This past Saturday, I was asked to give the devotional during the Upward basketball game that my son plays in. Here's what I shared.



What do you think is the greatest miracle in the Bible?

It's when Joshua told his son to stand still and he obeyed him.

Sometimes, my kids won't stand still when I tell them to. More often though, they don't move when I tell them to.

I'll tell them, go take a bath. Then one will say, "Again? I already took one last Tuesday."

Though sometimes it can be frustrating raising children. But when the disciples asked Jesus, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" How did Jesus respond?

He called a little child, and set him in the midst of them and said "Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God."

According to Jesus, it is the children and those who stoop down to their level that are the greatest in heaven.

When we look at the kids play basketball, we see that they don't play so well now, but when they get older, they'll get to play as good as us, or hopefully even better than us.

But Jesus turns the table around.

Us adults, we think we deserve heaven because of how good we are and how much we know. But, in reality, it doesn't count for much. What is most important is that we become like children.

I think it's because God is called Father God. He's not called Manager God or President God or Brother God or the Distant-elusive God. He wants to be Father God to us. And as we understand more of how to become a child, we experience more of God as a father.

When we can humble ourselves and have a trusting faith in our heavenly father, then he will welcome us with open arms and embrace us with his fatherly love.

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