February 22 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

Matthew 18:1–5

Devotional

The Lord Jesus told His disciples that in order to enter the kingdom of heaven they had to become as little children. What a humiliating and hard lesson! It is difficult to assume a position of the least instead of striving to be the greatest. By human nature, man wants to become the greatest. Even the regenerate heart struggles with humility. He wants to have more possessions, more knowledge, and greater abilities.

It is truly a hard lesson to exercise childlike dependence and to live from God’s gifts alone. It seems like it would be easy, but in reality it is a difficult task. This brings a man low to the ground. Childlike dependence requires humility. Man must confess that all he receives above death is only because of God’s grace in his life. The crown of control must be removed from his head and all his greatness must be broken. He must be fully dependent on the grace freely bestowed on him.

What does it mean to have childlike affection? That is to desire the Benefactor more than the blessings. Because of our human nature, we crave the benefits of God. The gifts He gives to us become more important than the Giver. Man can even desire spiritual blessings to boast about his blessed position. This was something the disciples had done. And yet, only a life of cleaving to the throne of grace is truly life. A child of God needs to unlearn much in this life so that he would learn to set his affections on God Himself rather than simply on His grace.

We can think of childlike honesty and its faith and trust. All this and much more needs to be learned in this kingdom of heaven and these are all humbling lessons. It is a kingdom whose subjects sink continually deeper as they are uncovered to themselves and therein become great. Where this uncovering grace is lacking, death, pride, harshness, and all that cannot please God will be abundantly at hand. In this kingdom, the calling is not to grow up but to grow down. The growth is becoming smaller instead of greater. This is necessary to inherit this kingdom.

 

From The Everlasting Word by Frans Bakker, compiled and translated by Gerald R. Procee. Reformation Heritage Books and Free Reformed Publications, 2007. Used by permission. For further information, click here.