Matthew 18:3, 4 (KJV) And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 18:3, 4 (AMP) And said, Truly I say to you, unless you repent (change, turn about) and become like little children [trusting, lowly, loving, forgiving], you can never enter the kingdom of heaven [at all]. Whoever will humble himself therefore and become like this little child [trusting, lowly, loving, forgiving] is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. WORD STUDY Become As Little Children. This is how Jesus characterized conversion. Like the Beatitudes, it pictures faith as the simple, helpless, trusting dependence of those who have no resources of their own. Like children, they have no achievements and no accomplishments to offer or commend themselves with. [MacArthur Daily Bible 2003] INTRODUCTION Before Honor Is Humility; Mat. 18:1-5 Very tenderly, yet with solemn emphasis, Jesus tried to correct the evil. He showed what is the principle that bears sway in the kingdom of heaven, and in what true greatness consists, as estimated by the standard of the courts above. Before honor is humility. To fill a high place before men, Heaven chooses the worker who, like John the Baptist, takes a lowly place before God. The most childlike disciple is the most efficient in labor for God. The heavenly intelligences can co-operate with him who is seeking, not to exalt self, but to save souls. But when men exalt themselves, feeling that they are a necessity for the success of God's great plan, the Lord causes them to be set aside. It was not enough for the disciples of Jesus to be instructed as to the nature of His kingdom. What they needed was a change of heart that would bring them into harmony with its principles. The simplicity, the self-forgetfulness, and the confiding love of a little child are the attributes that Heaven values. These are the characteristics of real greatness The sincere, contrite soul is precious in the sight of God. He places His own signet upon men, not by their rank, not by their wealth, not by their intellectual greatness, but by their oneness with Christ. {DA 436, 7} COMMENTARY PEARL The Way Back To God A man will not find God until he finds the way back to God. The way back to God is not an intellectual way. It is not a moral way. You cannot think your way back to God because human thought-life will not coordinate with divine thought-life, for the carnal mind is at enmity with God. You cannot worship your way back to God because man is a spiritual rebel from God's presence. You cannot moralize your way back to God because character is flawed with sin. The natural questions come to you - What shall I do? Where shall I start? Where do I begin? What is my road back to God? There is only one way back to God. It is significant that Jesus did not tell the little children to become as His disciples, but His disciples to become as little children. By childlike faith, everyone has a chance, from the feebleminded to intellectuals. Thus, Jesus demanded a conversion. This is how to begin! This is where it starts! You must be converted and come to Him as a little child. What is one way that your faith is like that of a little child? [Peace for Each Day by Billy Graham] COMMENTARY Jesus loved kids. The Bible doesn't speak much about His interactions with them except in a few verses, but it's enough to recognize His kind and loving nature and understand He treasured children. He urges us to do the same. I believe Jesus's admonition went well beyond our posterity. He clearly wants us to become childlike in our faith in Him. Young children are innocent and pure. In much the same way, God sees us as "innocent" and "pure" once we have accepted Christ, Who forgives our sins. Jesus wants us to become childlike in our faith, pure and trusting. Young children don't question what Mom or Dad tell them to do; Jesus wants us to have that kind of obedience. Think about the qualities of young children. They are honest, some brutally so. They believe what they see and hear and even read. They also trust their caregivers to provide everything they need. Aren't all those the qualities the Lord wants us to have? Jesus wants us to be like "little children" when it comes to following Him and obeying His Word. That's why He calls us His "children" and loves us like His own. by Carol Mackey Faith Step: Jesus wants us to have childlike faith - to depend on Him to provide for us, to protect us, and to trust Him. Today, do something that makes you feel like a kid again! [Mornings With Jesus 2019 Devotional by Guideposts and Zondervan] Have you ever listened to children pray? Their prayers are great - so honest, so sincere and innocent. I love hearing the things kids are thankful for: puppies, hamburgers, stuffed animals, their Disney karaoke machines, and their invisible friends. Children's prayers remind adults to keep it real when we come before God. Kids revel in reflecting their view of the world around them and sharing it with God in their prayers, and we should do the same. And like a parent basking in the joy of their child's latest finger-painted masterpiece, God loves us with the same intensity and compassionate kindness. We're his creation, made in his image, his sons and daughters as heirs through Christ. Sometimes we lose our perspective on prayer because we pray the same way about the same things over and over again. If you sense your prayer life gelling in a rut, then find some way to be creative and child-like