"Let the little children come to Me ... for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these." Mark 10:14
One of the greatest responsibilities in any of our lives is the care of the children God gives us. What a special privilege is ours to bring new lives into this world, and what a tremendous responsibility accompanies this blessing!
Never, it would appear, have the challenges to this extremely important responsibility been greater. Families are under siege by a host of contrary forces, threatening to estrange children from parents, endeavoring to pollute their minds and bodies with sinister forces and substances from television tube or street corner. Pressures on marriage and resulting parental separations create havoc and emotional confusion in children's minds.
Our text highlights the greatest need of children, which is also the greatest need of us all: to come to Jesus Christ. In Holy Baptism His love is poured out on us, bringing us to faith and salvation and making us members of His kingdom. And throughout life we grow in faith through His Word, and we experience His love through the care of Christian parents and others -- love that is manifest in both words and deeds, love that overflows into prayer.
PRAYER: Help us, O Lord Jesus Christ, to bring others, especially the children, closer to You. Amen.
(Devotions from "The Abundant Life" copyright 1998, CPH. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be printed, reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission of Concordia Publishing House. Permission is granted for one-time e-mailing of this link to a friend. For information on other devotional material, please contact CPH at 800-325-3040 or visit CPH at www.cph.org.)
Today's Bible Readings: Micah 1-3 Acts 21:1-17
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