Children, Come.

Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 18:3

D.L. MOODY
It is a masterpiece of the devil to make us believe that children cannot understand religion. Would Christ have made children the standard of faith if He had known they were not capable of understanding His words? It is far easier for children to love and trust than for grown-up persons, and so we should set Christ before them as the supreme object of their choice.

ERWIN LUTZER
The Moody Church was founded in 1864 as a Sunday school. D.L. Moody loved children; he began ministry in the worst neighborhood of Chicago—Little Hell. One day someone asked him, “How many people accepted Jesus Christ last night?” He responded, “Two-and-a-half.” They said, “Oh, two adults and a child!” Moody said, “Oh no, it was two children and an adult because the adult’s life is half over. The children have all their lives to live for God.”
A child knows they are dependent, that’s why Jesus honored the faith of a child. If you are self-assured, convinced you can manage life on your own, you cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. We enter by faith and humility.
Jesus said, “Welcome children in my name” (see Mark 9:37). God expects us to represent Him to children, whether our own or those of others. They should see God’s grace; they should look to us to guide them in the right path. We sing, “Jesus loves the little children.” He loves them and so should we.

PRAYER
Father, our greatest honor is that we are your children. May we welcome more children into your kingdom.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS
What is the name of a child you are influencing in Jesus’ name?

How are you welcoming children into the kingdom of God?