The Little Children

EIBC Devotional #7 - “The Little Children”

Emerald Isle Baptist Church

Pastor Zach Emory

Question(s) for Reflection

What qualities does a child possess that make them more apt to experience God and the Kingdom of Heaven?

Scripture - Matthew 19:14

14 Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” 

When Jesus reminds us that the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to the little children, He shifts our perspective toward our own attitudes and behaviors. How does one inherit the Kingdom of Heaven? He/she becomes like a child! We often remember that children possess beautiful qualities. They are marked by a wonderful curiosity about the world around them. “What’s that?!” is a question that children ask a hundred times a day when learning to speak and navigate the world around them. Children are also pure and innocent and have none of the dark thoughts “grown ups” might begin to have. They are also utterly dependent on their parents, caregivers, and other trusted adults. We can learn much from children–we can have new eyes to see the world around us, pausing to examine a flower or a tiny insect; we can purify our minds and hearts to only think of good things; and we can recognize that without God (and other people supporting us), we are nothing. When we give up total self-reliance and control and behave like children, we inherit the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus also commands us to not hinder children from coming to Him, and so we have a major role to play in the spiritual formation and development of any child with whom we may come into contact. They are the future of the Church and of the World, so let us love them and also imitate them!

Prayer

Heavenly Father, remind me that I am still Your child, and I rely on you for everything. Teach me to appreciate Your creation with new eyes, to purify myself, and to come directly to You alongside the little children. In the name of Jesus Christ I pray, Amen.