Today’s Podcast
Today’s Bible reading plan:
Read it in a year – Esther 1-5
see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)
Today’s Devotional
Luke 18:16-17
Jesus: Let the little children come to Me. Never hinder them! Don’t you realize—the kingdom of God belongs to those who are like children? You can depend on this: if you don’t receive the Kingdom as a child would, you won’t enter it at all.
What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?
If what Jesus says is true, then we need to figure out how a child would receive the Kingdom, don’t you think? So what might that be like? How should we approach the Kingdom and live each day in anticipation of God’s presence with us?
We have a tendency to think if we know about something that’s good enough. So child educators will start spewing the four learning styles and tell you every child has a favored learning style – visual, auditory, tactile, or kinesthetic. They will tell you if you can figure out which style a child favors and use that style of instruction, he or she will learn faster and retain more. So is receiving the kingdom about getting the learning style right? Figuring out how best you learn and then learning all you can about the kingdom? Maybe a little, but I don’t think that’s what Jesus was talking about.
I think Jesus looked around at the characteristics of the three and four year-olds around Him and recognized the traits child developers enumerate today. Characteristics like expansive, boasting, joyous, exuberant, adventuresome, energetic, bossy, and enthusiastic. Sure, some of those might not sound like the best traits to show Christ-likeness, but it’s who we are. We are sometimes boastful and bossy. Admit it. God knows it. We know it. When we admit it, God can help us do something about it.
But when we receive the kingdom like children, we begin to think big. We don’t confine God to our little box of what we think He can do. Children let their imagination go and “the sky is the limit” so to speak. Bigger is better for them. Nothing is impossible, because God is bigger than anything and everything. In a child’s mind, He can fix any problem just because of His size if nothing else.
And listen to a child describe God. Talk about boasting about the Creator. Just let them loose and see where their stories take them. Remember when Jesus told the Pharisees that if the crowd didn’t praise Him the rocks would cry out? Well, just listen to what a three or four year-old will say about God. It will amaze you if you just let them talk. Their insights about who God is and what He can do will startle you as they mix what they believe with the fantasies they have heard. Darth Vader will have no chance against God. Nor will Luke Skywalker or Yoda or any other fantasy character as they blend their imagination with what they know about the Creator who speaks to them.
Children are happy even in dire circumstance. They try new things. They have more energy than parents and grandparents can believe. They are like energizer bunnies and just keep going and going. Everything is awesome to them because everything is new to a pre-schooler. The world is a world of wonder for them. And they are anxious to learn about this wonderful world we live in.
Children want to play with children. It make take them a few minutes to warm up, but if parents will leave a room full of kids alone, you’ll find they are pretty inclusive and will get along pretty well in a short time. We are the ones that usually get in the way. Three and four year-old kids don’t care about color or gender or language or nationality. They just learn to play with each other.
Pre-schoolers ask the same “why” question over and over until they understand the answer. They want to know things. So they ask until they do. If you repeat the same answer in the same words they don’t understand, they will ask the same question again until they get an answer with concepts they understand. It’s just the way of a three year-old.
So Jesus looked around at the children in the crowd and told the adults, including us, we need to receive the kingdom the way they do. We need to see God as really big. Bigger than any problem we might face. Bigger than any task He gives us. Bigger than anything we can imagine. He is God, so don’t put Him in a box and limit Him in any way. Come to Him with enthusiasm and energy. He will help you with the energy part, but you need to bring the enthusiasm. And why wouldn’t we? He is our Creator and lets us come into His presence without destroying us! He welcomes us into His house. Can you imagine that? No ruler on earth does that for everyone, but the Creator of the universe does. So show some enthusiasm when you come to the kingdom.
Then, like a child, don’t be afraid to ask those questions. God isn’t afraid of them. He doesn’t shy away from our questions. He wants us to learn about Him and to know Him intimately. How else can we do that if we don’t ask questions? He’ll answer. When you come to God as a child, I can guarantee an adventure! And I can guarantee joy. There might be some sorrow and pain and struggle along with it, but their will be joy because God lets us participate in His kingdom. What else could we want?
The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved. In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.