Are you childlike in your faith?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”
(Matthew 18:2-3 (NIV))

I pray that you have little children in your life!

There is something special about the innocence of a little child. Their smile is infectious. The sparkle in their eyes is so joyous. Their laugh is genuine. Their love is unconditional. Their trust has not been broken by the world, and their faith is still strong! They haven’t been tricked by the world or by the enemy which means that they have not grown callous and hard hearted. They have not been beaten down by the weight of sin.

No wonder Jesus said that we need to become like little children.

Think back on your childhood. Hopefully your childhood was wonderful. You probably didn’t have a care in the world. You trusted that all of your needs would be met and you spent your time being happy and filled with joy. You knew that you were loved and you knew just how to ask for the things that you needed, and probably the things that you wanted as well. You possessed a faith in the family and friends who were your whole world. They sheltered you from the evils of the world that you didn’t even know about. We should be just like this in our faith in the Lord. Can we say that we are filled with joy? Can we say that we love unconditionally? Can we say that we trust? Can we say that we are sheltered? It is my prayer to be childlike in my faith.

Are you childlike in your faith?

Copyright 1998 – 2020 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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How many times do you want God to forgive you?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ^©

Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?”
Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.
(Matthew 18:21-22 (NIV))

Have you ever truly thought about this passage?

It almost sounds like Peter was looking for an “exit strategy” on forgiving others. To be honest with you, most people are probably looking for a count after which they can say that they have forgiven someone all that is required. In other words, Peter was asking if he had reached the maximum number of times that he needed to forgive someone.

Now come the tough questions.

Have you ever felt like you have forgiven someone as many times as you possibly could?

Is there someone whom you just don’t want to forgive?

What did Jesus tell Peter?

I honestly think that Peter was surprised at the answer that Jesus gave him. Peter was a down to earth person and did not mince words. Some would even say that he was rough around the edges. In his lifetime, just as in ours, he probably had someone who took advantage of him or mistreated him on numerous occasions. Perhaps Peter had grown a little callous and was looking for a way to justify his thoughts. Perhaps he was simply asking a question that had been burning inside of him.

We don’t really know exactly what Peter was thinking, but the answer that he received made him realize that forgiveness is a never ending process. I am thankful that it is.

We are to forgive as we are forgiven!

Forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
(Matthew 6:12 (NIV))

I want you to honestly answer a question.

How many times do you want God to forgive you?

Is it only seven?

Copyright 1998 – 2013 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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