As Little Children

March 9

Numbers 2

Psalm 32:1-7

Proverbs 7:18-20

Mark 10:13-31

As Little Children

“People were bringing little children to Jesus to have Him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw them, 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. Truly I tell you, 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 NIV

“And He said, ‘Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of Heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of Heaven.” Matthew 18:3-4 NIV

What does it mean to become like a little child? Children are innocent and trusting. They put their complete confidence in their father because they know that he loves them and wants what is best for them. When my children were little and we were teaching them to swim, my husband would put them on the side of the pool and have them jump into his arms. They were afraid to jump into my arms or anyone else’s arms, but they always readily jumped into their Daddy’s arms. They had complete confidence that he would catch them and would not let them go under. They trusted him. They didn’t worry about how the bills were going to be paid or where their next meal was going to come from. They didn’t worry about who would take care of their needs or who would protect them. A few years ago, there was a police standoff with a mentally ill man a couple of blocks from our house. We were in no immediate danger, the police had him surrounded and yet my children wanted their Daddy, and they didn’t relax until he got home. They felt safe when he was with them.

I believe that is what Jesus meant when He said that we are to be like little children. We are to have complete confidence and trust in our Heavenly Father. He loves us and promises to take care of us. He is always with us to protect us. He knows what is best for us and will do whatever it takes to bring that about. He will meet our needs and He will never let us down. As adults we like to think that we are self-sufficient. We can take care of ourselves. Children recognize that they are helpless and in need of their father’s constant care. May we recognize our helplessness and become like little children.