Climb Anyway: When You’re Willing to Rise Just to See Jesus

How many of us are really willing to climb up out of where we are in life just to see Jesus? I’m talking about climbing out of the heaviness, the confusion, the routines, the disappointments… the “this is just how life is right now” mindset. Because sometimes seeing Jesus clearly requires us to elevate our position — not because He’s far, but because life tries to crowd our vision.

Zacchaeus knew that feeling. Scripture calls him a “wee little man,” but let’s be honest — life makes all of us feel small sometimes. Small in courage. Small in strength. Small in faith. Small in the belief that things can actually get better. He could’ve stayed stuck behind the crowd, letting his limitations decide his view. But something in him said, “No… not today.” And with everything working against him, he climbed a sycamore tree.

And that tree wasn’t random. The sycamore symbolizes restoration, healing, protection, and refuge. Isn’t it just like God to position a tree of restoration right in front of a man who needed to be restored? Isn’t it like Him to let the very thing you have to climb become part of your healing? Sometimes the challenge you’re facing is really the tree God planted to lift you higher.

Zacchaeus didn’t climb because it was easy. He climbed because he refused to stay in a place where he could no longer see Jesus. And that speaks to us, right where we are. When life gets loud, when people overlook you, when circumstances make you feel smaller than you truly are… that’s when the climb matters most. Your climb might look like praying again after feeling empty. Showing up when you’re discouraged. Trusting God when you’re tired of waiting. Choosing peace instead of reacting. Healing instead of hiding. That climb is your sycamore.

And here’s what gets me every time: Jesus didn’t see Zacchaeus on the ground. He saw him in the climb. He saw the effort. The hunger. The determination to rise above the noise. And Scripture says Jesus looked up and called him by name. He didn’t just notice him — He visited him. “Come down, for today I must stay at your house.” God responds to movement. He responds to faith in action. He responds to those small, tired, trembling steps we take just trying to get closer to Him.

Some of us feel like Zacchaeus right now… too small for the calling, too worn down for the journey, too discouraged to try again. But don’t let that stop you from climbing. God isn’t waiting until you’re strong — He honors the climb. He blesses the effort. He shows up in the stretch. When you climb out of fear, He meets you with courage. When you climb out of doubt, He meets you with clarity. When you climb out of weariness, He meets you with rest. And when you climb out of the old version of yourself… He meets you with who you were always meant to be.

There is something powerful about shifting your position. Sometimes the view you’ve been waiting for… the breakthrough you’ve been praying for… the peace you’ve been craving… is sitting just above where you’ve settled. Zacchaeus could’ve accepted being hidden in the crowd, but instead he chose elevation. And the moment he rose, Jesus saw him.

So today, don’t stay where life has placed you. Climb anyway. Climb out of the cycles that drain you. Climb out of the doubts that haunt you. Climb out of the familiar that keeps you stagnant. Climb out of the smallness you’ve been believing about yourself. God has planted a sycamore right in front of you — something sturdy enough to hold you while you rise.

Jesus is still looking up and calling names. He’s still honoring the ones who stretch. He’s still visiting the hearts that reach. And He’s still showing up for the ones who dare to climb.

You keep climbing, beautiful. He’s already on His way.

TONYELLE’S TAKE:

Sometimes the blessing isn’t at the top of the tree — it’s in the courage it took to climb. Don’t underestimate the power of your effort. God sees you, even in the shaky moments where you’re climbing with tears in your eyes. Keep going, because your climb is about to call Jesus right into your situation.

LET’S PRAY ABOUT IT:

Lord, give me the strength to climb out of the places that no longer serve me. Help me rise above the noise, the doubt, and the fear so I can see You clearly. Meet me in my climb the way You met Zacchaeus. Call my name. Visit my heart. Guide my steps. And remind me that I am never too small for Your love, Your purpose, or Your plans. Amen.

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