CHILDREN

“And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them.  But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.”

Mark 10:13,14 KJV

Several years ago, I wrote a devotion about children.  Someone who was on my mailing list for new devotions emailed me and asked me to take her name off my mailing list.  She said “I don’t have any children so this devotion does not apply to me”.  How that must have hurt Jesus and broke His heart.

I submit to you on the authority of the Word of God that every person not only has the responsibility but also the privilege of loving children and leading them to Jesus.  How do we lead them to Jesus?  We lead them to Jesus by our loving words and actions.  Children are precious to our loving Saviour.

Our children need to see and hear the love of Jesus in us.  A teenage boy said to his parents “You sing in the choir and teach Sunday school but when you come home, you criticize the pastor and the sermon.  If that is what being a Christian is, I don’t want any part of it”.  What a hearbreaking statement!

My Mother used to say to me “Don’t do what I do.  Do what I tell you to do”.  It doesn’t work that way.  Children are going to do what they see us do.  It is very important and even urgent that children see and hear the love of Jesus not only in our words but also in what we do.  May God help us to live for Jesus.

Joanne Lowe

August 6, 2017