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Can you remember a teacher, parent or spouse telling you to meet at a certain place after the event so he/she could pick you up? …but when the event was over, you had become so entranced with the event you forgot and went to where you suspected your leader might be. What was the mood when that driver finally drove up? Was it a fun moment or not? Most likely that person was angry, and you were defensive. Regretful words were spoken, and the car became silent.

I’ve done something similar to God. He gave me a word of knowledge about a board member. When the board members showed up for a meeting, I told the person what I sensed the Spirit had told me. It hit a nerve, and he became angry. The Spirit whispered; I didn’t tell you to tell him. I told you that so you would pray for him and could talk to him when I prompted you. OOPS!!

Jesus had specifically told His disciples He would meet them in Galilee after He had risen from the dead. (Mark 14:28, Mathew 26:32) The morning He arose, an angel specifically at the tomb told the ladies to tell the disciples that Jesus was going to meet them in Galilee. (Mark 16:7; Matthew 28:7) Jesus Himself later also told the ladies the same thing. Matthew 28:10 So where did the disciples go after the resurrection? John 20:19 tells us that evening they were afraid and behind locked doors in Jerusalem!

What did Jesus say to them? He didn’t chide them or even bring the issue up! Knowing the trauma their humanity had just endured, He repeatedly said, “Peace be with you.” What might that reveal to you about God? What kind of God would respond like that? God is patient, long-suffering, gentle, self-controlled, and more. The fact is, that is precisely what you and I will be like the more intimate we get with our Lord. Paul says those are sample fruit or signs of you and me growing closer to Him. Isn’t that an incentive to sacrifice time to be more with Him, to study His Word? Paul explained, “So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.” 2 Corinthians 3:18 (NLT2). Who wouldn’t want to have that happen to them?

What obstacle keeps us from spending more time with Him? Most would say it is time. We are busy people. The reality, we find time to do what we want to do. If we are the people pleaser type, we will do things someone wants us to do even if it takes us away from investing time gazing at the Lord and allowing that to change us little by little into His “glorious image”. If we want to score points to build our image or whatever, we will do crazy things, things we don’t want to do, to expose ourselves to a certain person who we hope will be impressed with what we may do. I suspect you get my point because there are a lot of examples of how we tell ourselves we are too busy to spend valued time with our Creator.

Please know, I am talking to myself when I say these things. If it applies to you as well, that is between you and God. The fact is, we don’t have to spend hours praying, fasting, or do religious rituals. It is amazing what 15 minutes a day in solitude focused on God can do to you. It will probably increase your desire for more of His presence. It even helps me to get with other like-minded people and discuss Bible passages, principles or concepts. What could you do to carve out time to be in solitude with Him? Would it be worth it to experience that change?

I sometimes wonder if I have an adult form of ADHD (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder). I think of something I need to do in a different room and forget that task before I get in that room. In that short time lapse, my mind has dashed onto another subject. Sound familiar? When I pray, it only takes moments before my mind sprints off to something different from praying. In this context, when I read Paul’s words, “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth” Colossians 3:2, (ESV), my mental radar screen goes blank. Lacking clarity on what that means, my mind streaks off in an entirely different direction. Obviously, this doesn’t happen to me all the time, but certainly more often than I like! I can get so frustrated with myself.

Since Connie’s graduated to her reward, I have increased my learning of God, His Word, and myself. The Spirit has used her prayer journals to speak both comfort and correction to me, for which I am most grateful. Through all that has happened, I have found a fresh appreciation for who our God is—His ways, values, character and attributes. I found the review of His names in the Bible, revealing who He is, inspiring and insightful. As I meditate on each name, my mind becomes focused on “things that are above”. For instance, in Genesis 16:13, Hagar identified the Lord as El Roi, the “God of seeing,” after her encounter. That experience made me realize, in a very real way, that God is seeing me in my grief as a widower. I find myself praising not only what He does, but who He is; a praise that comes from my heart, not just my head. His felt presence then came over me like a soothing wave. I had known He saw me for years, but setting my mind on things above and applying it to where I was in life made that fact so much more personal and real.

When I considered His name Elohim, I was reminded of how, in the Bible, that name is a plural noun, meaning He is not one person but three—God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. So, when I use the term God in prayer or conversation, I am addressing all of them at the same time. The three are so intertwined. It is as though they are dancing as one, working as one, loving, seeing and caring for me as one. Together, they dwell within me, so what do I have to fear? Again, as I think through that perfect unity of love, wisdom, power, and all He (they) is (are), again like a wave of the sea, His presence crashes over me resulting in praise from my inner being bursting out towards Him.

