February 25 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

Matthew 18:1–5

Devotional

God’s people must be renewed or “converted” a thousand times to become the least instead of being the greatest. They must be delivered from their old nature which they cannot bring along with them into the kingdom of God. In one sense, God’s people feel like they are always starting over again; they are always entering in. Ironically, those who consider themselves outside of the kingdom, because they deem themselves so insignificant, are placed inside the kingdom. God makes the poor rich and those who lack everything will inherit all things. He makes miserable people glad and lifts up those who are humble.

Children can be heard saying, “When I grow up....” By saying this, the child shows that he is not what he desires to be. In a spiritual sense, this is the blessed language of a child who says that he is not yet what he desires to be. Paul says, “But I follow after.” The issue is becoming something and not only being something. It will only be on the other side of the grave that a child of God will fully become what he should be. There he will not focus on himself anymore but only on God. There all shall be the greatest and at the same time the least.

In order to be in the kingdom, the lesson to become as little children must be learned. Children do not need to enter the school of the great ones, but the great ones need to enter the school for children. This is the heavenly instruction. Blessed is he who learns this lesson. Most wretched is he who does not learn it. Above all, through this lesson, God will be glorified.

 

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.