let the children come to me | Devotions by Chris Hendrix

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July 5, 2023 · 5:37 AM

Bothering Jesus

I’m the type of person who doesn’t like to bother famous people. If I see them in public, I’ll usually make eye contact and nod instead of trying to go up to them because they get it all the time. Several years ago I was at a conference put on by a household name. You could pay $150 to get a professional photo with them, but I had already spent a ton on the conference, plus flight and hotel. They told us that if we couldn’t afford it, we could ask them for a photo when we saw this person walking around. Sure enough they happened to walk right past me with their entourage. I called out, “Could I get a quick photo with you?” They stopped, but didn’t turn around to face me. A person in the entourage said, “They’re a busy person who can’t be bothered. We can’t stop and take photos with anyone who asks. You should sign up for one.” I bit my tongue in that moment, but lost a lot of respect for them.

In Mark 10, Jesus and His disciples were sitting around talking. A group of parents noticed Him and thought that they would take their kids over to be blessed by the Messiah. As they approached, the disciples jumped up and stood in their way. They scolded the parents for bothering Jesus. Verse 14 says, “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’” (NLT). It turns out He wasn’t bothered at all by these people who simply wanted to request a blessing.

I’m afraid that you and I feel like we’re bothering Jesus at times with our prayers or requests. We don’t take them to Him because He has enough people bothering Him. If that’s you, I want to remind you what Jesus said in Matthew 11:28. “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” The phrase “all of you” jumps out. Jesus is inviting you and me to come to Him with our problems and burdens. He’s not too busy for us, nor is He overwhelmed by everyone else. It’s time to quit thinking you’re a bother to Him and to quit carrying that heavy load. It’s not yours to carry. He has a burden for you that is light and easy to carry, but you must approach Him. You are not a bother. You are His child.

Photo by Jametlene Reskp on Unsplash

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March 21, 2022 · 5:44 AM

Jesus’ Gate Keepers

If you’ve ever done cold calling, you know how tough it can be. Whenever you call a business to try to get an appointment to pitch your product, the person who answers the phone is the gate keeper. They stand between you and the decision maker. Their job is to make sure only relevant people get through to the decision maker so that their time isn’t wasted. Some gate keepers are easy to bypass. You just need you to be nice to them in order to get through. Some are more difficult than others. No matter which method you use to try to get through them, they won’t let you pass.

In Matthew 19, Jesus’ ministry was in full swing. People knew who He was wherever He went. Little old ladies would try to press through the crowd to touch His garment. The sick would line up for hours in hopes that He would heal them. Religious leaders would come to see Him to try to discredit Him. In verse 13, a group of parents tried to bring their kids to Him, but the disciples denied them. They were His gate keepers and wanted to make sure only relevant people got close to Him. Kids, blind guys outside cities and other outcasts were not on their list. However, in this situation, and the others, Jesus would say, “I want little children to come to me, so never interfere with them when they want to come, for heaven’s kingdom realm is composed of beloved ones like these!” (TPT)

In today’s world, somehow you and I have taken on the responsibility of being His gate keepers. We’ve decided in our minds who’s worthy of His grace and who isn’t. We can be willing to let some people know about Jesus, but we don’t want to show His love to others because of how we feel about them. However, we need to remember 2 Peter 3:9 that reminds us, “This means that, contrary to man’s perspective, the Lord is not late with his promise to return, as some measure lateness. But rather, his “delay” simply reveals his loving patience toward you, because he does not want any to perish but all to come to repentance.” God doesn’t want anyone to perish. That means you and I need to open the gates and let everyone through to Him. Even the people you don’t think deserve forgiveness.

Photo by Ben White on Unsplash

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