Steve Hanks (Sand Castle)
Proverbs 27:19 says: "As a face is reflected in water, so the heart reflects the person." Another bible translation says, "As a man thinks in his heart, so does he become."
Ever ask a child what they want to be when they grow up? It is always something like, "I want to be a fireman, a marine, a police officer, a doctor, an architect, a writer, an artist, a biologists, a …… You never hear a child say, "Well, if it works out and I have enough cash, I am going to be a _____, when I grow up. They all have definite answers not answers that sound like possibilities.
As the body of Christ we need to stop thinking of the possibilities of God and stand in what the word says. The definite answers from God are? A little child is resilient. We too need to be resilent.
Mark 4:23-25 Jesus says "Anyone who is willing to hear should listen and understand! And be sure to the pay attention to what you hear. The more you do this, the more you will understand- and even more, besides. To those who are open to my teaching, more understanding will be given. But to those who are not listening, even what they have will be take away from them."
Another bible translation says:
"The measure [of thought and study] you give [to the truth you hear] will be the measure [of virtue and knowledge] that comes back to you."
A child accepts and believes what they are told by their parents- positive or negative. As adults we should accept and believe that in which comes from God. (Our Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit.) What does God’s word speak to you personally? What has the pastor of your church received from the Lord that speaks to your soul and understanding?
A child who cares only of what their parents thinks of them doesn’t care if others approval or disapproves of them.
In John 5:41 Jesus speaks to the Jewish leader and says "Your approval or disapproval means nothing to me because I know you don’t have God’s love within you. For I have come to you representing my Father, and you refuse to welcome me, even though you readily accept others who represent only themselves. No wonder you can’t believe! For you gladly honor each other, but you don’t care about the honor that comes from God alone."
The Lord didn’t care what others thought about Him only what the Father thought of him. His focus was and is always on the Father. He committed and trusted everything to the Father and in doing so the Father gave Him victory. Through our child-like faith in Jesus Christ we too should not be entangled by the approval or disapproval of others but concerned only with what the Father and Jesus Christ thinks of us and it is only then we too have victory over opposition.
Where an adult sees only a scribbled picture on a page, a child sees a wonderful castle where all their unwritten scripts of imagination take place and are carried out.
Do you remember a time when you picked up the bible and tried to read it and could not comprehend its’ meaning? And it wasn’t until you gave your life to Christ and became a child of God that His Word started to make sense and came alive.
John 8:31 " Jesus said to the people who believed in him, "You are truly my disciples if you keep obeying my teachings. And you will know the truth and the truth will set you free."
A child is free from the concerns of this life because they trust that their parents are going to make sure they are feed and taken care of. We too need too see that in the God the Father and Jesus Christ.
Matthew 11:25 "Oh Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding the truth from those who think themselves so wise and clever, and for revealing it to the childlike."
Ask a child of a parent of faith, why they are disciplined by their parents and they will tell you that they get disciplined by their parents because their parents love them and want them to know the difference between right and wrong.
Proverbs 3:11 "My child, don’t ignore it when the LORD disciplines you, and don’t be discouraged when he corrects you. For the LORD corrects those he loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights."
Children delight in the natural wonders around them - where as the adult mind has forgotten to think about such simple pleasures. Ever see a child get excited over a sunset?
Genesis 1:1 "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."
Where the adult mind sees as a routine and a chore, the child sees an adventure with a special someone they love.
Robert Duncan
1 Corinthians 13:7 "Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance."
1 Peter 3:10 "For let Him who wants to enjoy life and see good days [good- whether apparent or not] keep his tongue from evil and his lips from guile (treachery, deceit)."
Being poor or rich has nothing to do with material possessions but what is in the heart and by who surrounds them.
When a child prays, it is simple and genuine.
Matthew 6:7 "When you pray, don’t babble on and on as people of other religions do. They think their prayers are answered only by repeating their words again and again. Don’t be like them, because your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!"
How easy a child believes in miracles but a mind of the world excuses them for luck and chance.
Romans 1:21 "Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. The result was that their minds became dark and confused. Claiming to be wise, they become utter fools instead."
Matthew 18:2 Jesus called a small child over to him and put the child among them. Then he said, "I assure you, unless you turn from your sins and become as little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven."
Humble is a child when he/ she is shown his or her wrongs. Humble a child is when he/ she gives to another. Humble is a child who comes to the realization of the truth.
Psalm 10:4 "These wicked people are too proud to seek God. They seem to think that God is dead."
Ephesians 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
Colossians 1:16 "Christ is the one through whom God created everything in heaven and earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can't see -kings, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities. Everything has been created through him and for him. He existed before everything else began, and he holds all creation together."
A child accepts this and knows this, how about you my friend?
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