Daily Scripture Reading: Matthew 18:2-3 KJV
Matthew 18:2-3 KJV
(2) And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them,
(3) And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Today’s Devotional Is THE CHILD IN THE MIDST
OUR LORD wanted to demonstrate the true essence of greatness. It begins with humility. This is the foundation of being His disciple (Mat_18.4). A child’s natural humility is interrupted by its parents and friends who start to take over the responsibility of distracting it from their own needs. Our flesh should be as small as the proud Naaman. People are proud of their humility and expect to be praised, but this is not the true humility Christ speaks of.
Love is the next qualification to greatness. No matter how poor their circumstances, Christ-like souls must be welcomed and accepted. It is striking to see the contrast between this little boy and the boy whose miserable case is described in the previous chapter (Mat_17.14-18). The Lord Jesus was a loving friend to both of them. One He brought back to health and sanity, and the other He took into His arms. It was likely that the child was playing or standing very close to Him. He only needed to make a slight gesture to bring the child to His side. The sermon that followed made him the subject of the sermon. Christ loves all people, so we must not belittle them. Our Lord lifts the veil of the eternal world and reveals that the most vulnerable and the least fortunate are those to whom the highest angels have been assigned as their guardians. The children are under the watchful eye of the Presence Chamber, the holy ones who see God’s face all the time.
True greatness can only be achieved when you are not selfish of yourself and considerate for others. We must not allow a stumbling block or give Christ the opportunity to fail. We must be ready to take out the right hand or the right eye, rather than grieve God’s Holy Spirit. The effect of our influence on others will determine how we feel about many things that may seem completely innocuous.
PRAYER for Today
O Lord, grant to us true humility; a loving and kind, holy, and useful way of living; sharing the burdens of others, denying ourselves and learning to help others and please Thee in all things. AMEN.