Consider the children

The New Testament names the political rulers during the time that God sent His Son. As I read an outline of their names and characteristics, I’m thinking that nothing much has changed. Our politicians today may speak a different language but they still have the same attitudes and desires for power.

At the time Jesus was born the Herodian dynasty had already been established. Herod the Great was appointed by the Romans as the king of the Jews. He ruled from 37 to 4 B.C., a rule marked by intrigue and bloodshed. One incident stands out in the story of the Christ child that involves both Jesus and many other children . . .

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.

Herod found out where Jesus was born, summoned the wise men secretly, and told them to find the child and report back to him. He said he wanted to worship Him but he had other plans. After the Magi found the child and worshiped him, they were warned in a dream not to return to Herod so went home another way.

At the same time, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” Joseph took Mary and the child to Egypt and stayed there until Herod died.

Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men. Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah: “A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be comforted, because they are no more.” (Matthew 2:1–18)

I cannot imagine the horror as Roman soldiers slaughtered these little ones. Nothing could erase from memory the brutality that took them from their families.

More recently, I’m seeing many news stories of children being slaughtered, sometimes by enemy factions, sometimes in terrible accidents, sometimes by their own parents. Many more die in fires, floods, hurricanes, and other ‘natural’ weather phenomena, or by illness and starvation. Many millions of children never reach puberty or adulthood. How much of this rests in the hands of politicians who have the power to change their plight? How much can one person do? What can I do?

I know God cares. Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 19:14) He loves children, even tells His followers to be childlike in their faith, and take care of widows and orphans. Yet children still die without number.

Some say there is point in the life of a child where they are held accountable to God for their sin. Before that, they are still born as sinners, but God is merciful to their helplessness. If a young child dies, they go into the arms of Jesus. If that is true, then an early death is a blessing and a protection for many whose future is not good. Perhaps heaven is populated by many little ones whom Jesus saved before they were in danger of not being saved.

This is no excuse to ignore the plight of children. Last week, someone told me that there were more abortions in the world than any other kind of death. Another statistic says millions are in some sort of slavery. The world is not treating our children any better than Herod. He killed children trying to get rid of Jesus. Today, the little ones are either in the way or not valued at all. Many needlessly die.

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Lord God, these thoughts are painful. Guide me in what can be done to make a difference, to be a blessing to these little ones that You love, and also to comfort those who grieve for a child taken too early from this world. Thank You for loving us and for commanding us to love each other. Grant me the grace to know and do Your will in blessing those little ones in my life. Enable opportunities to draw them closer to You.

Simplicity — like a child

Children are spontaneous, at least in they start out that way. Then they form habits, become predictable, and lose some of that spontaneous charm. I’ve wondered if this has anything to do with Jesus saying we must become like little children to enter the kingdom of God?

Chambers writes about being spontaneous in the sense that our habits (of obedience) have been practiced to the point that we are not conscious of them being habits. We just do what God wants without thinking or deliberation.

To me, this seems a growth into that child-likeness that Jesus described. Instead of a choice to be polite, or to lovingly serve others, or to share the gospel because our Father told us to, we just do it without premeditation. It has become our nature, who we are.

Perhaps this is what Peter is saying too. He tells his readers all we need to be godly people is given to us in Christ. Because of that, I can grow from simple faith to greater virtue, increased knowledge, more self-control and so on until all of these qualities are mine and even increasing:

For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. (2 Peter 1:5–9)

Peter says that this growth insures that I am an effective Christian who remembers what Christ has done for me. Chambers says this increase needs to become such a part of my life that I don’t think about it or work on it; it just happens.

Chambers adds that if I become introspective, it is because I’m not there yet. A child does not stop and think that he is not being like a child. God is looking for that kind of simplicity, a life without effort, not making habits a governing force in my life, but relating to God in such a way that my life is simply at home with Him no matter what is happening.

I’ve know few people who are like this. Sadly, at least one of them has been ridiculed for his life of simple trust, of not worrying about anything, and of being spontaneous like a child. How sad. The life of Christ shines through his transparency and every time I talk with him it seems as if I am talking with Jesus.

Why do we try so hard to be godly and miss the simplicity of it? Maybe because that childlike attitude is dismissed by the ‘spiritual’ people — something like the disciples trying to send the children away until Jesus told them, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 19:14)

A “second childhood” is a good thing

The small daughter of a young family in our church often goes into the aisle while we are singing. Oblivious to everyone around her, she gracefully dances to the music in what I see as an offering of praise. 

Let them praise his name with dancing, making melody to him with tambourine and lyre! For the LORD takes pleasure in his people; he adorns the humble with salvation. (Psalm 149:3–4)

I cannot say if this little one senses the pleasure of God, but it appears so. Besides, the rest of us sense His presence as we worship so she may feel it and not know how to describe it. Instead, it makes her want to dance.

How does God feel when He watches her? Because her sweet worship is precious in my eyes, I imagine that His heart overflows with joy. 

Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 19:14)

Today’s devotional reading focuses on the comprehensive love of Jesus for all of His children. It says that there is no part of our interests which He does not consider, nothing concerning our welfare that is not important to Him. He rejoices when we are joyful; He weeps when we are sad. He wants us to come to Him like children.

Not everyone thinks that God cares about every detail in the lives of His children. One of our Christian friends laughs at the idea of praying for a parking spot, but the Bible says “The steps of a man are established by the LORD, when he delights in his way” (Psalm 37:23) and “But even the hairs of your head are all numbered” (Matthew 10:30). Why then would anyone suppose that God does not care about the mundane details of our lives?

For many years God has been teaching me to rely on Him for all things, to pray about everything, even the details. This is partly because I, like a child, often don’t know what I am doing, but also because He loves me. He cares about me like a father for a child and, “As a father shows compassion to his children, so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him” (Psalm 103:13). He wants me to experience His blessing in everything, even the small things.

This child at church, like any child, has her moments of wilful and stubborn disobedience. She says NO to her parents, fights with her siblings and resists help when she needs it. Am I not much like her?

Why do I resist my Father? Or just forget to ask Him for help? Isn’t it because my heart is fiercely independent and selfish? I am proud and determined to do it myself, forgetting that this is not a grown-up way, but the way of an immature child.

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Father, Your love never stops, even when I act in unthankful and undeserving ways. When I resist You, You scoop me in Your arms and whisper words like, “Just ask me” and “I’m here for you.” How amazing that You should care for me even when I resist You or fight with You.

Thank You for the example of worship in small children. And thank You also for reminding me that Your love covers every part of my life, that You even take pleasure in me! Help me grow up and stop acting like a little brat. Instead, help me worship and serve You with the trust and abandonment of an obedient child.