There certainly are more ways to set your mind on things above than what I’ve mentioned here, so relax. You were not designed by a cookie cutter. How you set your mind on things above, and how you respond in His felt presence, will be different. The bottom line is, when you encounter His felt presence, you are changed from glory to glory. You can ask Him how you can set your mind on things above so you can benefit from it in your daily life. Just find a way to do it.

If you want to use the method I described above, do a Google search on the names of God. Then take time to allow your mind to imagine what all that name means and how it applies to you. You can take one of His names with you to work. Then, you can set your mind on things above, so as soon as you finish a task, your mind can snap back to thinking about things above. I pray it will inspire you, as it has me. But again, considering the names of God is NOT an exclusive way to set your mind on things above. The Spirit has a way that will bring His joy into your life.

A Psalm that captured my attention today was “Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you.” Psalm 63:3 (ESV). What it brought to my attention was just how stunning God’s steadfast love is. It is better than life itself. That is easy to say unless you are gasping for your last breath of life. Then the survival instinct triggers desperation and at that moment, the breath of life totally dominates your thoughts. But does that moment really trump the great pleasure a person has for God’s steadfast love? Or is it just a momentary instinct?

I’ve been reading Connie’s (my deceased wife) prayer journals. I am learning a lot about what solid faith in God looks like in real time. I’m learning God is not as interested in our momentary feelings as He is in the throbbing of our inner man that is far more stable. There is no doubt about it, Connie’s mind and emotions relentlessly tried to pull her into the thick quagmire of disappointment, defeat, and discouragement. However, as you read her notes, like a powerful rubber band, she would invariably snap back to the passion and conviction in her heart, which was her conviction of the steadfast love God had for her and the strength she received from that. To be candid, this resilience has been so stunning it brought me to tears multiple times.

I think of the past Christian martyrs. I think specifically of Stephen, an early church deacon who was brought before the Jewish leader’s council.  “… everyone in the high council stared at Stephen, because his face became as bright as an angel’s. Acts 6:15 (NLT2). His humanity faced extreme pressure, but he didn’t allow it to crush him. But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed steadily into heaven and saw the glory of God, and he saw Jesus standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Acts 7:55 (NLT2). Jesus was otherwise said to be sitting at the right hand of the Father, but now He was “standing”. That suggests to me Stephen envisioned Jesus standing and cheering Him on. When these Jewish leaders saw their intimidation wasn’t working, they took him out of the city and threw stones at him. He didn’t have Sylvester Stallone’s body in the movie ‘Rocky’. I can’t help but think he felt the immediate pain when a stone thrown by the Jewish leaders hit his body. It was in the pain of the dying process, “He fell to his knees, shouting, ‘Lord, don’t charge them with this sin!’ And with that, he died.” Acts 7:60 (NLT2). As Jesus watched, He wasn’t focused on the instantaneous thought that flashed through Stephen’s mind when the stone hit him. He was delighted in Stephen’s resilient faith in Him.

We can’t stop birds flying over our heads, but we can keep them from making a nest there. We can’t control random thoughts, but we are accountable for the thoughts we dwell on.

I have taken comfort hundreds of times when unhealthy thoughts passed through my head, but like a rubber band, my mind would snap back to focusing on God and His word. I believe faith in God doesn’t stop the birds from flying over your head. Rather, it is all about fixing our mind on things above. “To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.” Romans 8:6 (NRSV). Paul also wrote, “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” Colossians 3:2 (ESV)

What have you been doing to set your mind on the things above? You can only do that by spending valued time in His Presence reading His Word. There are no short cuts to this.

Luke records a parable Jesus told as they were nearing Jerusalem in chapter 19:1-27. A trip was made by a nobleman to claim the title that would make him king of the surrounding territory. The disciple’s assumption was that the Kingdom of God was to about to begin, so Jesus was preparing them for what was to come.

He took on the persona of a nobleman who needed to make a lengthy trip to receive the right to be king. The disciples grasped the symbolism due to the passing of Herod the Great. To become rulers over parts of their father’s territory, each of Herod the Great’s sons – Herod Antipas, Herod Philip, and Herod Archelaus – had to journey to Rome to gain approval. Archelaus would have become king over Judea, however 50 Jewish men journeyed to Rome to express their opposition to his rule, as hinted at in the parable.

