Daily Reading: Mark 10
Scripture Focus: Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it. (Mark 10.14-15)
Devotional Thought: Have you ever waited in a long line with your children to see Santa Claus? A couple of weeks ago, my husband and I waited in line at a local shopping center with our almost one-year-old daughter just for our turn to see St. Nick. We were fortunate - we only waited about 45 minutes! I have heard of people standing in line for 2 hours waiting their turn! Ellis screamed and hated every second of the visit with the man in red, but that's a different story.
When reading about people bringing their children to Jesus, I can't help but picture lines of parents and squirming kids, just like the Santa Claus lines today. The wait for them, however, had much higher stakes - Jesus blessing their children.
I can picture the disciples rolling their eyes - didn't Jesus and everyone understand that there were more important people to see? People to heal... people to teach... people who needed Jesus. Jesus, however, took the children in his arms and blessed them. He had all the time in the world for these children! Jesus used this as an opportunity for teaching. Children do not require an intellectual understanding to believe in something. They are trusting and feel secure when they are loved. Adults have a much harder time admitting their need for a sovereign God... especially those of us who are seemingly self-sufficient, independent, and skeptical.
May we have hearts more like children, and rest in the embrace of our loving Savior. May we receive his Kingdom, fully trusting that God is who he says he is. May we crawl into the lap of Jesus and let him love and bless us. He always has time for us!
-Emily Beasley
Prayer: Jesus, thank you for loving me, your child. Help me to crawl right into your lap and receive your blessings today. Amen.
Psalm of the Day: Psalm 7.1-5
1 O Lord my God, in you do I take refuge; save me from all my pursuers and deliver me, 2 lest like a lion they tear my soul apart, rending it in pieces, with none to deliver.
3 O Lord my God, if I have done this, if there is wrong in my hands, 4 if I have repaid my friend with evil or plundered my enemy without cause, 5 let the enemy pursue my soul and overtake it, and let him trample my life to the ground and lay my glory in the dust. Selah
Comments