Like a Little Child
A Pilgrimage Fueled By Hope
by Sharon W. Betters
TODAY’S TREASURE
Watching Jesus interact with His Father as a little child interacts with a parent, teaches us the beauty of dependence on our Heavenly Father. Jesus, equal to God, submitted Himself to His Father. Jesus calls on us to become like little children in our dependence on the Father as well.
Before Jesus chose His disciples He prayed all night. Sometime later, after an exhausting day of ministry, Jesus rose early in the morning to pray. When Peter finds Him, he urges Jesus to continue to heal people. What Peter doesn’t know is that in the aftermath of what appears to be a successful launch of the ministry of Jesus, this very Son of God goes to His Father for His marching orders for the next day. Jesus once more demonstrates that He did not come to do His will, but He came to do His Father’s will. How confusing this was to the disciples. Yet each day as they were with Jesus, He taught them by His example, to depend on the Father. This is such a beautiful passage that gives us direction on how to approach our daily lives as well.
I love Today’s Treasure as I picture a maidservant quietly standing next to her mistress, on full alert to meet her desires and needs before she even expresses them. Most of us don’t have a maidservant waiting on us, so this might be a foreign concept. What about the picture of a surgeon focused on saving the life of her patient? She is expecting the surgical nurse to anticipate the exact instrument she needs, almost before she needs it. The maidservant and the surgical nurse succeed, if they study the one whom they are serving. Becoming like a little child who is dependent on the Lord, requires that we study Him, and that we study His Word to learn His instructions.
How do you demonstrate your dependence on your heavenly Father? There is no set in stone plan for a devotional life that will lead to intimacy with God. Jesus models several ways to cultivate intimacy with our Lord. One time He stays up all night to pray. Another time He rises early in the morning. What comes through is that Jesus’ relationship to His Father was not relegated to one time of day. He pushed all of life through the grid of dependence on God the Father.
Do you have a devotional life? I suggest that if not, you start by praying before you rise. Give your day to the Lord before you put your feet on the floor. Ask Him to remind you of His presence and desire to shine through your life. If time is short, listen to worship music while you dress or a sermon or Christian broadcast on your way to work or school. Ask the Lord to speak His truth through such messages. Pray before reading a devotional like My Utmost for His Highest or Streams in the Desert, asking the Lord to give you one thought or one promise, that will help with a need in your day.
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PRAYER
Oh Father, what a privilege we have to become like little children, dependent on You, our perfect Father who loves us with a perfect love.
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Sharon W. Betters is a mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, pastor’s wife, and cofounder of MARKINC Ministries, where she is the Director of Resource Development. Sharon is the author of several books, including Treasures of Encouragement, Treasures in Darkness, and co-author with Susan Hunt of Aging with Grace. She is the co-host of the Help & Hope podcast and writes Daily Treasure, an online devotional.
Contact Sharon with comments or questions at dailytreasure@markinc.org.