The parable depicts a nobleman entrusting 10 responsible servants with a sum equivalent to three months’ wages each.  Here is what has stood out to me today. Leaving them unchecked and unsupervised, he instructed them to “occupy until I return” (v 13, KJV). To us, that is a very broad term!! The ESV version renders the original word for “occupy” as “engage in business”, while NLT2 translates it as “invest”. Today, I believe this means I need to use the unique abilities Christ has given me until I face Him on Judgement Day. We should all be prepared for the inquiry, “What did you do with the blessings I bestowed upon you?”

Each stage of our life presents different opportunities to invest what He entrusted us to use. Adults are expected to be more productive than children. God’s expectations for retirees differ from those of younger, more robust individuals. My point is; depending on the variables given to each person at each point in their life, each will be held accountable when they stand before Christ.

I have been reading Connie’s (my deceased wife) prayer journals. They are humbling, breaking, and challenging. They are teaching me valuable lessons for which I am very grateful. During her most vibrant years, she performed remarkable acts of service, as remembered by those who knew her. Yet, her accomplishments were altered by the onset of Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS). She no longer could physically do all she had done earlier. Her journal documented her increasing struggles with self-worth. The inability to perform like she used to was a constant burden on her mental and emotional state. Her persistent disappointments and fears couldn’t stop her from fighting back. The Spirit of God was shaping her for the grander divine tasks He had planned for her in Heaven, even amidst the intensely challenging battles she faced. With almost no physical means to gain self-worth, she endured 3 years and 3 months solely relying on scripture and its promises to battle her mind and emotions. Picture yourself enduring those hourly battles for that duration. I now realize it’s in those moments of inactivity and vulnerability that the fiercest battles are fought.

How might “occupy till I come” apply to whatever stage of life you find yourself? Have you been concentrating on using your gifts to honor God, or to advance your own comfort or interests? Can you confidently say you have readied yourself to receive praise from Him? Hearing the words well done is much better than well said or good intentions. Your past is fixed, but you have the ability to influence your future. Might you sense you need to strategize any changes in your life?

Faith is hard for us to define in practical terms. Therefore, there is a great assortment of definitions assigned to faith. Some have faith in themselves, their wisdom, wealth, position, or in a set of creeds, a worldview, an organization, or their hero. I’ve been pondering exactly what is the purpose of faith? Why did God have to give us faith? (Ephesians 2:8) Is faith for getting what we want from God? That certainly could be interpreted from what Jesus said about healing. But could it be we are misinterpreting what Jesus was really was saying about faith in that context? After all, John 2:23-25 clearly points out that “… many believed in his name when they saw the miracles He was doing.” John 2:23 (ESV) However the very next verse reads, But Jesus … did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people… John 2:24 (ESV) That is saying that while people had that kind of faith/belief in Him, yet that belief was not the right type of faith that would get Him to give Himself to them. That means not just any definition of faith is acceptable to Him. That is profound and extremely significant. Elsewhere, the Bible places such a profound emphasis on it, especially where it reads, “…without faith it is impossible to please him…” (Hebrews 11:6a, ESV). If we expect to be approved when we stand before Him, wouldn’t it be in our best interest to have His definition of faith and why He must give it to us?

A more literal and complete translation of Hebrews 11:6 reads, “And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him. Hebrews 11:6 (NASB) Many translators replace the word ‘is’ with the word exists, which can be misleading. Demons believe He exists, but that belief is certainly not redemptive! (James 2:19) What is consistent throughout the Bible is that God insists on us believing all of who it says He is in character, sovereignty, all-knowing, all powerful, eternal, and all His other attributes. The “rewarder” piece is a further reference to His character.

The centurion, when requesting Jesus to heal his son, said to Jesus, “I know this because I am under the authority of my superior officers, and I have authority over my soldiers. I only need to say, ‘Go,’ and they go, or ‘Come,’ and they come. And if I say to my slaves, ‘Do this,’ they do it.” Matthew 8:9 (NLT2) Jesus’ response to him was, “… he was amazed. Turning to those who were following him, he said, ’I tell you the truth, I haven’t seen faith like this in all Israel!’” Matthew 8:10 (NLT2) His answer revealed He saw Jesus to be God in the flesh who had total authority over all creation, not just trivial authority over other humans. That was what Jesus perceived in this man and caused Jesus to marvel! The man had experienced the faith of God, not just the faith in Him. It is that definition of faith, when exercised, that releases Him to be fully God and be “a rewarder”. When given God’s faith, (Eph. 2:8), He “rewards” us with salvation, healing, miraculous interventions, and His ability to continue to change our life into His image.

