by Rev Don Schatz

And a Little Child Shall Lead them

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

“And [Jesus] 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; New International Version

Perhaps inspired by Pastor Doug’s wonderful photography, and his way of seeing the Lord in and through pictures, I invited the kids at our church to take a picture this week.  In a Sunday morning Children’s Message, I used my camera and asked the kids to take a picture this week of something they saw that reminded them about the Lord.  The picture with this devotion is the first one I received.  An 8-year old boy showed me his “Korean origami book”.  The cover reminded him of creation, because God made all things.

It is fun to look at the world, and at the Lord, through the eyes of a child.  You don’t have to do that vicariously you know!  Use your ‘child’ eyes today.  I know you have them.  Delight yourself in the Lord.  Delight yourself in the ‘little things’ and praise the Lord for them as you do.  Sing a song you learned in Sunday School as a child.

In ‘grown-up land’ things can be bigger, and scarier, and we live in a culture that can lean hard on us for showing fear, insecurity, lack of self-confidence, or….You finish the thought.  The Lord placed a child on his lap and said, “Change; become like little children in your walk with me.” Little children don’t just trust unconditionally.  They get scared, and show it.  They are afraid, and run to the arms of someone they trust.  They skin a knee, and look to their parents because they know their parents will take care of them and make it better.  I think Jesus had all of that in mind when he used this powerful example.

Run to the Lord today.  Go ahead, run.  Imagine the Lord sweeping you up into his fatherly arms.  Those arms are always stretched out toward you. For you.

Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, CO