again. Singing, writing poetry, journaling, walking in nature, drawing - there are all kinds of unique ways to enhance your alone time with God. Today pray like a kid again, knowing that God loves you as his precious child. Thank you, Father, for the way you love me as your child. I want to keep my heart open to you, sharing honestly and sincerely. Thank you for reminding me of your unconditional love. [Daily Power by Craig Groeschel] ILLUSTRATIONS Like Little Children At his home Rob goes to Sunday school - he's in the Frog class, a roomful of jump-happy, make-a-joyful-noise, three-year-olds. But on his first solo weekend visiting us, we decided to stick together. There we were, Nana, Granddad, and a squirmy Rob, sandwiched tightly in the middle of the pew in the middle of the crowded sanctuary. I prayed for lots of singing and a short sermon. Our pastor is a wonderful shepherd, but not a dynamic speaker. No forceful voice or fancy words. He makes his point by repetition. Simple words repeated often. That day the sermon came from Romans 8:14. Pastor David read it twice: "For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God." Then, leaning out over the pulpit, he asked, ''Are you a child of God?" Rob stopped fiddling with Granddad's tie clasp, turned to the pulpit, and thrust his hand into the air. During the course of his sermon, Pastor David sent those words out into the congregation again and again: ''Are you a child of God?" Each time, Rob stretched his hand high above Granddad's shoulder and smiled his one-dimple grin. People behind us were chuckling, then the giggles spread across the aisle. Every time Rob answered the pastor's question by raising his hand, the laughter grew louder. With his flock now grinning from aisle to aisle, Pastor David finally saw the reason. Pointing his finger and smiling at Rob, he said, "Now that child of God gets the idea!" "Become like little children." It is harder than it sounds. It does not take a big voice or fancy words. It takes courage to raise our hands for the Lord for everyone to see. -Kathleen Brown Help us become like little children, Lord, loving you joyfully, trusting you completely, serving you faithfully. Amen. [The One Year Devotional of Joy and Laughter by Mary Hollingsworth] A Better Boy Luke, my firstborn grandchild, was barely three when his sister, Sarah, came along. He had been the happy recipient of all the attention for three years straight, so having a sister was a major adjustment in his little life. When Sarah was only a month old, she caught a cold, so we stopped by the drugstore on the way home from picking Luke up from the church day care. I was giving baby Sarah more attention than Luke because of her illness and did not want her to become fussy during the long wait at the pharmacy. Luke did not appreciate that one little bit! He proceeded to put on a one-boy show for all those in line with us, while stretching his mother's already paper-thin patience. Finally, meds in hand and heading to the car, Christy, my daughter, very sternly scolded Luke for his misbehavior. "You were not a good boy in the store! I think you need to pray to Jesus that you can be a better boy." After buckling both children in the backseat, Christy and I settled into the front seats of the car. I glanced back at Luke, ready to assure him of my love and soothe his tiny ego. There he sat, head bowed, eyes closed, hands clasped in prayer, earnestly pleading, "Dear Jesus, please make me a better boy." How sweet, and how touching. Luke melted our hearts, and although we tried to keep from laughing, we couldn't keep from crying. I think sometimes Father God longs to hear such earnest, childlike prayers from his grown-up children too. -Shari Gunter Dear God, please help me to be the best me I can be, and let me do it not for me but for your glory and praise. I want to be like you, Lord. Amen. [The One Year Devotional of Joy and Laughter by Mary Hollingsworth] My son Gilbert was eight years old and had been in Cub Scouts only a short time. During one of his meetings he was handed a sheet of paper, a block of wood and four tires and told to return home and give all to "dad". That was not an easy task for Gilbert to do. Dad was not receptive to doing things with his son. But Gilbert tried. Dad read the paper and scoffed at the idea of making a pine wood derby car with his young, eager son. The block of wood remained untouched as the weeks passed. Finally, mom stepped in to see if I could figure this all out. The project began. Having no carpentry skills, I decided it would be best if I simply read the directions and let Gilbert do the work. And he did. I read aloud the measurements, the rules of what we could do and what we couldn't do. Within days, his block of wood was turning into a pinewood derby car. A little lopsided, but looking great (at least through the eyes of mom). Gilbert had not seen any of the other kids' cars and was feeling pretty proud of his "Blue Lightning", the pride that comes with knowing you did something on your own. Then the big night came. With his blue pinewood derby in his hand and pride in his heart, we headed to the big race. Once there, my little one's pride turned to humility. Gilbert's car was obviously the only car made entirely on his own. All the other cars were a father-son partnership, with cool paint jobs and sleek body styles made for speed. A few of the boys giggled as they looked at Gilbert's lopsided, wobbly, unattractive vehicle. To add