Connie’s (my wife) prayer journals consistently repeated that she hoped for her healing and became discouraged, since that request was not being answered. However, she consistently followed that sentiment by writing her much stronger desire was to leave that decision up to the all-knowing God, who she passionately loved and fully trusted. When a person genuinely surrenders their natural desires to their sovereign, loving God, that is a divine faith that allows Him to do what is best, not just what we prefer.

I now see faith as the crucial resource for connecting with God, not just to satisfy our desires.

I find great encouragement as I look back and reflect on how the Holy Spirit has guided, protected, and empowered me. I’m awestruck by the miracles (occurrences that are completely beyond my capacity to achieve) He worked through me. To be candid, I’m also in awe at how so much happened when I was not even aware it was happening!! This is the joyful, healthy aspect of reminiscing.

However, remembering these fruits reminds me of other choices that have been not so good. I also see what now brings me shame. What brings me the most shame has been my persistent resistance to God. Each higher-level assignment He called me to do, those I felt were outside my natural talents or outside Connie and my preferences. I pushed back hard. I obeyed, yet was passively resistant for a year or more in one case. I’m also amazed that God’s anointing kept working miracles through me, even though I resisted Him so much! What might that say about God’s grace and ways with us?

A less than healthy response has been my subtle impulse to be more Martha-like, focused on action and organization, than Mary-like, whose focus was on intimate time with Jesus. (Luke 10:38-42) Martha became upset that Mary sat before Jesus while she did all the meal preparation work. Martha’s love language was ‘doing’ ministry for Jesus rather than ‘being’ a worshiper of Him. Those in the medical or social serving jobs often find greater joy in serving others rather than their families or even their own needs. The clergy are not immune to falling into this same trap. Speaking from experience, clergy can become codependent on their jobs instead of focusing on their relationship with Christ. You see it mostly when they’re no longer in their position. They then struggle to find a job that makes them feel valued. Sadly, they can end up becoming dissenters. Why? Unknowingly, they need to keep that codependency going. They don’t realize what a stronger relationship with God they could have if they just studied His Word.

I thought I was content after retiring—until an inviting opportunity to return to serving others presented itself. That opportunity was on my mind constantly, despite the big risks. It took 7-10 days before I remembered the warning I’d given to those I served who were bereaved. Death of a spouse is the number one most stressful life event, making them super vulnerable. I warned them against making life-altering decisions unless forced or divinely guided. When that fact emerged out of the fog, I felt totally at peace. In hindsight, I chased the Martha in me, not my relationship with Christ. This revelation made me grateful for the humbling offer, but also for the Spirit revealing my subtle, misaligned desires.

Following your mind and emotions might sound good, but it won’t always lead you to what’s truly best.  Intimacy with Christ is where the real satisfaction lies. What may be your greatest desire? When looking back, have you been chasing the century proven ‘best’ offer because it brings the most fulfillment? Or have you been allured into chasing after ‘good’ things that will soon fade into the shadows? After the initial emotional rush of an opportunity passes, it is important to look at the bigger and longer lasting opportunity. I pray for God’s best for you.

When things are not going well in significant areas of our life, like weather in light of crops, finances, health, relationships and the like, one of the common spoken or unspoken questions that pop into our mind is why isn’t God answering my prayer. I am doing everything I know how to do (fasting, praying, generous giving, etcetera). The root of such a question lies in our misguided expectations. Consciously or unconsciously, we think God responds to the bartering system by jumping through all His hoops. He then owes us an answer to our prayers. If you think about that, bartering is like putting yourself closer to God’s level, which is called pride.

God says, “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts, and my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.  For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:8-9 (NLT2). If we continue to think the way we do, we are dealing with false expectations. Strange as it may sound, God cares far more about our deep-seated humility, unadulterated trust, and loyal love than our good deeds. The foundation of each of these is humility.

