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When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.”

“I don’t have time for religion. Life is so busy right now with work and the kids and everything else. We will get back to church one of these days.” Does that sound familiar? Perhaps you have even thought about it yourself. Faith, religion, and church are all things that easily find a place on the back burner in our lives. So many things seem more pressing. There are deadlines to meet, quotas to fill, and memories to make. There are ball games to attend, vacations to take, and deals to close. And so, we tell ourselves that we will make time for God later: either when we get married, when we settle down and have kids, or maybe even when we retire.

But here’s the question: what if Jesus decides that today is the day he wants to meet you face to face, like he did with Zacchaeus? He told Zacchaeus, “I must stay at your house today.” What if he says that to you before this day is over? None of us are guaranteed tomorrow. At any given moment, God could decide that our time on earth is over.

Are you ready? If Jesus decides that today is the day, we don’t need to be afraid of meeting him. Jesus has already removed any reason for us to fear him. He has paid for our sins by dying on the cross and has guaranteed our eternal life by rising from the grave. He has forgiven us and saved us, and through faith in him, we can trust that he will take us home to heaven.

Life has a way of getting in the way of our faith. Make time for Jesus and spend time with him in worship and Bible study so that when Jesus says that today is the day, you will be ready to meet him.

Dear Jesus, thank you for saving me and giving me the gift of heaven. Help me not to put you on the back burner today. Amen.

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All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.