to the humility, Gilbert was the only boy without a man at his side. A couple of the boys who were from single parent homes at least had an uncle or grandfather by their side, Gilbert had "mom". As the race began, it was done in elimination fashion. You kept racing as long as you were the winner. One by one the cars raced down the ramp. Finally it was between Gilbert and the sleekest, fastest looking car there. As the last race was about to begin, my wide-eyed, shy eight-year-old asked if they could stop the race for a minute, because he wanted to pray. The race stopped. Gilbert hit his knees clutching his funny looking block of wood between his hands. With a wrinkled brow, he set to converse with his father. He prayed in earnest for a very long minute and a half. Then he stood, smile on his face and announced, "Okay, I am ready." As the crowd cheered, a boy named Tommy stood with his father as their car sped down the ramp. Gilbert stood with his Father within his heart and watched his block of wood wobble down the ramp with surprisingly great speed and rushed over the finish line a fraction of a second before Tommy's car. Gilbert leaped into the air with a loud "Thank you" as the crowd roared in approval. The Scout Master came up to Gilbert with microphone in hand and asked the obvious question, "So you prayed to win, huh, Gilbert?" To which my young son answered, "Oh, no, sir. That wouldn't be fair to ask God to help you beat someone else. I just asked Him to make it so I don't cry when I lose." Children seem to have a wisdom far beyond us. Gilbert didn't ask God to win the race, he didn't ask God to fix the outcome, Gilbert asked God to give him strength in the outcome. When Gilbert first saw the other cars, he didn't cry out to God, "No fair, they had a father's help" No, he went to his Father for strength. Perhaps we spend too much of our prayer time asking God to rig the race, to make us number one, or too much time asking God to remove us from the struggle, when we should be seeking God's strength to get through the struggle. "I can do everything through Him who gives me strength." (Philippians 4:13). Gilbert's simple prayer spoke volumes to those present that night. He never doubted that God would indeed answer his request. He didn't pray to win, thus hurt someone else, he prayed that God supply the grace to lose with dignity. Gilbert, by his stopping the race to speak to his Father also showed the crowd that he wasn't there without a "dad", but His Father was most definitely there with him. Yes, Gilbert walked away a winner that night, with his Father at his side. [source unknown] CLOSING THOUGHT Continuous conversion These words of Our Lord are true of our initial conversion, but we have to be continuously converted all the days of our lives, continually to turn to God as children. If we trust to our wits instead of to God, we produce consequences for which God will hold us responsible. Immediately our bodies are brought into new conditions by the providence of God, we have to see our natural life obeys the dictates of the Spirit of God. Because we have done it once is no proof that we shall do it again. The relation of the natural to the spiritual is one of continuous conversion, and it is the one thing we object to. In every setting in which we are put, the Spirit of God remains unchanged and His salvation unaltered but we have to put on the new man. God holds us responsible every time we refuse to convert ourselves, our reason for refusing is willful obstinacy. Our natural life must not rule, God must rule in us. The hindrance in our spiritual life is that we will not be continually converted, there are wadges of obstinacy where our pride spits at the throne of God and says"I wont. We deify independence and willfulness and call them by the wrong name. What God looks on as obstinate weakness, we call strength. There are whole tracts of our lives which have not yet been brought into subjection, and it can only be done by this continuous conversion. Slowly but surely we can claim the whole territory for the Spirit of God. [My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers] PRACTICAL APPLICATION Keep returning your focus to Me! I am always thinking about you and watching everything that concerns you. You, however, are only human, and you will lose sight of Me at times. I know how hard it is for you to stay focused on Me, especially when you are feeling weak or weary. So give yourself grace whenever you realize your mind and heart have wandered from Me. And waste no time in returning to Me by praising Me in thought, word, or song. Even whispering My Name - reverently, lovingly - can be worship. Let Me have all your worries and cares. This may sound easy, but it is not; you are accustomed to worry - thoughts roaming freely in your brain. So you must train yourself to bring all your cares into My Presence, trusting Me to help you. Remember that you are never alone in your struggles: I am always aware of you and your circumstances. I can help you because I have all authority in heaven and on earth. As you come into My Presence, let go of your worries and cares - so you can cling to Me in childlike trust. (1Pe. 5:7; Mat. 28:18; 18:1-4) [Jesus Today by Sarah Young] LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY Matthew 18:3 ,4 - The Faith of a Child. http://www.abible.com/devotions/2007/20071011-2253.html LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT https://abible.com/links/