.com (where you will also find a series of Bible studies). For the books, go to Amazon books. For prayer requests/ updates, email: darlenerichard@gmail.com