Isaiah 54:13
I will teach all your children,
and they will enjoy great peace.
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
I have been amazed at how readily – and easily – Timothy accepts and embraces the lessons he is learning in Sunday school. My friend Alyce and I decorated the “craft room” this morning for our church's Vacation Bible School next week. I thought about all of the children who will pass through this area, creating beaded clay bowls, a lyre, a memory box and more to remind them of the Apostle Paul’s journey to Athens. I can almost hear the stories from Timothy now!
Do you remember your Sunday school days – or maybe Vacation Bible School? Do you remember how and when you first came to know about God… that He existed and that He loved you? Do you remember when you first began to question it all? As I studied commentaries on this scripture passage, I gained insight into how the Holy Spirit fills us as children… how God dwells in our hearts and teaches us. In our childlike wonder and purity, we accept His message as He “loads” us like little hard drives with His desires for our life. He also utilizes our surroundings, adults, Sunday school, Vacation Bible School and other tools to reinforce our knowledge and wisdom of His love and devotion.
Somewhere along the line, we begin to question… to doubt… to try to rationalize and reason. And often, the things we once accepted so readily about God begin to seem uncertain… problematic… debatable. Let’s be honest… these doubts can cause us to feel unsettled – and to lose our peace. If this has happened to you, I encourage you to open your Bible – and your heart. With childlike wonder and innocence, allow God to fill you with His wisdom – and his peace.
Recognize that the devil is whispering in your ear… “How can this be? How can God possibly love you like He says…with such abandon and abundance? How crazy do you have to be to believe that God sent His only Son to die on the cross and freely pay the price once and for all for your sins? There has to be a catch! God’s grace, mercy and forgiveness must surely have some sort of price!” Choose to refute these thoughts… to pour God’ promises of hope, joy and salvation into your spirit and to operate in pure, unadulterated faith that He is the Real Deal and will do exactly what He has pledged.
Trust that the Bible is God’s Holy Word… one of His methods to reach your heart and fill you with His perfect will for your life. This is one instance where it’s okay to become a kid again… to allow yourself the freedom to open your heart, mind, and imagination to the possibilities God offers you… and the peace He wishes to give you. Let God teach you once more. After all, in His eyes, we are still His little children. Maybe it’s time we acted like it! Try looking at God through the eyes of a child… your own, or how you imagine a child would see Him. See if you don’t discover a renewed energy and enthusiasm for God… and an amazing sense of peace, as well.
©2013 Debbie Robus
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