ESOCS Devotional 28 January 2021
TEXT: MATTHEW 18:1-10
MEMORY VERSE: “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 18:3 NIV
Today, we are treating a classic issue that is one of the focal points of the Christian ministry and teaching. The necessity to transform ourselves to be like little children in our hearts and minds in order that we may be acceptable to God through Christ is the summary of the gospel. Adam corrupted his childlike innocence and purity, and he imparted his impure nature to his descendants. We inherited it. But God’s will must subsist. It must override whatever anyone thinks, says, or does. Therefore, our Lord said we must go back to the original will of the Father for us; that is, we should be devoid of sin and all its resemblances. We should be pure, spiritually clean, holy, and righteous as little children, for that was the status of our nature in the Garden of Eden before Adam and Eve corrupted everybody and everything else.
Our Lord said emphatically, “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” This is serious because it stresses the need for genuine repentance and turnaround. It underscores the example of the quality of souls that God will allow to enter His kingdom. We would understand it better when we examine the qualities found in little children.
The first is that although little children live in the world, they do not belong to the world (). They are far removed from it in their hearts and minds. They have nothing to do with the lust of the flesh, which are the pleasures of the world. They are uncomplicated but simple like our Lord in their nature. They are transparently clean in the sight of God.
Little children possess unalloyed hearts and minds, which do not harbour ill feelings, wickedness, unforgiveness, revenge, and any other kind of sin or vice. They are friends to all and enemies to none. They forgive easily, and do not bear grudges or hold in their minds the ills done to them. They love easily, and love to play together always.
They do not indulge in immorality of any sort but are pure, clean, holy, and righteous altogether. Their ways are simple, and animated by plain honesty and forthrightness. They do not indulge in a life of deceit, falsehood, pretence, or hypocrisy.
Read yesterday’s ESOCS Devotional here
They have a heart that believes easily, yields and surrenders to God readily. The name of Jesus sounds like music in their ears. They accept Him in their infant hearts even when they do not know or understand the core reason He came into the world. For them, it is a fairy story but then, they accept it wholly and go singing about it as if it were a culture of their life.
They are very close to God and dear to Him in His heart; for in as much as His eyes do not behold sin and iniquity (Heb. 1:13), the children provide the respite for Him to look into the world sometimes or rest His eyes on it for a while. They are at peace with God always.
Such and many more are the qualities of little children we should imitate, and imbibe. We have no excuses here. Our Lord has plainly made it clear that it is a condition we must fulfil to endure the kingdom of God. Let us be mindful of it; for in a way, it is plain warning!
CHALLENGES
Make genuine efforts to become like little children in your heart, as our Lord has said.
PRAYER POINT
Lord Jesus, I sincerely need your help to transform myself into little children in my heart.
FURTHER READING: Jeremiah 31:1–17; 31:5-17; 1 John 5:1-12
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ESOCS Devotional 28 January 2021
