Daily Journal: 14 December

Warmth and Wellness

Jesus isn’t bothered any time we come to Him. He's never too busy. Never preoccupied. He's never critical. His immediate ability to be present and connected with us, despite being King and Ruler of the Universe, is a beautiful picture of His nature toward us.

Mark 10:13-16 (NLT)

One day some parents brought their children to Jesus so he could touch and bless them. But the disciples scolded the parents for bothering him. When Jesus saw what was happening, he was angry with his disciples. He said to them, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children. I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.” Then he took the children in his arms and placed his hands on their heads and blessed them.

Jesus was indignant at His disciples for telling the children’s parents He was too busy and important for them and their kids. He told them, actually, His kingdom belonged to these people.

What were they like?

Eager. Desirous of His attention. Needing His gaze, His smile, His touch.

But He did more than that. He stopped. He got on their level, took them in His arms and cuddled them. His delight in them was apparent. He desired time with them too. He took time to look at them, really see them. And they wanted to be seen, really seen. They, together with Jesus, revelled in that time. Then He blessed them. Speaking things into their lives no one else had ever noticed about them. Wouldn’t they have gone away with such warmth and wellness inside their souls?

Jesus is like that today too. If we are eager, desirous of His attention, needing His gaze, His anointing, we will receive His blessing. If we don’t come to Him like a child we won’t receive His kingdom – all that He wants to bless us with: His time. His attention. His plan.

Sometimes there is a working out of serious wrongs committed in our life, where we’ve walked away from the plan He has, even without realising it at first, and found a different path. That happens because we haven’t been diligent, always seeking His blessing, understanding His nature toward us.

It takes a long time to cut our way back through the overgrown vegetation to the road He’s got marked out for us. It’s so much better to walk faithfully with God, always leaning and learning in Him, continuing a trajectory onward and upward.

Ultimately, the wrong decisions we make without Him affect our future walk with Him, going through a time of discipline and teaching until we have been restored. It takes a desire for a lot of private alone time with Jesus. A lot of time to be seen, really seen. It takes time to let go of everything we picked up that He doesn't want us carrying. It takes time to receive things He speaks into our life.

And then comes the blessing. As our journey of repentance and restoration leads us back to that place of childlike eagerness, faith and joy, we once again find our feet in Him and can begin to run, free.