At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18:1-4, ESV)
What an interesting passage of Scripture! Can you imagine hearing these words from Jesus directly, that you must become more like a child. This must have caught his disciples quite off guard.
Our hope, the God of the Universe, loves you, his child. He cares for you and protects you perfectly.The day: October 23, 2016, at 3:36 in the afternoon. What was significant about this day and time, just a little over a week ago now? Our first baby arrived to us! Charlie was born weighing eight pounds, thirteen ounces and is doing great! We are excited about our new adventure and looking forward to what the Lord has in store!
As I am reflecting now and seeing what God has taught me and shown me the past week or so, this passage came to mind. If you would allow, let me share the biggest thing that has been on my mind recently and how it can relate to our Christian walk.
Charlie, today, is the humblest he will ever be in his lifetime. Think about that for a second. He is fully dependent, he is in complete need of full, hands-on care, and he has no potential of boasting. He is completely modest—he has no way of protecting himself.
This is why Jesus said to his disciples that one must be childlike in humility in order to enter the kingdom. One must be fully aware and willing to be stripped down, fully in need of a Savior. One must not boast, because boasting is admitting that you don’t need a Savior.
You see, Charlie is now in need of two things: parental care and love, and a Savior, King Jesus, to wash him clean of his sins. On earth, it is Hannah’s and my responsibility to care for his needs, feed him, bathe him, change him, put him to bed. However, this only takes care of his temporal, physical, earthly needs. One day, my boy Charlie must recognize his need for an eternal, heavenly Savior who lived the perfect life for him and died a death worthy enough to pay for all of his sins. It is the God of the Bible who can take care of his children fully and perfectly.
You see, Charlie’s parents will try their best to protect him, comfort him, take care of him, and love him. But, because we are sinners, we will fail often. Our hope is that this will point to a greater hope. A hope that doesn’t fail. A hope that doesn’t fade. A hope that lasts forever. This is King Jesus’ kingdom!
Brothers and sisters, we must humble ourselves like a child. Helpless, fully needy, and fully dependent on someone or something. We, the children of God, are in total need of a Savior. Our hope, the God of the Universe, loves you, his child. He cares for you and protects you perfectly. May you find hope in this today.
—
Rosson Anderson
October 31, 2016
Copyright 2016 Links Players International
The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.