How can we discover the joy Jesus spoke of while we were still on earth? Karlton shares.
“Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these'” (Matthew 19:14).
When I was a child I found joy and excitement in so many things. I remember looking forward to Saturdays, because here in the U.S.A. that was “Cartoon Day” for us. We eagerly anticipated all the cartoons on television that day of every week.
We got excited about going to the park or to the playground. We were ecstatic about going to get an ice cream cone. If my nine or ten year-old-self could see the blessings we enjoy today he probably would burst for joy.
Jesus loved children. He saw in them a sense of joy and wonder that too often fades in adults as the years go by, leaving faithlessness and bitterness in its place. Sadly, even we Christians who have more reason for joy than anyone else on earth, are too often joyless.
When we get to heaven, I suspect all the old, tired, adult bad moods and attitudes we have will be quickly replaced with the kind of joy we lived with every day as children. What awesome wonders await us, what a majestic God we will meet there!
Every good thing we have ever known on earth will be multiplied a thousand fold over there.
Christian, I know very well how illness, disease, and continued disabilities can rob you of joy, leaving pain and misery instead. Yet I believe, even if it takes some effort, we need to rekindle that childlike joy and wonder we once knew. We need those childlike eyes that could find awe and happiness in the smallest of things.
I encourage you this week to rediscover the child within you. Discover if you are able to see with the eyes of a child, finding wonder and joy and happiness in the everyday things we too often take for granted.
Prayer: Dear Lord, help us to be childlike, but not childish and immature. Help us to rekindle that childlike joy and wonder we all enter this world with. Amen.
About the Author:
Karlton Douglas lives in Ohio with his lovely wife. His hope is that he never loses the ability to feel joy and wonder in life.
Have you lost your childlike joy and wonder? Why not revisit some of the things you enjoyed so much as a child, maybe a trip to the park, or simply a vanilla ice cream cone.
This song is called “Good Times” by the group Manic Drive. It is a fun song–and video–that reminds us of some of the simple things we did and had as a younger kid. It was a perfect fit for Karlton’s devotional! It shares how God can give us that joyful feeling of the good times when we were kids. How even as a child, we had faith that God would work it all out, unlike how we sometimes feel today, after being tainted by the world. Take a moment to just watch something silly and remember to loosen up a bit. -Lisa
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