The Blesser of Children

When Jesus said "Let the children come to me. Don't stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children" in Matthew 19:14, He did so for a good reason.  Children have very open hearts to the things of the Spirit.  What is planted in a child will bloom into fruition until their old age, and they will plant what they have received in the hearts of their offspring causing great multiplication.  The disciples were trying to get the children out of the way of Jesus because they believed He had more important things to do and people to see.  The parents were bringing the children to Jesus to lay hands on them and bless them.  Jesus dropped everything to pray for the children, he reminded the crowd that He was also a teacher of the children and that that was important to Him.

I was recently reminded of the importance of bringing children to Jesus at the grandparents day at my niece and nephew's school.  The grandparents from both sides of the family were occupied on that day so I was assigned as Tante (aunt) to fill in the role.  What a privilege!   The children had prepared skits, poems, songs, pictures and essays to show their appreciation for their elders.  Although I was a bit embarrassed walking down the hall in the "Grandparents Day Parade" where all the grandparents were greeted by a band and rousing cheers and high fives from all the children, I  counted it a privilege to invest in the lives of the little ones I held so dear.

My niece had drawn a picture of us together with matching red dresses and fancy pink ruffles.  My nephew wrote an essay saying that he was thankful that I taught him to do devotions every morning.  When he gave his talk about what he was going to be like as a grandpa, he said that he was going to have devotions with his grand kids!  I was so touched!  It brought to mind those days I felt a like a nag tearing the children away from their toys to focus on the Lord.   I was so glad I gave the children those little nudges to focus on the Lord through prayer time and bible stories. All the stories read and songs sung had left and impression and were growing seeds in the hearts of the kids to want to serve the Lord for themselves!  When I turn around and find my niece or nephew intently reading their little devotionals without any prodding or reminding, it makes all the effort to lead them to the Lord worth it and Jesus is present in the room through the power of the Holy Spirit blessing them with His presence and joy just as He was on the day that He blessed the children in front of His disciples.

Children have inquiring minds and want to know everything!  I find during Bible stories, I get one question after another.  Children are so curious and soak everything in like a sponge.  We have the privilege of imparting to them the clean, pure and peaceable word of God in a world of filth and smudge.  Psalm 19 talks about all the benefits that come as a result of ingesting Gods word.  

It says: The instructions of the LORD are perfect,

reviving the soul.

The decrees of the LORD are trustworthy,

making wise the simple.

8The commandments of the LORD are right,

bringing joy to the heart.

The commands of the LORD are clear,

giving insight for living.

9Reverence for the LORD is pure,

lasting forever.

The laws of the LORD are true;

each one is fair.

10They are more desirable than gold,

even the finest gold.

They are sweeter than honey,

even honey dripping from the comb.

11They are a warning to your servant,

a great reward for those who obey them.

We cannot go wrong when we teach God's word.  There is spiritual life that exudes from God's word.  It imparts wisdom and truth, makes blurry vision clear, and brings great joy and reward for those who heed its commands!  It is vital that we instruct kids from God's word so they have the tools to navigate through life's journey successfully and make God-pleasing choices.  So next time children come to spend time with you, resist the urge to brush them away or give them busy time on a device.  Teach them God's word to plant life in them for generations to come!!