Be Childlike

BE CHILDLIKE

Quote: “Children are the hands by which we take hold of heaven.”  – Henry Ward Beecher

Scripture:  Matthew 19:4 NLT – “But Jesus said, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children.”

Some Thoughts: How many remember the prayer, “Now I lay me down to sleep.  I pray the Lord my soul to keep.  If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take.”?  I read that this prayer may have come from Psalm 31:5 and may have been taught to children during Jesus’ day.  It may have been Jesus’ prayer from the cross in Luke 23:46.

Psalm 31:5 ESV reads: “Into your hand I commit my spirit; you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God.”

This is the prayer Jesus prayed from the cross in Luke 23:46 ESV: “Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, ‘Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!’ And having said this he breathed his last.”

So, like I said, some scholars have said, it is possible that this simple prayer may have been taught to children during Jesus’ day and it may have been part of Jesus’ prayer from the cross.

I remember my children kneeling at their beds faithfully every night saying this “Now I lay me down to sleep” prayer.  I’m not sure they ever really thought about the words.  I know I didn’t.  Now when I look at the words, it seems like there’s a little doubt expressed that if we die before we wake, we are asking that the Lord “our soul will take”.  Praise God I know that when I die, I will wake with Him!  I know my soul is safe in His keeping!  My prayer today is that each of our children and grandchildren would come to full assurance and belief that if they were to die, they would immediately be with the Lord.

How do we have assurance that we are a part of the kingdom of heaven – not just when we die, but now?  Jesus said:

Matthew 18:3 ESV – “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

I think the AMP version gives a good picture of what it means to “become like children.”

Matthew 18:3 AMP – “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, unless you repent [that is, change your inner self—your old way of thinking, live changed lives] and become like children [trusting, humble, and forgiving], you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

After reciting the “Now I lay me down to sleep” prayer, my children would proceed to say things like, “Bless Grandma, and Grandpa, Mommy, Daddy…” and name everyone close to them in their lives-including pets! That’s an example of childlike humility and trust.  I’ve shared the story before of how difficult it was to get my son to “settle down” at bedtime.  He has always been a jokester – still is.  He was laughing and acting goofy one night when I was trying to get him to say his prayers.  I scolded him and said, “Stop it!  Settle down!  You’re supposed to be praying!”  He answered, “I am!!  I was telling God a joke.”  I love that children have such a trusting and personal way of relating to God.

Being born again, turning from our sins, becoming humble, trusting, and forgiving (like a child) is how we can have the assurance that we are a part of the Kingdom of God. That Kingdom can be our reality now; not something we look forward to when we die.  It requires becoming like little children.  Here’s a final thought:  Let’s be “childlike”, but not “childish” in our walk with Him!

Prayer:  Lord, help me to be childlike in my trust in You.  May I not become arrogant or feel like I’ve got all the answers, without needing to rely upon You.  I want to live in the full assurance that the Kingdom of Heaven is mine and the reality that the Kingdom of Heaven is mine here and now!  Thank You for making it so simple that it only requires trusting, humble, forgiving, childlike faith.

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