Can you spot the deeper meaning? Can you hear the truth in the noise? Can you understand the message through the words? Can you find the application of what you read and apply? Are you finding reading that will get you ready? Are you finding reading that is useful? Are you finding reading that is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness? Are you careful what you allow into your mind? Are you careful what you allow into your heart? Today’s reading comes to us from Matthew 18:
Who Is the Greatest? 1At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 2And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them 3and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.Do you have childlike faith? Do you childlike humility to have a place in your life? Let’s avoid living immaturely and acting childish. Let’s keep things simple and receive them simply. Let’s believe God’s Word with childlike faith! Let’s live like we are the lowest rather than pumping ourselves up and acting like we are the highest. Let’s be humble to serve others in what we say and do. Let’s humble ourselves by being living sacrifices to God and by remaining humble before God so that He can be be exalted and lifted up. Today’s devotional from The Global Impact Bible on the theme of the Bible’s impact on Education or Academy on the subject C.S. Lewis view of children. C.S. Lewis is known for his popular kids series The Chronicles of Narnia. What some many not be as aware of are the number of letters he received and wrote to people about the books. We learn in today’s devotional about one such letter from a girl named Ruby where he shared with her how children tend to understand the hidden biblical meanings in his books better than adults, which we see reflected in today’s reading from Matthew 18:3
5″Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me,6but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea. Temptations to Sin 7″Woe to the world for temptations to sin! For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes! 8And if your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into the eternal fire.9And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into the hell of fire. The Parable of the Lost Sheep 10″See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven. 12What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? 13And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. 14So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.
If Your Brother Sins Against You 15″If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. 16But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 17If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. 18Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.19Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant 21Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” 22Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.
23″Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. 24When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. 25And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. 26So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ 27And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. 28But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ 29So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’30He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. 31When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. 32Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ 34And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. 35So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”
from Matthew 18
when he wrote
‘and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. ‘ from Matthew 18:3
So how about you? Where are you at today? Are you able to see God’s hand in your life? Are you looking for God’s hand in your life? Are you inviting God’s hand into your life? Why not get today started with a prayer… Let’s pray… Be it a prayer of relationship with God…
If you continue to love Jesus, nothing much can go wrong with you, and I hope you may always do so. I’m so thankful that you realized the ‘hidden story’ in the Narnian books. It is odd, children nearly always do, grown ups hardly ever. from Letter to Ruth from C.S. Lewis
Heavenly Father,
I thank You Lord that You prove it over and over again that Your Word is true and that I need not lean on my own understanding but instead put my trust in You. I take hold of Your truth that I don’t need to be anxious about anything but rather pray about everything. I take hold of Your truth that I don’t need to fear but rather can put all my trust in You. I take hold of Your truth that You are for me and not against me, that Your plans for me are good and to give me a hope and a future. I take hold of Your truth that I need to be prepared to give an answer for the hope that is within me. I take hold of Your truth that I need to put on the full armor of God! Help me today Lord as I step out into this world to live my life in the light bringing light into dark places and bringing salt into the places that need to be spiced up. Lord help me to live out my today in a way that will bring You all the praise, the honor, and the glory in Jesus’s name Amen.
