SO MANY TIMES WE FIND OURSELVES SO CAUGHT UP IN THE WORLD WITH ALL OUR RESPONSIBILITIES AND WORK LOADS AND WE MISS OUT ON THINGS THAT ARE ALL AROUND US THAT THE LORD PUT RIGHT IN FRONT OF US TO ENJOY. TO TAKE A BREATHE,,TO STOP FOR A MOMENT AND LOOK AROUND AND SEE THINGS THROUGH THE EYES OF A CHILD.
IT WAS WHEN I WAS PLAYING WITH MY GRANDKIDS OR EVEN IN A PARK THAT THE LAUGHTER, THE INNOCENSE, THE ABILITY TO CREATE AND PLAY IMAGINARY AS WHEN WE WERE A CHILD BECKONED ME.
WITH ALL THE DIVISION THAT CAN BE SEEN IN THE WORLD TODAY IT MAKES ME THINK AS CHILDREN WE NEVER SAW COLOR OR DIFFERENCES. WE JUST LOVED AND PLAYED . UNFORTUNATELY THINGS CAN BE TAUGHT OR PASSED DOWN.
LORD IF WE CAN REMEMBER AND BROUGHT BACK IN OUR HEARTS TO THAT TIME OF INNOCENSE IN OUR SPIRIT, WHEN ALL WE SAW WAS A PERSON’S HEART NOT JUDGING BY THE OUTSIDE. THE WORLD CAN BE SO OUTWARDLY FOCUSED THAT WE HAVE TO STEP BACK AND SEE AGAIN AS WITH THE EYES OF A CHILD.
Psalm 8:2
Out of the mouth of babies and infants, you have established strength because of your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger.
Mark 10:13–16
And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them.
Mark 9:36–37
36 And he took a child and put him in the midst of them, and taking him in his arms, he said to them, 37 “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me.”
Proverbs 22:6
Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.
THAT’S WHY IT IS SO VITAL WHAT WE ARE TEACHING OUR CHILDREN AND WHAT WE ARE ALLOWING INTO OUR CHILDREN’S EYES AND HEARTS. WHAT ARE THEY LEARNING FROM US????
Psalm 139:13–16
For you formed my inward parts;
you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
my soul knows it very well.
My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them,
the days that were formed for me,
when as yet there was none of them.
OUTWARD APPEARANCE
1 Samuel 16:7
For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”
MATTHEW 10:16
“Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves.
PHILIPPIANS 2: 14-15
Do all things without grumbling or disputing; so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world,
PHILIPPIANS 4:8
Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.
JAMES 2: 1-26
My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him?
WHAT IF ONLY CERTAIN PEOPLE WERE GIVEN THE GIFT OF GRACE AND SALVATION…WE PROBABLY WOULD ALL BE LOST…
GALATIANS 3:28
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
JOHN 3:16
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
JAMES 2:8-9
If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well
For ye are yet carnal: for whereas [there is] among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?
1 COR. 13 :13
So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
MICAH 6:8
He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?
TO NOT THINK WE ARE ANY BETTER THAN ANYONE ELSE. THAT IS WHERE WE GET OUT OF BALANCE WHEN PRIDE COMES INTO THE PICTURE..IF WE ALL WALK RESPECTFUL OF EACH OTHER AND OF A HUMBLE HEART TOWARDS GOD AND EACH OTHER IS WHERE THE LORD DESIRES US TO BE.
JAMES 3:17
But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.
1 COR 3:3
For ye are yet carnal: for whereas [there is] among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?
IT’S WHEN OUR FLESH GETS IN THE WAY WITH ENVY, PRIDE, ETC. WHEN DIVISIONS COME ON THE SCENE. WE ARE TO WALK IN THE SPIRIT AND ASK THE LORD TO OPEN UP OUR SPIRITUAL EYES AND EARS AND SEE OTHERS HOW HE SEES THEM. NOT LOOKING ON THE FLESH OR OUTWARD APPEARANCE BUT TO SEE LIKE HE WOULD SEE.
DO U EVER NOTICE THE MEANEST PEOPLE ARE USUALLY THE ONES THAT HAVE BEEN SO WOUNDED OR UNLOVED. LIKE THE MEAN DOG THAT BITES IS USUALLY THE ONE THAT HAS LEARNED TO SURVIVE AND PROTECT THEMSELVES..OUT OF FEAR THEY DON’T LET THEIR GUARD DOWN BECAUSE OF LEARNED EXPERIENCES.
I HAVE SEEN SO MANY STORIES OF PEOPLE WITH A HEART OF COMPASSION THAT WORK IN THE FIELD OF RESCUING ANIMALS. THEY MAY HAVE COME FROM CRUEL ENVIRONMENTS ONLY TO SEE THE ANIMALS GO FROM MEAN, AGGITATED CHARACTERS TO A LOVING, STARVING , TOTALLY DIFFERENT CHARACTER ONCE THAT TRUST IS BUILT UP AND THEY FEEL SAFE ENOUGH TO LET THEIR GUARD DOWN TO ALLOW THAT LOVE TO PENETRATE THEM.
LORD WITH THIS NEW YEAR ONE OF MY PRAYERS IS FOR THE LORD TO OPEN UP MY HEART MORE AND MY SPIRITUAL EYES TO SEE THINGS AND PEOPLE AS HE SEES THEM. TO BE MORE LIKE HIM EACH AND EVERY DAY….TO REMOVE THE SCALES OFF MY EYES AND SEE WITH OUR SPIRIT AND A HEART OF COMPASSION..TO BE MOVED WITH COMPASSION TOWARDS OTHERS AND TO WALK GENTLY AND HUMBLY BEFORE HIM.
I ENCOURAGE YOU IF U HAVE NEVER KNOWN A RELATIONSHIP SO LOVING AND INTIMATE WITH THE LORD BEING THE CENTER OF IT ALL OR HAVE FOUND YOURSELF BECOMING HARDENED FROM PAST HURTS OF WHAT THIS WORLD SAYS YOU SHOULD BE LIKE..I ENCOURAGE U TO OPEN UP YOUR HEART AND RUN INTO HIS ARMS OF SAFETY AND A LOVE LIKE U HAVE NEVER KNOWN BEFORE.
I WILL LEAVE JUST AN EXAMPLE OF A PRAYER, BUT THE LORD KNOWS YOUR HEART AND THERE IS NO FORMULA,,,JUST REACH OUT TO HIM HE WILL HAVE ARMS OPEN WIDE………
IN HIS LOVE,
JANISE
