John 6:44
No one can come to me, unless the Father who
sent me makes them want to come. But if they do come, I will raise them
to life on the last day.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
This
morning, I assisted in the nursery during our 11:00 worship service.
When I arrived near the end of the second service, there were 16
toddlers in the nursery! By the time parents picked up little ones, we
were left with four for the last hour. I’ve spent several Sundays in the
nursery, so I am becoming familiar with many of these little ones…and
they are getting to know me.
Toddlers are a lot like kittens and
puppies…you can’t just pick one up and expect it to instantly like you!
Relationships have to be developed…familiarity has to be nurtured. So
when I arrived this morning, a few children who know me came with arms
outstretched to be picked up for a hug. Some even asked to be rocked.
And a couple who thought this might be a good idea decided otherwise
when their eyelids began to droop!
Their “reward” was a snuggle
and a kiss…a chance to play with the sparkly cross necklace I was
wearing…and maybe to hear me sing a little song or two as we rocked in
the rocking chair. But again, they had to want to do all of this…or it
would not have been pleasant for any of us!
Here’s how this works with Jesus...
God
has given us opportunities to get to know Him…through scripture,
worship, friendship and communion with believers, and more. He has set
the stage for us to discover just how much Jesus loves us – and how much
He sacrificed for us. God has shared His Only Son with us in such a
way that we might desire to “climb up in His lap and rock for a while.”
But it is our choice…and the only way it will work for any of us is if
we choose Jesus of our own free will.
The rewards for making this
choice are far more numerous than I can outline in this devotional…but
they include freedom and forgiveness from our sins…and the promise of
Eternal Life in Heaven at the Lord’s Table - as well as the presence of
His Holy Spirit to fill our heart and guide us through this earthly
life. Like the toddler who crawls down out of the rocking chair when
he/she gets sleepy…we often turn away from the caring arms of Jesus – at
least temporarily. But for those of us who have freely chosen Him,
those arms are always outstretched for another hug, and Jesus delights
in “snuggling” with us.
There are several questions we should ask
ourselves today. Have we chosen Jesus? Have we gotten to know Him well
enough that we trust His outstretched arms and readily run into them?
What can we do to improve this relationship? Where have we gotten down
and tried to handle things on our own – without His care and
assistance? Isn’t it time to trust Jesus’ embrace again…to crawl back
into His lap and settle in for the long haul? Will this be the day that
we reconnect?
God has made a way for us to get to know His Son,
Jesus…to fully embrace all that He offers – and enjoy the blessings and
rewards of this communion. Now it is up to us to make the right
choice. What have you decided?
©2016 Debbie Robus
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