March 6th, 2025
Thursday, March 6th
The Childlike Approach
Anna Williams
When my twins were about 18 months old, I was home alone changing their diapers. I had my daughter up on the changing table and my son was on the floor wearing his fresh diaper.
My squirmy girl kicked the new diaper off the table, so I asked my son to hand me another one. He did so obediently and later as I turned to lower my daughter onto the floor, I discovered he had handed me the one he was wearing! His love for helping was so simple and sincere.
“At that same time Jesus was filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit, and he said, “O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding these things from those who think themselves wise and clever, and for revealing them to the childlike. Yes, Father, it pleased you to do it this way.” -Luke 10:21 NLT
A great gift in parenting is witnessing how our children view the world with openness and simplicity. They don’t overthink things or operate with ulterior motives. This verse says that God delights in believers who approach the Gospel in a similar way.
It hurts my heart when I hear believers claim to be unable to read God’s Word because they think only seminary students can do so. Or they are afraid to pray out loud because it might not sound impressive. God doesn’t care about pedigree and qualifications! He seeks those with an open heart who want to find the truth and who care most about impressing him.
Pray with me: Lord, today we ask that you help us to have childlike faith and a willing heart to seek and serve you in all things. In Jesus name, AMEN.
Luke 10:1-24
GOD’S WORD Translation
Jesus Sends Disciples to Do Mission Work
10 After this, the Lord appointed 70 [a] other disciples to go ahead of him to every city and place that he intended to go. They were to travel in pairs.
2 He told them, “The harvest is large, but the workers are few. So ask the Lord who gives this harvest to send workers to harvest his crops. 3 Go! I’m sending you out like lambs among wolves. 4 Don’t carry a wallet, a traveling bag, or sandals, and don’t stop to greet anyone on the way. 5 Whenever you go into a house, greet the family right away with the words, ‘May there be peace in this house.’ 6 If a peaceful person lives there, your greeting will be accepted. But if that’s not the case, your greeting will be rejected. 7 Stay with the family that accepts you. Eat and drink whatever they offer you. After all, the worker deserves his pay. Do not move around from one house to another. 8 Whenever you go into a city and the people welcome you, eat whatever they serve you. 9 Heal the sick that are there, and tell the people, ‘God’s kingdom is near you!’
10 “But whenever you go into a city and people don’t welcome you, leave. Announce in its streets, 11 ‘We are wiping your city’s dust from our feet in protest against you! But realize that God’s kingdom is near you!’ 12 I can guarantee that judgment day will be easier for Sodom than for that city.
13 “How horrible it will be for you, Chorazin! How horrible it will be for you, Bethsaida! If the miracles worked in your cities had been worked in Tyre and Sidon, they would have changed the way they thought and acted. Long ago they would have worn sackcloth and sat in ashes. 14 Judgment day will be better for Tyre and Sidon than for you. 15 And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted to heaven? No, you will go to hell!
16 “The person who hears you hears me, and the person who rejects you rejects me. The person who rejects me rejects the one who sent me.”
17 The 70 disciples came back very happy. They said, “Lord, even demons obey us when we use the power and authority of your name!”
18 Jesus said to them, “I watched Satan fall from heaven like lightning. 19 I have given you the authority to trample snakes and scorpions and to destroy the enemy’s power. Nothing will hurt you. 20 However, don’t be happy that evil spirits obey you. Be happy that your names are written in heaven.”
21 In that hour the Holy Spirit filled Jesus with joy. Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for hiding these things from wise and intelligent people and revealing them to little children. Yes, Father, this is what pleased you.
22 “My Father has turned everything over to me. Only the Father knows who the Son is. And no one knows who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son is willing to reveal him.”
23 He turned to his disciples in private and said to them, “How blessed you are to see what you’ve seen. 24 I can guarantee that many prophets and kings wanted to see and hear what you’ve seen and heard, but they didn’t.”
The Childlike Approach
Anna Williams
When my twins were about 18 months old, I was home alone changing their diapers. I had my daughter up on the changing table and my son was on the floor wearing his fresh diaper.
My squirmy girl kicked the new diaper off the table, so I asked my son to hand me another one. He did so obediently and later as I turned to lower my daughter onto the floor, I discovered he had handed me the one he was wearing! His love for helping was so simple and sincere.
“At that same time Jesus was filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit, and he said, “O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding these things from those who think themselves wise and clever, and for revealing them to the childlike. Yes, Father, it pleased you to do it this way.” -Luke 10:21 NLT
A great gift in parenting is witnessing how our children view the world with openness and simplicity. They don’t overthink things or operate with ulterior motives. This verse says that God delights in believers who approach the Gospel in a similar way.
It hurts my heart when I hear believers claim to be unable to read God’s Word because they think only seminary students can do so. Or they are afraid to pray out loud because it might not sound impressive. God doesn’t care about pedigree and qualifications! He seeks those with an open heart who want to find the truth and who care most about impressing him.
Pray with me: Lord, today we ask that you help us to have childlike faith and a willing heart to seek and serve you in all things. In Jesus name, AMEN.
Luke 10:1-24
GOD’S WORD Translation
Jesus Sends Disciples to Do Mission Work
10 After this, the Lord appointed 70 [a] other disciples to go ahead of him to every city and place that he intended to go. They were to travel in pairs.
2 He told them, “The harvest is large, but the workers are few. So ask the Lord who gives this harvest to send workers to harvest his crops. 3 Go! I’m sending you out like lambs among wolves. 4 Don’t carry a wallet, a traveling bag, or sandals, and don’t stop to greet anyone on the way. 5 Whenever you go into a house, greet the family right away with the words, ‘May there be peace in this house.’ 6 If a peaceful person lives there, your greeting will be accepted. But if that’s not the case, your greeting will be rejected. 7 Stay with the family that accepts you. Eat and drink whatever they offer you. After all, the worker deserves his pay. Do not move around from one house to another. 8 Whenever you go into a city and the people welcome you, eat whatever they serve you. 9 Heal the sick that are there, and tell the people, ‘God’s kingdom is near you!’
10 “But whenever you go into a city and people don’t welcome you, leave. Announce in its streets, 11 ‘We are wiping your city’s dust from our feet in protest against you! But realize that God’s kingdom is near you!’ 12 I can guarantee that judgment day will be easier for Sodom than for that city.
13 “How horrible it will be for you, Chorazin! How horrible it will be for you, Bethsaida! If the miracles worked in your cities had been worked in Tyre and Sidon, they would have changed the way they thought and acted. Long ago they would have worn sackcloth and sat in ashes. 14 Judgment day will be better for Tyre and Sidon than for you. 15 And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted to heaven? No, you will go to hell!
16 “The person who hears you hears me, and the person who rejects you rejects me. The person who rejects me rejects the one who sent me.”
17 The 70 disciples came back very happy. They said, “Lord, even demons obey us when we use the power and authority of your name!”
18 Jesus said to them, “I watched Satan fall from heaven like lightning. 19 I have given you the authority to trample snakes and scorpions and to destroy the enemy’s power. Nothing will hurt you. 20 However, don’t be happy that evil spirits obey you. Be happy that your names are written in heaven.”
21 In that hour the Holy Spirit filled Jesus with joy. Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for hiding these things from wise and intelligent people and revealing them to little children. Yes, Father, this is what pleased you.
22 “My Father has turned everything over to me. Only the Father knows who the Son is. And no one knows who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son is willing to reveal him.”
23 He turned to his disciples in private and said to them, “How blessed you are to see what you’ve seen. 24 I can guarantee that many prophets and kings wanted to see and hear what you’ve seen and heard, but they didn’t.”
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