I Don’t Want to Miss It

The son of man came to seek and to save the lost. – Luke 19:10

Devotion:

Music is powerful. There are times when I hear specific lyrics, and I know there is a lesson I need to learn. I often am drawn to the connections between Scripture and lyrics. Listening to some of my favorite songs on repeat reminds me of the repetition that comes with prayer, and I find myself opening my Bible.

There’s a song titled, I Don’t Want to Miss It that tells the story of a lost soul climbing a sycamore tree without any hesitation to try to get a glimpse of Jesus.

Below are a few of the lyrics that prompted me to learn more. (Tap on the link at the end of this devo to listen to Ellie Holcomb’s song.)

I don’t want to miss a thing
So I climbed up in a sycamore tree
‘Cause I don’t want to miss a thing
And I don’t want to miss it
I don’t want to miss a thing
I don’t want to miss the melody
That you’ve been singing over me

From those lyrics, I found more in the book of Luke:

Jesus entered Jericho and ... Zacchaeus wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he could not see over the crowd, he ... climbed a sycamore tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. Jesus ... looked up and said, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” So he came down and welcomed him gladly. – Luke 19:1-5

People are drawn to crowds. With so much going on around us every day, it seems natural to wonder what we’re looking at or talking about. We look at our phones and tap into social media to see what we’ve missed. We slow down and investigate when we see a crowd of people. It doesn’t take long to find ourselves moving with the motion of others, still craning our necks to see what we’re missing.

This must have been what it was like as Jesus walked through Jericho—people practically surrounding Jesus, and like anyone, Zacchaeus wanted a look at what was happening. He wanted to learn more about Jesus. He needed a better view, so he climbed above the crowd in that sycamore tree. He was seeking.

When Jesus saw Zacchaeus, he knew this man needed him. Jesus was seeking him, too.

I can remember a moment of clarity when our family found our church home. As followers of Jesus, my husband and I wanted to learn more about the Bible, and we wanted our twin daughters to grow in Christ’s love. We were seeking. When we walked into the sanctuary at Crossings and sat in the back, Charlie said, “This church is so big.” I shook my head and said, “Something special is happening here. Let’s move up in the pews next week and see what the message is like from a closer view.” From that vantage point, we had more focus. Through classes, church camps, and small groups, our family has learned so much from amazing pastors and teachers. We miss church if we go out of town, and while we enjoy the online service, we love our “pew buddies” and sharing in praise, worship, and volunteering together. I’m so grateful we were looking for Jesus, and we found his love here for our whole family. Hebrews 10:25 teaches us, “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another.”

LESSONS I AM LEARNING FROM THIS SONG AND THESE SCRIPTURES:

When we make a strong effort to know Jesus, we are rewarded. Living our lives seeking him on a daily basis is where we find peace. Look for Jesus along the road of life.
Zacchaeus teaches us to listen for the voice of God in our personal lives and respond without holding back. And that’s similar to the lyrics, “I don’t want to miss the melody that you’ve been singing over me.”
Even more powerful lyrics in the song are:
I breathe in, “I love you”
I breathe out, “I love you”
Imagine when we breathe in, God is saying, “I love you,” and when we breathe out, our response is “I love you” to him. It is a beautiful reminder in times of stress (or any time) to breathe, pray, and receive God’s love.
Zacchaeus had no idea that when Jesus walked along the dusty roads of Jericho, it was his last trip to Jerusalem. What if he would have avoided the crowds, or stayed in the back of the crowd, or didn’t climb that tree? Zacchaeus would have missed it.
The sycamore tree is a symbol of strength. It also represents that place in our own lives where we have a clear vision of Jesus.
Accept and feel gratitude in this truth: Jesus had already been seeking Zacchaeus long before he climbed in the sycamore tree. He is reaching for us every day!

Seek him. Listen to him and follow him.
Take hold of the hand of our Father.
Don’t miss that moment. And don’t let go!

PRAYER

Dear God, we are grateful for every new day you give us. You never give up on us, and you find ways to remind us that you have always loved us. Give us strength for today and hope for tomorrow. Encourage us to always keep looking for Jesus along the path before us, even if we have to climb above the crowd for clarity. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen

Becky Towe
Graphic Designer

As a member the Communications Team at Crossings, Becky creates layouts for posters, flyers, monitors, online graphics for the website, and more. She loves collaborating with the pastors and ministry teams to help design strong visuals to support their messages about the love of Christ.

FUN FACT FROM THIS STUDY:

While there are not any sycamore trees growing at the Crossings OKC location, there is a beautiful, old sycamore tree beside the Crossings Clinic & Community Center!

(Shown in the above photo and in the wallpaper images you can download below)

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