Jesus in Your Heart

“When Jesus came to the place, He looked up and said to him, ‘Zaccheus, hurry and come down, for today I must stay at your house.’ And he hurried and came down, and received Him joyfully.”—Luke 19:5–6 NASB

Rufus McDaniel faced the challenge of dealing with the tragic death of his son Herschel. As he had done so often, he expressed his thoughts in a hymn, called “Since Jesus Came into My Heart.”

Dealing with this tragedy, McDaniel declared how he continued to turn to Jesus. He wrote how “a wonderful change in my life has been wrought.” Light had come into his soul, and he “ceased from [his] wandering and going astray.” His sins were “washed away.”

Jesus had given him a “steadfast and sure” hope. Doubts were gone. Instead, “There’s a light in the valley of death now for me.” He even had hope for the future as he could see “the gates of the city beyond.”

He knew he would “go there to dwell in that City.” Perhaps thinking about his son, this thought brought joy and peace to his heart. He described how “floods of joy o’er my soul like the sea billows roll.”

Lives change when Jesus comes into our hearts. This parallels the experience of Zaccheus, a tax collector hated by the common people—a man called a “sinner” (v. 7). Yet Jesus completely changed his life, so he brought Him “joyfully” to his house.

Do you know anyone who is troubled? Who is worried and afraid? Who feels rejected? Who needs salvation? Remember, Jesus still changes lives and saves the lost. He gives hope to the hopeless.

Reflection Question: Write a prayer for loved ones who need Jesus today.