It is one of those scenes where the disciples were noticing
that Jesus was being inundated with children, it was only them trying to be concerned
about Jesus’ priorities, and the practical aspect of so many children who were
keeping Jesus from teaching. I am glad
that Jesus corrected His disciples to remind them that the Kingdom of God
belongs to Children much like these.
It has been a long journey for me coming back full circle to
my first love, to a relationship that I started with Jesus when I was twelve
years old with my savior who embraced me like a Father and spoke affirming
words of love and acceptance to me when I needed it most. He became a father to me when my natural
father was absent. It is that awareness
I have come back to once again that Jesus is the true representation of the Heavenly
Father in human form.
It is the trust and belief of a child that Jesus desires
from us, not the logic and reason that we have come to develop as a means of
figuring out God with our minds, the truth is His ways are past finding
out.
"Yes, God's riches are very great! His wisdom and knowledge have no end! No one can explain what God decides. No one can understand His ways." Romans 11:33 (ERV)
I have come to rest once again in the arms of my loving Heavenly
Father and place my full confidence and attention in Him.
I find it amazing that Jesus had to tell His disciples to “Let
the children come to me (Him)” they were trying to turn them away from
Jesus. I wonder why? Could it have been practical reasons or just a
cultural norm?
Didn’t the disciples realize
that they too came to Jesus with the belief of a child?
Don’t we face that same response today as some people have
become so focused about knowing about the details of Jesus, that when it comes
to encounter Him in a deeply personal way that there is no room in a public
setting for that childlike love for Jesus to be expressed, we become embarrassed
or uncomfortable because that type of display of affection it is out of our
comfort zone.
Jesus loves it when we come to Him without limitations, I
have had the best conversations with Jesus when I have dropped the pretense of
my expected response and talk to Him with what I call "crazy love talk". This is an extemporaneous way of
communication I have developed with Jesus which expresses my heart and feelings
to Him in a personal and intimate way.
In some ways, it is like talking to a lover saying sweet nothings, which
are in fact really somethings. It is in
those moments of expression that I sense the closeness of His presence and His
pleasure. In other ways, it is also like
speaking in other tongues which too can be somewhat childlike in its
expression.
Becoming childlike in our expression of love to Jesus can
get messy and unordered, just like when children attempt to express themselves
to grown-ups, their response is never always the same and can sometimes be unexpected.
That is the beauty of the Lord’s love, He always
looks for real expressions of the heart no matter what they are whether sad,
angry, or joyful. He always embraces us
and never turns us away because of our feelings toward Him.
That is where the Father’s love reaches out to us, in
our childlikeness, and our messiness. He embraces us with His love which is
unconditional and affirms us with words of comfort.
"Think how much the Father loves us. He loves us so much that
he lets us be called his children, as we truly are." 1 John 3:1a (CEV)
"People who are like these children belong to God's kingdom"
"People who are like these children belong to God's kingdom"
Be Blessed;
Stephen Barnett
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