SEEKING HIM LIKE A LITTLE CHILD

       A few weeks ago I was at a family function at a local restaurant. When I walked in, my adorable little niece saw me across the room and yelled to get her “Uncle Brian’s” attention. She then ran up and lifted her arms up and asked me to pick her up. When she ran over...my heart melted. Isn't it awesome with little children how if they love you they aren't afraid to show it (even across a room)?  I was at a Bible study last night led by my friend Keith Gilbert at the Vineyard church I attend. At the class the speaker was talking about how little children love and trust their parents unconditionally. He was speaking about little children by the way, NOT teenagers (lol). But the speaker had recalled back many years, when he asked his small son if he wanted to go to Lowe's Hardware store with him. Immediately, his son ran over to go with his dad (not even knowing WHAT Lowe's was). He just wanted to be around his daddy. That is what God’s heart is for us. It is God’s heart for us to desire to spend time with our (Abba) daddy like a little child would. Also for us to trust Him unconditionally like a little child trusts a good parent. When we first accept Christ we usually have that excitement and desire to spend time with God. Our heart is soft and we believe that God loves us. Because of this fact, we can hear God’s still small voice speak to our hearts. As we get older however, often we lose that “First Love”. We get hurt by life experiences and our hearts begin to shut down. We begin to misinterpret things around us and believe falsehoods about our Heavenly Father. For example; that He doesn't care about us, He’s distant, He’s punishing us, etc, etc, etc. This in turn, turns our hearts to grow colder and harder. Our relationship with God starts shifting to an intellectual one. We understand church doctrine and theology (in our head)—but lose grasp with the fact that a relationship with God takes place in our “heart”. Eventually, we stop hearing God’s Voice and presence in our lives completely. We have an intellectual religion but have lost our relationship with our daddy. How many wives out there (or husbands) want to have an “intellectual” relationship with your spouse? I don’t (even though I am currently “spouse-less”). In my case it took the severe trauma of both divorce and financial loss to drive me to cry out to my Abba (daddy). When I cried out to Him in my pain, fear and loneliness He heard my cries and spoke to my heart. You see God had never left me—I had been the one that wandered off. When I sought Him out—He assured me that He was there for me. My previously hard/cold heart was once again able to hear God’s Voice—and I am so thankful for His presence in my life now.

Luke 18:15 – “People were also bringing babies to Jesus for him to place his hands on them. When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them. But Jesus called the children to him and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”

James 4:8 - “Come close to God, and God will come close to you…”