We read in the Scriptures about "child-like" faith and personally I think child-like faith is so awesome. For instance, I look at my three-year old when he prays. There is no hesitation in him at all to ask God for anything. He fully believes God is listening. Fully believes God cares about every word that is coming out of his mouth. He'll tell God all about his day, things he'd like to have, and the people he loves. Sometimes there is no "prayer" just my boy talking to Jesus. When he finishes his time talking to Jesus, he's bouncy, happy, and there's a joy over him. A joy of "My God loves me and hears me." A joy that speaks, "I don't have to worry now, God heard me and will take care of it." A joy that says, "I can rest."
I so love the scripture from Psalm 8:2,
In Matthew 21:16 we read:
"The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them. but when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple area, "Hosanna to the Son of David," they were indignant. "Do you hear what these children are saying? they asked him. "Yes, replied Jesus, have you never read, "From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise?"
The children knew who Jesus was and they were unashamed as they yelled and danced around calling out "Hosanna!" They were rejoicing in who Jesus was! They were rejoicing that God was with them!! They were unafraid. They shouted out the truth for all to hear!
(It kind of reminds me on a much, much, much smaller scale, of an image I have of how my kids get when they hear the 'ice-cream truck' music playing. They start shouting and jumping around. They dance in the streets! They jump around calling out, "ICE-CREAM MAN!!!" They are happy and they don't care what they look like, how loud they are being, or who hears them. They are happy and they show it). I can see the children around Jesus doing the same kind of jig of rejoicing-rejoicing in that God is among them and He's healing people! (only, their dance and proclamation was much better!).
How did they know? How could they have been so sure? I believe it's because the children had no laws over them. No rules. No, "I have to do this or that to be loved or healed by God." They were able to recognize Jesus because He IS love and they were free to receive it. No works, no striving, just receiving His love. No questions, no confusion, just open to receive.
"People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it. " And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them." Mark 10"13-16
My footnote says, "The point of comparison is the usual openness and receptivity of children. The kingdom of God must be received as a gift; it cannot be achieved by human effort. It may be entered only by those who know they are helpless, without claim or merit."
I want child-like faith. The faith that says, "My God loves me." My God hears me." My God heals me and the people I pray for." There is no 'maybe' in a child's mind- God DOES love me. God DOES hear me. God WILL heal me. God WILL hear my prayers. I want the peace I see in my children that comes from knowing and being assured of these truths.
I shared in the blog entry, "A God-Encounter at Wal-Mart" that my children and I prayed for a little girl. What I didn't share was that when I told my children that I saw a shopping cart with two legs hanging down they, all of my children, thought that it meant that the little child had a broken leg or some sickness in the legs. So, when I approached the woman I asked her if we could pray for her child and I also asked if there was anything that the little girl needed prayer for. The mother had said no. Later, when we were home the kids and I talked about our 'Treasure Hunt' with my husband and the children told us how bummed they were that the child didn't have a broken leg or some deformity because they had been excited to see a miracle! Did you hear that? They were excited to see a MIRACLE! There I was excited about over coming a fear to pray with a complete stranger and there they were excited to see God move in Wal-Mart and create a healing in front of their very eyes! I was humbled by their faith. Humbled by their expectancy to see God use them and touch a life.
It's not enough to just pray with someone- it's about having child-like faith so God can work through us. We need to be His hands and feet on this earth for the sick and the lost. We are told in the scriptures, "Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father." (John 14:12) Well, I gotta say-I haven't done greater things, but I sure want to. I want to see the lost saved. The hurting to be comforted. The sick healed and that's JUST what Jesus did. What about the 'do even greater things'?
Lord, I want child-like faith. I want to trust you completely. I want to believe deep in my heart that every word in the Bible is true for me. I want to be unhindered by this world. I want to dance and shout, "Hosanna!"
I so love the scripture from Psalm 8:2,
"O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory above the heavens.
From the lips of children and infants
you have ordained praise
because of your enemies,
to silence the foe and the avenger."
Children know who Jesus is and they praise Him for who He is.
In Matthew 21:16 we read:
"The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them. but when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple area, "Hosanna to the Son of David," they were indignant. "Do you hear what these children are saying? they asked him. "Yes, replied Jesus, have you never read, "From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise?"
The children knew who Jesus was and they were unashamed as they yelled and danced around calling out "Hosanna!" They were rejoicing in who Jesus was! They were rejoicing that God was with them!! They were unafraid. They shouted out the truth for all to hear!
(It kind of reminds me on a much, much, much smaller scale, of an image I have of how my kids get when they hear the 'ice-cream truck' music playing. They start shouting and jumping around. They dance in the streets! They jump around calling out, "ICE-CREAM MAN!!!" They are happy and they don't care what they look like, how loud they are being, or who hears them. They are happy and they show it). I can see the children around Jesus doing the same kind of jig of rejoicing-rejoicing in that God is among them and He's healing people! (only, their dance and proclamation was much better!).
How did they know? How could they have been so sure? I believe it's because the children had no laws over them. No rules. No, "I have to do this or that to be loved or healed by God." They were able to recognize Jesus because He IS love and they were free to receive it. No works, no striving, just receiving His love. No questions, no confusion, just open to receive.
"People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it. " And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them." Mark 10"13-16
My footnote says, "The point of comparison is the usual openness and receptivity of children. The kingdom of God must be received as a gift; it cannot be achieved by human effort. It may be entered only by those who know they are helpless, without claim or merit."
I want child-like faith. The faith that says, "My God loves me." My God hears me." My God heals me and the people I pray for." There is no 'maybe' in a child's mind- God DOES love me. God DOES hear me. God WILL heal me. God WILL hear my prayers. I want the peace I see in my children that comes from knowing and being assured of these truths.
I shared in the blog entry, "A God-Encounter at Wal-Mart" that my children and I prayed for a little girl. What I didn't share was that when I told my children that I saw a shopping cart with two legs hanging down they, all of my children, thought that it meant that the little child had a broken leg or some sickness in the legs. So, when I approached the woman I asked her if we could pray for her child and I also asked if there was anything that the little girl needed prayer for. The mother had said no. Later, when we were home the kids and I talked about our 'Treasure Hunt' with my husband and the children told us how bummed they were that the child didn't have a broken leg or some deformity because they had been excited to see a miracle! Did you hear that? They were excited to see a MIRACLE! There I was excited about over coming a fear to pray with a complete stranger and there they were excited to see God move in Wal-Mart and create a healing in front of their very eyes! I was humbled by their faith. Humbled by their expectancy to see God use them and touch a life.
It's not enough to just pray with someone- it's about having child-like faith so God can work through us. We need to be His hands and feet on this earth for the sick and the lost. We are told in the scriptures, "Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father." (John 14:12) Well, I gotta say-I haven't done greater things, but I sure want to. I want to see the lost saved. The hurting to be comforted. The sick healed and that's JUST what Jesus did. What about the 'do even greater things'?
Lord, I want child-like faith. I want to trust you completely. I want to believe deep in my heart that every word in the Bible is true for me. I want to be unhindered by this world. I want to dance and shout, "Hosanna!"
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