TODDLER FAITH

Imagine for a moment that you're a toddler and God visits you tonight. How will you react? Could your kiddo mind comprehend it at all?

Remember God is Spirit and must take some form to let Himself known.

Hmmm... that's why there are parents. Parents are the first tangible evidence of God's love. Because a parent loves, quite unconditionally, just like God.

How? With actions and words that say, "I love you." For God Himself is love!

A mom or a dad hugs. Kisses and bandages your booboo. Dresses you up. Gives you a bath. Feeds you. Sings you to sleep. Wakes up at night—even if very tired—to give you milk. Trains you to potty. Prays for you.

Early on, our parents teach us to behave. That's God's disciplining character in them. Loving parents teach their children the highest fear.

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the holy one is understanding," Proverbs 9:10.

"Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it," Proverbs 22:6.

Fear is not a nasty word. There's a fear which saves, others which lead to disaster. And kids must understand which one is which.

The fear of God debunks all kinds of fears. The fear of God is a blessing! It directs one to the right path. Right choices. Right values. Right companions. Right desires. Right decisions.

Then there's the fear of man. "The fear of man is a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is set securely on high." Proverbs 29:25

Many develop low self-esteem because somehow in their childhood, their elders unwittingly made them feel: "You won't amount to anything." "You disgust me." "You're fat." "You're ugly."

I know. I grew up thinking I was stupid and ugly so I tried to court others' approval by proving that this nobody could be a somebody. But the more I did that, the more my insecurities ballooned; and the more pride and self-sufficiency reared their ugly heads.

Oh the fears we bottle in our hearts! Fear of being rejected. Fear of failure. Fear of being in lack. Fear of sickness. Fear of calamity. Fear of death. Fear of what-ifs.

Fears that make us do stupid things—when we do things without wise counsel or His approval. Like rushing into relationships or deals that compromise our values. Or following self-destructive lifestyles.

Yet—and even if our very human parents have somehow failed us—He wraps us with His grace so we can move on; and lets us know:

"I am God. I created you. I love you. I will never leave you or forsake you. I am your heavenly Father! And I'm here for you."

God came in the most tangible way! His only begotten Son, Jesus, was born a human being that first Christmas morning.

Understanding the cause of our pride, self-centeredness, and dysfunctions, He embraced us anyway by dying on the cross for us—yes, even when we were still sinners.

Where we or our parents missed it, Jesus took the fall; strengthening us so we can complete our race, yes, even if it has been a rat race; and ensuring our cross-over to eternity with Him.

He forgives. He saves. He heals. He stores His word in our hearts. He sends us help when we scream, “Help!” His Holy Spirit teaches us—not just our ABCs, but most especially valuable life lessons.

He offers Himself as our Way, Truth and Life. No lifetime of education, a Ph.D. to your name, or self-help courses can top that.

We can't remain toddlers in our faith. God has given us the most tangible expression of His love. Take the deal. Jesus is worthy of every ounce of your trust. No one else compares.

Prayer: Jesus, I come to you with childlike faith. Give me the faith to believe that what you did on the cross is enough. I repent of my sins. I commit my heart and everything in me to you. Save me. Be my Lord. Thank you for bridging the gap between me and God. Holy Spirit, teach me ways which lead to life. In Jesus name!

 

DON'T CHEAPEN GOD'S GRACE

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http://www.robfullmer.me/angry-little-girl/

Kids are at their cutest at their toddler stage, when these once cuddly and utterly innocent bundles of joy turn a hundred-fold smarter.

That's when they discover that, “Hmmm... I can really spin people around my pinky finger with my overload of cuteness even when I throw tantrums here and there.”

Have you noticed that they can lie, oh my, like deny to death that they've done something naughty just to save their cute behinds?

These small infractions you confront—with either a stern look, a face-the-wall, or a no-dessert warning. Or you ignore them, to their peril.

Worse than the above? You lavish them with praises for their misdeeds, excusing them as just child's play.

No parent in his right mind would want his child going wayward.

Disciplining is part and parcel of that package called love. And love's many facets include our bringing them up in the fear of the Lord.

“Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he may not depart from it,” Proverbs 22:6.

That's how our heavenly father deals with us too.

The Bible tells us that God is love. And rightly so, for why would He send His only begotten Son to die a horrible and shameful death to save us?

Romans 5:8 "God demonstrates His own love toward us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

“There's no one righteous, not even one... there's no one who does good,” says Paul in Romans 3:10-12. In His eyes, we're all spoiled-rotten kids, having inherited the sin nature of our first parents.

That's why even at toddler stage, sin is evident. And you can't deny this: in spite of our best intentions to be good, our minds are muddled with anger, envy, lust, judgment of others.

Those around us don't know of course, but He knows our most despicable thoughts!

So yes, we are all sinners, by Jesus' standards. Matthew 5:21-22 says that anyone who is angry with his brother is liable to judgment... liable to the fire of hell.

The very people He chose for Himself sinned. Their idolatry, grumbling and complaining made the Jews wander in the wilderness for 40 years.

Sin has its consequences—eternal separation from Him. Yet He offers a way out—salvation through our faith in Jesus Christ.

"Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing might come from the Lord." (Acts 3:19)

"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9

"Repent" and "confess" are strong words. These are not suggestions.

When Jesus in John 3:7 said that “You must be born again” (John 3:7), He was commanding, not suggesting.

Faith in Jesus is our visa to the Father and His kingdom. “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father but by Me” (John 3:16).

To dismiss all these as stirring up fear in people's hearts is beyond me.

Why would a call to repentance incite fear when it is our heavenly Father's offer of a way out of His wrath? Why would many pooh-pooh God's judgment when the Bible clearly tells us that sin has its consequences? Separation from Him!

I've often read comments like these:

"Why would you want to instill fear when God is a loving God?"

"If I love someone of my own gender, that's OK, because God is love."

"Why harp on a judgmental God when you can focus on a loving, merciful and gracious God?”

By disregarding God's offer of salvation, aren't we likewise denying His offer of grace?

God's grace is not cheap. It had to take God's only begotten Son, coming down from heaven, willingly giving Himself up to the humiliation of the cross, so that with His resurrection, those who'd put their trust in Him would experience new life:

Our sins blotted away as the west is from the east. And reconciled with our heavenly Father throughout all eternity.

The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. (Proverbs :10)

As the world descends from bad to worse, shouldn't we take shelter in God instead? The fear of God is the only fear worth possessing. Faith in Jesus cancels all other fears.

Prayer: Jesus, I repent of my sins. I confess that I am a sinner. I put my trust in you alone, for there is no name given, in heaven or on earth, by which I can be saved. Be my Savior and my Lord. And let Your Holy Spirit teach me your ways. In your Name I pray.