Humility is NOT the self-abasement that we think of today.  A classic word picture of biblical humility is a powerful race horse that has submitted to the control of his trainer or jockey.  Humility has nothing to do with the horse’s worth, ability, or strength.  Rather, it is all about how the horse uses its strength to respond to its rider.  It is not what a person says about himself but rather his/her relational attitude towards others, even in how the person responds to conflict or abuse their ego.  The reason we are told to humble ourselves is that “God opposes the proud but favors the humble.” (James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5, NLT) That’s pretty sobering!  Humility is not a loss but a gain, for it puts the believer in God’s favor and saves him from pride that would destroy him and rob him of future glory. Too often we worry about our position and status, hoping to get proper recognition for what we do. Peter reminds us God’s recognition counts far more than human praise. God is able and willing to bless us according to His timing and way.  The fact is humility is as fundamentally essential to authentic spirituality as breathing is to our physical survival.  Grace is at the root of God’s economy. Paul wrote, “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” Romans 12:2 (NLT2)

Jesus modeled healthy humility for us, saying, “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does. John 5:19 (NLT2) Did you notice, Jesus—the Son of God—had totally abandoned His preferences or control of His life? Paul wrote, “Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.” Romans 12:16 (NIV).  “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.” Philippians 2:3 (ESV). Have we unknowingly bought into the cultural values of our world? Have we lost the virtue of humility?

After going through what I have due to Connie’s graduation, I am more clearly seeing that I don’t have control over my life—and that requires serious humility on my part. I am learning a new level of humility and am so grateful for this that I want to share its spiritual truth with you.

Years back, Gary Chapman wrote the book The 5 Languages of Love. In practical terms, his point was you may show love how you like to receive love, but if your spouse or children have a different love language than you, they do not see or feel your love, even though you deeply love them. An example would be if a husband’s love language is acts of service, he may be confused when he does the laundry or grocery shopping and his wife does not perceive those as an act of love, viewing it as simply performing a husband’s duties. This is because the love language she understands is words of affirmation (verbal affirmation that he loves her).

Interestingly, Jesus told us how to show our love for Him in His exchange with Peter about love. He asked Peter, “Do you love me?” He followed Peter’s affirmation saying, then “Feed My sheep”. When Jesus asked him the same question again, Peter assumed from him following Jesus that Jesus knew he loved Him, but he was totally missing the point Jesus was making. Telling Peter to feed Jesus’ sheep would mean that Jesus wanted Peter to own Jesus’ passion for other people, not just Peter’s interest in other people. Jesus’ love for people is described in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, which is a selfless type of love for others shown in practical ways—especially for their spiritual welfare. God is not interested in sentimental jargon or in doing for others what we think they want or need. Loyalty to God was birthed in us when we were spiritually regenerated (Ezekiel 36:25-27, NIV). There will be such a deep desire within us that we will be careful to do what He wants done, not what we think needs to be done. This type of transformation can only be something the Holy Spirit can plant in a person. This type of love will prevail when we choose to do God’s will, even when it makes little sense to us or what is asked is contrary to what we desire. We start out with such love, however, neglecting to nurture that desire will allow it to be smothered by our self-centered sin-nature.

How have you been showing your love for God? …the way you like to be loved or the way God implanted in your heart when you were first born again? If you haven’t experienced that kind of love for God, you have an incredible experience awaiting you. It is like a positive traumatic experience that results in an inner joy and confidence that influences your desires and how you interpret life. It literally changes the trajectory of your life. If you determine to invest in becoming an apprentice of Jesus, doing so will be able you to sustain that love and joy for the rest of your life!

Why don’t you see others who once experienced that transformation but no longer show it? It is because they have fallen into the trap the Jesus described the believers in Ephesus had done. After affirming their efforts to do noteworthy deeds, He then said, “Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love.  Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.” Revelation 2:4-5 (NIV). Repentance means to turn around 180 degrees and go the other direction in how you are THINKING. The context of this passage shows they had drifted away from loving Christ from their hearts and loving Him from what they falsely assumed was what He wanted. Christ was saying to them much the same basic thing He had told Peter. If you really love me, you will have My heart and engage in expressing it to others as I express My love to others. The consequences for shifting away from having and not showing that kind of love are severe—Him removing His Spirit from one’s life. Yikes!

False expectations are one of the primary causes of conflict, whether it be at work, in business, or in relationships. Such expectations reveal anemic communication. If there is a vacuum in what is not said, our mind will fill it with biased and inaccurate expectations.

Authentic faith is packed with expectations in the face of great risk. But this hope is based upon obedience to what the Spirit has implanted in your heart. Presumption (false expectations) is based on a mix of imagination and scripture taken out of context. Those components can concoct what sounds exhilarating until it ends in heartache. Those cursed expectations can crush us.

