Like a Child
http://bible.com/116/mat.11.25.nlt
At that time Jesus prayed this prayer: “O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding these things from those who think themselves wise and clever, and for revealing them to the childlike.
Observation
It is childlike faith that follows Christ with abandon, stepping out in faith and doing things to follow the Lord that seem foolish to the world around us.
A proud and arrogant person hears the Word of God and thinks himself wiser, twisting it and turning it or denying altogether that it applies to their lives – having no fear of God at all.
A childlike faith looks to the Word of God a and the Holy Spirit as their teacher, not relying upon their own understanding, but being humbled daily by examining their lives closely and identifying those things that need to be cut out and abandoned so they might live a life that more perfectly reflects Christ’s love. It is understanding that His way is the best way for our lives because His life of obedience and love validated and confirmed His title as Messiah just as our lives of obedience and confirm His presence living in us and through us.
And even as we continue to grow, we are humbled by our not yet fully reflecting His perfection in our walk. It is in our weakness that we are reminded that we are the children and He is the teacher. In our stumbles and as we search deeper into the depths of our hearts with this two edged sword of the Word of God performing surgery upon the cancer of sin that must be cut out, we find ourselves on our knees before Him at the foot of the cross, boo claiming royal titles of kings and rulers and crown bearers – but humbly claiming our title as the very children of God that He professes as His when He says, “Suffer not the little children to come into me.”
You see, He tells the world and all of creation, He, the Christ, the Word of God, through whom the heavens and earth were created, He who has been here since the beginning and who will be here evermore commands – Yes, He commands His creation to not get in the way of His little children as they come to rest at His feet and learn from their teacher.
And He warns the world, those proud and arrogant enemies of truth, that stand in opposition and that seek to distract and destroy those that are His – those that think themselves wise in their own minds – He warns them of their destruction – He promises them that they will be laid low.
So we must examine our hearts and recognize those areas of pride and vanity in our lives that need to be cut out that are a trap and snare to ourselves and are a stumbling block to others. We are to be humble and obedient children of God, not proud and rebellious children of evil and self importance.
Call to Action
Is God truly first in our life today, friends? Does our spiritual stance, our position before God, our visible actions in front of others prove us humble and obedient to the Word of God proving the fear of God that is His wisdom?
Walking upright and obedient to the Word of God, while loving and serving and forgiving even those who might seem “far from God” is the stance that recognizes our own position before God – not as someone kingly and close to the perfection of Christ ourselves, but as one “far from God” ourselves if we were to be measured and judged by our life actions alone without the redeeming sacrifice of Christ and the gift of His grace. Because even a single sin, even a lustful thought, even a hateful thought, anything that falls short of the glory of God proves that we are not yet standing in his presence, that we are still in the flesh and not yet in our fully glorified spiritual being.
Yes, we are just children. We are growing from the seed planted and watered and growing by the streams of living waters. We might even be little trees bearing fruit in our branches, but we are just children, learning and growing at the deer of our Father. We are not great, but He is. If there is anything great in our lives, it is Him – as we decrease and He increases. But all of that which is good and honorable, He gets the glory and praise and honor. It is His alone.
Humble child of God, arise and walk upright and obedient to the Word of God. Be healed and renewed. Find strength in the Lord your God.
Enemies of truth – arrogance, pride, vanity and all who would stand in the way of the Lord’s work – make way for your own destruction. Your time draws near, my Lord Jesus Christ approaches and will come quickly like a thief in the night. Repent while there is still time. Hit your knees and surrender willingly to the one who loves you and is willing to forgive you and free you from your captivity, or who is faithful and true to send you into everlasting separation from God.
Believe, take up your cross and follow Him. Find yourself sitting at the feet of the Good Shepherd, child of God.
Harold J. Ballinger 