Like Little Children
My goodness, what a week!!! I can't believe I am saying that since it is only TUESDAY! It has just been one thing after another and life just seems to come at us faster and faster each day.
Today, as I was watching my children play and laugh, I couldn't help but notice how carefree they are. They don't worry about what we are going to do tomorrow, what others think of them, or how much money our family has. They live for the here and now. They live completely in the moment and love doing so.
I began to focus on the verse in Matthew 18:3 where Jesus says, "unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."
As I watched them play, I think I got a small glimpse of what Jesus meant by becoming like little children.
* Little children do not worry about how their needs will be met. They simply believe that they will be met.
* Little children do not judge others based on how they look, what they wear, or how much money they make each year.
* Little children believe what people tell them. They do not understand selfish motives. They simply believe what people say because they are trusting.
* Little children are loving and caring. They take time to show love by using their words and action.
* Finally, little children are obedient. They understand that they must answer to someone and spend most of their time trying to please and bring joy to those people in their lives.
So, how can we be "like little children"? It's really not as difficult as we make it. We simply have to...
* Stop worrying and start believing.
* Stop judging and starting loving.
* Start believing and stop being skeptical.
* Start loving and stop being selfish.
* Stop being disobedient and start pleasing our Heavenly Father.
Think about your life. Do you live it with childlike faith or do you spend all of your time wrapped up in "adult" worries and concerns? Ask God to give you the heart of a child today. Ask Him to allow you to see your heart as He sees it. Take the time today to become the person that God wants you to be instead of the person that the world has caused you to be.
Some Things to Think About:
1. What does "like little children" mean to you?
2. Have you ever watched children play and thought about this verse?
3. Which of the "little children qualities" do you struggle with the most?
Words of Worth:
"And He said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."
Matthew 18:3
"So that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe." Phillipians 2:15
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Monday, August 06, 2007
The Hem of His Garment
"Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go out in peace."
These are the words that Jesus said to the woman that touched His garment on the street. You see, she had been bleeding for TWELVE years!! Can you imagine? She had been to many doctors and many friends asking for advice and healing. But it was to no avail. She had suffered day after day, year after year and was probably beginning to believe that she would have to live the rest of her life suffering from this terrible illness.
However, one day she heard that Jesus was coming. She knew that this was her opportunity to be set free from her suffering.
Not only was it physically difficult for her to prepare herself to go into public, she also had to prepare emotionally. Women like her were not allowed on the streets and she was certainly not to get close to someone as important as Jesus and His disciples.
Risky as at was, she made the decision to make every effort to see Jesus that day. As she stood in the crowd, I can just imagine how nervous she must have been as she waited. Then it happened, she heard the crowd start to rustle and move as Jesus came in their direction. I'm sure her heart was about to leap out of her chest as she began to push her way through the crowd. She was motivated by the fact that she was going to see the Jesus and believed that she was going to be healed by her Savior.
As she came to the edge of the crowd, Jesus passed by. As He did, she knelt down and strained to reach for the hem of His garment. In that moment, the woman that had suffered for so many years was completely healed. The bleeding didn't slow down or stop for a moment, it COMPLETELY stopped. She was healed COMPLETELY because she believed and trusted in the power of Jesus.
After she had touched His touched His garment, Jesus turned and said, "Who touched me?". The woman began to tremble and knew that she could not go unnoticed. She knew that she had to come forward. I can just imagine her as she came forward and knelt before her King. Her words probably sounded something like, "Jesus, it was me...you see, I've been sick, well, I was sick, I'm not now, but...well...you healed, I mean, I've stopped....Jesus, touching your garment has completely healed me from my suffering."
Now, Jesus could have done several things. He could have touched her and said something like, "Be blessed" or "Glad I could help", but He didn't. He looked at her and said, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go out in peace."
Jesus was not always a man of many words, but even His few words said so much. To begin with, He called her daughter. The woman that had been shunned and ignored by her community was now being called daughter by the man that they had all come to see on that day. He also made sure that she understood that her faith had healed her. It wasn't a magical touch or the garment that had healed her but her faith in Him that had brought complete and amazing healing. And finally, Jesus told her not to worry anymore. "Go out in peace." I believe that this was His way of telling her she didn't have to worry about her problem anymore, for she was free from all of her suffering.
