We are still learning how to make restitution appropriately, and we are still on the story of Mr. Zacchaeus the tax collector.
This morning, let us examine one more thing that made making restitution easy for him.
Luke 19:8 [TLB] Meanwhile, Zacchaeus stood before the Lord and said, “Sir, from now on I will give half my wealth to the poor, and if I find I have overcharged anyone on his taxes, I will penalize myself by giving him back four times as much!”
One thing is evident here. He was sincere. He didn’t try defending what he had done. He wasn’t going to beat around the bush. He didn’t try to blame the system or the government, as some would have done.
Little children, God wants and expects you to be sincere. The moment you are at fault, admit it.
So I am posing this question to you this morning;
Have you wronged someone before?
Have you cheated on a friend?
Have you unjustly used someone before?
If you are still trying to justify why you did what you did, you haven’t gotten the drift yet.
Now is the time to make amends.
Walk up to that friend and do the needful. If you need to involve your parents or guardians, by all means, do.
May God strengthen you as you decide to do things right, Amen.
Prayer: Lord, help me to make amends where necessary.
Action Point: Are there areas you need to make restitution? List them out.
Declaration: I am living for Jesus so I do things right!
The dictionary defines restitution as the restoration of something lost or stolen to its proper owner. It can also mean recompense for injury or loss. Restitution can involve money being paid back in some cases.
Were there cases of restitution in the bible? Yes, and in the next few days, we will be looking at these cases one by one.
The first case we will be examining is the case of Mr. Zacchaeus
In the case of Zacchaeus, we see that his encounter with Jesus in Luke chapter 19 facilitated his restitution.
Luke 19:8 [TLB] Meanwhile, Zacchaeus stood before the Lord and said, “Sir, from now on I will give half my wealth to the poor, and if I find I have overcharged anyone on his taxes, I will penalize myself by giving him back four times as much!”
This means you cannot totally make restitutions without meeting with Jesus.
So my first assignment is to lead you to Jesus if you’ve not met him.
Say after me;
Lord Jesus, I believe you came to the earth and that you died for me. I confess and I acknowledge you as my Lord and personal savior. Come into my life today. Come and reign over my affairs. I surrender my all to you this day. Thank you because I am now yours, amen.
As simple as that, you are now one with Christ.
Now, your journey to making restitution begins. Amen
Congratulations!
Prayer: Lord, help me to make amends where necessary.
Action Point: Are there areas you need to make restitution? List them out.