A false assumption or misunderstanding, tragic loss, or crisis exposes the depth of trust in God’s sovereignty, love, and wisdom. Judas Iscariot is a classic example of this. It becomes clear when you compare his failure with Peter’s. Judas’s imagination of Jesus being king and how it would benefit him led him to try to do what Jesus’ mother Mary did to Jesus. In John 2:2-8, she essentially pushed Him into performing His first miracle of turning water into wine. Judas’ fantasies plus the miracles he saw Jesus do motivated him to try to force Jesus to use His power to become the earthly King of the Jews. He was so crushed after he realized his mistake; he committed suicide. In contrast, Peter’s failure led him to weep bitterly (Luke 22:62), yet he knew Jesus well enough that he repented and stayed the course and His relationship with Jesus was restored.

David wrote a verse that is very revealing of God’s ways of working with us. “You have allowed me to suffer much hardship, but you will restore me to life again and lift me up from the depths of the earth.” Psalm 71:20 (NLT2). This addresses the depth and width of God’s love and grace. As the Father did with Jesus, He will allow us to “suffer much hardship” in order to reshape us more into His likeness. But, like Peter, we must focus on His character and stay the course.

The writer of Hebrews also allows us to see God’s ways of working with us. Referring to when God shook the earth and spoke to the early Hebrews, he wrote, “At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.  This phrase, ‘Yet once more’, indicates the removal of things that are shaken—that is, things that have been made—in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain”. Hebrews 12:26-27 (ESV) This reminds me of shaking rugs to get the dirt out. There are times when our understanding of God, our belief system, or presumptions will be shaken so violently that whatever is not deeply implanted in our inner being by His Spirit will fall out. Why? So that we can find just how strong our faith and love for God really is. What is genuine will not only remain, but it will also be taken to a new level of faith and love in Him. How do I know? Connie’s graduation has violently shaken my life to the point where I felt so lost as to where to step next. But in His amazing grace and love, He is shaping my love and faith in Him to be stronger than ever. All the dust hasn’t totally settled yet, but from what I can see through the fog, my relationship with Him and trust in Him is tighter than ever.

What kind of expectations might you have of God? Are they based on what you been told or what you have found to be true through your study of His Word and the trials He allowed you to endure? Christ is making a church, “without spot or wrinkle or any such thing” (Ephesians 5:27).

In one of my recent devotions, I read Mark 10:14-15. The words seemed to jump out at me and continue to do so day after day. I suspect you also can relate to that happening to you. Here is how that verse reads. “When Jesus saw what was happening, he was angry with his disciples. He said to them, ‘Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children.  I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.’” Mark 10:14-15 (NLT2) The embolden words are the words that provoked deeper thought.

In the first place, the concept of the kingdom of God was Jesus’ most repeated messages. The above Bible quotation was Jesus’ words to Peter and another disciple when a crowd was waiting on Jesus to come to heal them or see healings. “Jesus replied, ‘Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come’” (Mark 1:38, NIV). He was saying He didn’t come to earth just to heal people. More importantly, He came to preach the gospel of the kingdom of God. That placed a premium on the good news of the kingdom of God. Strangely, the kingdom of God sounds like a foreign language to us these days.

What was it He was so concerned about? “The Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children.” What was it about little children that He was intending to point out? He was referring to the innocent trust a child has for their parents.

He doubled down by saying, I tell you the truth, which in the Bible it means Pay very close attention to this because it is absolute truth! He is getting very serious when He then says, “anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it”. Woe!! There is no gray matter here! That grabbed my attention. Again, “like a child” does not mean you can only receive or enter the kingdom when you are a child. It is in reference to having the faith or trust in the King of the Kingdom as a child has for their loving parents.

The first question that came to my mind was, am I living out that level of trust in God? Do the choices I make witness that kind of trust in God and whatever His word says? Being impatient with God is childish, but is not childlike trust. There is a gaping difference here. Childishness in an adult destroys the very character of God. It is poutingly saying God has not fulfilled His promise to me. It implies God’s actions must be pressed into my time schedule and done my way. It is the frustration of a baby who cannot control his/her parents, which is the very opposite of trusting the parent’s love and wisdom. That is why I cannot judge God by my finite knowledge base. I must practice trusting and obeying, even when I do not understand or like it, as was the case with my wife’s death. God says, “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts. And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine” (Isaiah 55:8, NLT2).

To enter the kingdom, one must become as a little child, not in the sense of innocence, but in the sense of simple unquestioning trust. I definitely have had faith. But as I have been seeking Him more intensely due to Connie’s passing, I can clearly tell my faith is becoming more childlike and that has been a strong encouragement to me. What might it take to motivate you to lean into knowing Him more? Is it going to require near crushing pain for you to move closer to God? Just remember how Jesus described the required type of faith that allows you into His Heaven.