Matthew 18:4 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
It never ceases to amaze me how our little girl, Elianna is growing and developing. I remember when she first came into this world, she was so helpless and frail — she couldn’t even move her head without our help. Now, just having turned two, she’s running around and tumbling, jumping, singing and dancing!
Once, back in those days when Elianna was much more dependent on us, she was crying about something or another. And on this particular day, nothing would comfort her until I picked her up into my arms. I remember thinking that day, how good it was to feel needed and loved by this little one — and how wonderful it felt for that moment, that only I could make her happy.
And this got me thinking about something.
How easy is it for us to find our identities in the things we do in this world? We’re good fathers, mothers, husbands, wives, good employees, etc. Now, it’s not wrong to enjoy these positions. The problem comes, though, when we feel so accomplished in these things that they become who we are. And later, when we’re wrapped all up in that identity, and we don’t do such a great job at it, we feel like failures.
It’s much harder to find our identity as a child of God, than it is our earthly occupations. I mean — which would you rather be, a great mom, an employee who’s just earned a raise, an appreciated pastor — or a little helpless child who must be totally dependent upon His Father for every need? But it’s SO important to first find our identity as children of the living God, and then in these secondary things!
Let’s ask the Lord to help us get into a new mindset today. It will help us stay humble and care free, knowing that we are but children of a Father who will take care of it all and striving to stay dependent upon Him!
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[worthy_plugins_devotion_single_body]The testing of Abraham’s faith was repeated by YHVH throughout the patriarch’s entire life. The tests grew greater as his life advanced, and through every one, whether Abraham passed or not, YHVH proved Himself to be his friend over and over again. Every test or “trial” involved a serious challenge or threat in which Abraham had to trust that the LORD knew what He was doing, asking, or requiring, and that His goodness and faithfulness were unquestionably reliable.
While I was in the States, I read several stories about Ronald Reagan that made me appreciate him as a person and as a leader. But one amusing story really caught my attention and made me smile. When he was a young man, Reagan worked at a radio station and sometimes played records of sermons. His shift at the station was a one-man operation and so, on occasion, Ron would set the record playing and then sneak out for a cup of coffee. One day he got a call while he was at the coffee shop from the station’s owner, ordering him back to the station, and then … he received his termination notice. He’d returned to the station finding the record skipping at a particular point in the sermon…
Having spent over 20 years living in Israel’s Negev Desert, I’ve come to appreciate the importance of salt in maintaining proper hydration. “What in the world does salt have to do with grace and truth?”, you ask. Well, I’ll tell you.
During the first great awakening, revivalist George Whitfield was preaching to coal miners in England. He asked one man, “What do you believe?” “Well, I believe the same as the church.” “And what does the church believe?” “Well, they believe the same as me.” Seeing he was getting nowhere, Whitfield said, “And what is it that you both believe?” “Well, I suppose the same thing.”
The Great Wall of China is one of the Seven Wonders of the World. It stretches over 4,000 miles (6,400 KM) and was built to protect China from the barbaric hordes to the north. The designers of the wall made it so high that it could not be scaled, so thick that it could not be penetrated, and so long that no one could go around it.
In today’s news, Bloomberg reported that according to a recent study, Americans can add as many as two years to the nation’s life expectancy if they stand up more often and watch fewer hours of television. What a concept — move around and you’ll live longer!
The word verily, in this verse, is the Hebrew word “emunah” (em-oo-nah). It also means faith or faithfully. When we trust in the Lord, He declares that He will faithfully feed us. How will we be fed?