Awakening Joy
Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 18:4
We’re newspaper people. I come downstairs in the morning and go right to the front porch to look for the paper. Most mornings I beat the paperboy but I continue to hopefully go look for it first thing.
Today was Sunday – the best day for the paper. It wasn’t there when I came down at about 6:50 AM. My husband came down with our granddaughter, Stella, at about 7:05 and they went together to look for it. It still wasn’t there but the paperboy was in sight. Knowing how much we like the paper Stella got so excited. “He’s almost here, He’s almost here!! Pops I see him coming!” The paperboy was barely awake and by the time he got to the porch she was out to meet him and receive the paper from him. My husband said he was surprised by Stella’s joy. It woke him up.
Only a child would have this kind of joy and enthusiasm over receiving a newspaper. But it made me wonder if this is the joy that God would like to see in us as we receive from Him. In Mark 10:15 Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.”
I think that many people have received the gift of eternal life with this kind of joy. Over time and with many of life’s hardships they forget the joy. We look at our circumstances and not the hope we have in Jesus Christ. When I got up and didn’t see the paper I wasn’t all that happy. Not Stella, she could see hope. Look again, see the paper coming and rejoice with great joy. She saw beyond the immediate truth of no paper to the truth of, “It’s coming!”
In our circumstances don’t we have that hope? This life is temporary. Christ will return and His children will spend eternity with Him. I should be rejoicing with the saints all the time over this truth. Instead I’m looking at the empty porch and not anticipating what is to come.
There are real adjustments to be made to having an almost three year old living with us (do you know how much talking a three year old does?). But I can already see that we have a lot of great lessons coming from having the humility and enthusiasm of this little one in our midst.
Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me. Mark 9:37
Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning. Psalm 30:5b
Today I will make an attempt to look past my circumstances to the Truth of what God has awaiting me in heaven!