April 7, 2024

When my wife and I were dating/engaged, I was in Houston, Texas, and she was in Anderson, Indiana. We would write almost daily, call via payphone every 2-3 weeks, and send cassette tapes back and forth. We did that for two years. Wanda saved all of those letters and tapes. Wanda scanned the letters, and we converted the cassette tapes to a digital format to keep them from getting lost. Over the last few years, we’ve been taking the letters and tapes with us on trips. Wanda reads the letters out loud, and we listen to the tapes we sent. Can I just say that if you’re looking for a way to restore the passion to your marriage, there’s nothing like remembering why you chose each other in the first place. Wow!
It’s easy to lose that spark, isn’t it? Life gets busy, there are kids to raise, jobs to do, and obligations to fulfill. So much so that the fire that you used to have for each other can begin to flicker and go out. You need to light that fire again. The same is true with God. When we first come to Christ, we often begin with a lot of passion. We’re so moved by His love. We’re so humbled by His grace. We’re in awe of a God who would choose US to be His very own! But that fire can begin to fade. We get busy. We get distracted. Before long our walk with God is more one of obligation and rule-following than one of awe and love. It’s not that we walk away. It’s just that we don’t chase after Him, worship Him, or just sit with Him the way we used to. We need to light the fire again.
That’s what I thought about when I read our passage today. Look at the words used to describe Zacchaeus’ response to Jesus. “Excitement and joy.” When was the last time you used those words to describe YOUR walk with God? Maybe we need to reread God’s letters to us in His word. Maybe we need to be reminded that what He did, He did for US. Maybe we need to remember and reclaim what it was that drew us to God in the first place. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to simply have a religion. I want to have a passionate, exciting, and joy-filled relationship with God. Let’s light the fire! That’s God’s Word for you today.