UNLESS YOU BECOME AS A LITTLE CHILD

UNLESS YOU BECOME AS A LITTLE CHILD

“Verily I say unto you, except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.” (Matthew 18:3)

This is one of those verses that has had me somewhat puzzled for years.  I understood ‘except ye be converted’ but the words, ‘and become as little children’ brought to mind long past memories that were sweetened by two loving parents, a big house filled with kids, lots of creative activity, and freedom to explore God’s creation.  So now, as an adult, how does one become as a little child again?

A strange request comes from the Lord to Moses, He directs him to take the Israelites and camp over against a sea.  They have just escaped from bondage in Egypt and are on the run.  I am sure these freed slaves knew full well the wrath of the rulers of Egypt, having been under their control for over 430 years.  Now they were finally free … but for how long?  Moses had just led them to a stretch of land that had no escape route.  Camped next to the Red Sea, if they were  being pursued, they would find themselves trapped!

Fleeing from an ugly past and into an unknown future must have been frightening. No one knew their destination and how far they would get.  Even Moses seemed to be taking things ‘one day at a time.’  But back in Egypt, Pharaoh having recovered from the loss of his first born is not going to sit idle.  God puts a thought into Pharaoh’s mind, “They are entangled in the land, the wilderness has shut them in” (Exodus 14:3).  So God then hardens Pharaoh’s heart to follow after them.  The pursuit begins!  Pharaoh and his legions of chariots begin to close in on what Israel has barely begun, their entire attempt to escape now seems to be lost.   
But God had a plan!Allelujah!  No one knew of God’s plan, not even Moses.  The God of the Heavens and the Earth had brought His people Israel, whom He called His firstborn, out of Egypt.  “As a nation they are babes-in-the-wood.  Israel knows nothing of national responsibility or purpose.  They haven’t a clue as to how to unite into a single, unified, cohesive social unit, let alone how to defend or feed itself.  Israel, the nation, is truly a newborn infant.  But the God of Israel is their Father.  God is a doting father, a demanding father at times, a stern father.  But most of all, God is a loving father to Israel.  And God, still unbeknownst to His children, will be with them every step of the way.”  (Temple Institute, January 2020)

What a beautiful picture of God’s love for His people.   Israel as a little child, an infant nation, was totally dependent on their Heavenly Father to help them; and even though they had a ‘near death experience’ at the Sea of Reeds, God proved He was indeed a miracle-working Father.  We all know the story — God parted the Red Sea — providing an escape route for Israel, then probably with the breath of His mouth, pushed the waters back into place swallowing up Pharaoh’s army.   

As Israel took its first baby steps, like newborn Christians, they tottered and sometimes fell.  God continued to challenge Israel, as He continues to challenge us today — HIS BELOVED CHILDREN!  He has much to teach us, as He did the ‘infant’ Israel.  His ways, His laws, His statues, His testimonies, His teachings through Christ, His thoughts through the Holy Spirit, He unites us as a Body of Believers as He did Israel into a nation, and He shows us our purpose, our Heavenly responsibilities as joint heirs with Christ.  As God guided Israel with tough love, in some cases, He uses tough love on us.   

God had to work with the newly freed slaves shaping them into fully independent, fully cognizant (fully aware, fully knowledgeable) people who would eventually enter into the Promised Land.  So too, God works with His born-again children, slaves once to darkness and the god of this world, but now free by the Blood of the Lamb; shaping us into fullyindependent, fully cognizant saints who will one day enterinto the land He has promised us as our reward – Heaven!

So now we wander through the wilderness, children of God, fully dependent on Our Father for all things.  We have no idea (this side of our Promised Land) how blessed we are to have such a Heavenly Father watching, guiding, teaching, directing, protecting, loving and giving us all that we need for growth.  So, if you are a born-again believer, you have already become ‘as little children’.  Take your Father’s hand and let Him lead you.

Selah.