Child-like Faith

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Bible Reading

  • Matthew 6
  • Matthew 18

Devotional Thoughts

The greatest in the Kingdom is the one who humbles himself and becomes like this child. (Matt 18:4)

What is a child’s faith like? If a child chooses to stay inside the circle of safety, trusting mom and dad implicitly, going where mom and dad say, doing what mom and dad tell them, they will live a life without worrying about food, or clothes or shelter. They will be resting in the oversight of their parents.

That sounds a bit like Jesus describes in Matthew 6:25-33 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on…. Why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies, they don’t toil or spin, yet even Solomon was not arrayed like one of these. If God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown in the fire, will he not much more clothe you? Of you of little faith.”

So, how do we cultivate that kind of faith?

2 Chron 16:9 says, the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is completely his.  This kind of faith is going to come as we turn our hearts toward him, and away from ourselves.

Jesus prayed in John 17:3 “And this is eternal life that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus whom you have sent.” He goes on in his prayer to ask, (John 17:9) “I am praying for them… Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one.”

God desires for our hearts to be completely his. He is working for us to know Him, and to keep our hearts focused on Him.

Paul prayed something similar in Eph 3:17-19 “I pray that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith. That as you are rooted and grounded in God’s love for you, you will comprehend the breadth, length, depth and height of God’s love. So that you will be filled with all the fullness of God.”

This is so important to God that Jesus said, “if we cause anyone to lose his faith, it would be better to be thrown into the sea with a millstone around your neck.” (Matt 18:6)  He continues that thought in Matt 18:13-14 “Your Father, God doesn’t desire for any of us to lose our faith in Him!”

Declarations:

  1. I am a child of God. As my Father, God is going to provide what I need. I don’t have to worry about where it’s going to come from, nor trying to provide it myself. Those are things the world worries about. Today I choose to seek His Kingdom first. (Matt 18:4; Matt 6:33)
  2. I am much more precious to God than lilies and grass. If he clothed them with great beauty, without them toiling or working one small bit, I can be confident that God will provide what I need. (Matt 6:25-33; 2 Cor 9:8-12)
  3. Just like you promised to provide for me physically, you also promise to provide the knowledge and wisdom I need to minister to others today. Today I make my mouth available for you to speak with. I make my hands available for you to work with. I choose to rest in the confidence of your life in me today. (James 1:5; Is 50:4-7; Matt 10:19-20; 2 Chron 16:9)
  4. As I walk by faith, living with confidence in my loving Father, it will inspire faith in others. (Psalm 34:8)

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