I love this story, because I think this woman represents what so many of us go through every day. She didn't "blend in" with the crowd and didn't let fear keep her from meeting with her Savior that day. She stepped out in boldness and faith to meet her Jesus in the place that brought her healing and renewal.
Are you blending in with the crowd or letting fear keep you from meeting with Jesus? Is there something that you are suffering from that needs to be brought to the cross? I want to encourage you to boldly touch the hem of His garment today and allow Him to call you daughter. Let your faith bring you healing and allow Jesus to give you courage to go out in peace.
Some Things to Think About:
1. What are some ways that we blend in with the crowds in today's society?
2. Are you bold in your faith or do you allow others to hold you back?
3. Do you believe that your faith in Jesus can bring complete healing?
Words of Worth:
"Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at His feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched Him and how she had been instantly healed. Then He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace." Luke 47:48
These are the words that Jesus said to the woman that touched His garment on the street. You see, she had been bleeding for TWELVE years!! Can you imagine? She had been to many doctors and many friends asking for advice and healing. But it was to no avail. She had suffered day after day, year after year and was probably beginning to believe that she would have to live the rest of her life suffering from this terrible illness.
However, one day she heard that Jesus was coming. She knew that this was her opportunity to be set free from her suffering.
Not only was it physically difficult for her to prepare herself to go into public, she also had to prepare emotionally. Women like her were not allowed on the streets and she was certainly not to get close to someone as important as Jesus and His disciples.
Risky as at was, she made the decision to make every effort to see Jesus that day. As she stood in the crowd, I can just imagine how nervous she must have been as she waited. Then it happened, she heard the crowd start to rustle and move as Jesus came in their direction. I'm sure her heart was about to leap out of her chest as she began to push her way through the crowd. She was motivated by the fact that she was going to see the Jesus and believed that she was going to be healed by her Savior.
As she came to the edge of the crowd, Jesus passed by. As He did, she knelt down and strained to reach for the hem of His garment. In that moment, the woman that had suffered for so many years was completely healed. The bleeding didn't slow down or stop for a moment, it COMPLETELY stopped. She was healed COMPLETELY because she believed and trusted in the power of Jesus.
After she had touched His touched His garment, Jesus turned and said, "Who touched me?". The woman began to tremble and knew that she could not go unnoticed. She knew that she had to come forward. I can just imagine her as she came forward and knelt before her King. Her words probably sounded something like, "Jesus, it was me...you see, I've been sick, well, I was sick, I'm not now, but...well...you healed, I mean, I've stopped....Jesus, touching your garment has completely healed me from my suffering."
Now, Jesus could have done several things. He could have touched her and said something like, "Be blessed" or "Glad I could help", but He didn't. He looked at her and said, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go out in peace."
Jesus was not always a man of many words, but even His few words said so much. To begin with, He called her daughter. The woman that had been shunned and ignored by her community was now being called daughter by the man that they had all come to see on that day. He also made sure that she understood that her faith had healed her. It wasn't a magical touch or the garment that had healed her but her faith in Him that had brought complete and amazing healing. And finally, Jesus told her not to worry anymore. "Go out in peace." I believe that this was His way of telling her she didn't have to worry about her problem anymore, for she was free from all of her suffering.
I love this story, because I think this woman represents what so many of us go through every day. She didn't "blend in" with the crowd and didn't let fear keep her from meeting with her Savior that day. She stepped out in boldness and faith to meet her Jesus in the place that brought her healing and renewal.
Are you blending in with the crowd or letting fear keep you from meeting with Jesus? Is there something that you are suffering from that needs to be brought to the cross? I want to encourage you to boldly touch the hem of His garment today and allow Him to call you daughter. Let your faith bring you healing and allow Jesus to give you courage to go out in peace.
Some Things to Think About:
1. What are some ways that we blend in with the crowds in today's society?
2. Are you bold in your faith or do you allow others to hold you back?
3. Do you believe that your faith in Jesus can bring complete healing?
Words of Worth:
"Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at His feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched Him and how she had been instantly healed. Then He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace." Luke 47:48
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
