Voice: (apologies – no audio today)
Today is Tuesday, 23rd of September. Let us gather our scattered thoughts and be still in His presence.
Psalms 8
O Lord, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory above the heavens.
2 Out of the mouth of babies and infants,
you have established strength because of your foes,
to still the enemy and the avenger.
3 When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
4 what is man that you are mindful of him,
and the son of man that you care for him?
5 Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings[b]
and crowned him with glory and honor.
6 You have given him dominion over the works of your hands;
you have put all things under his feet,
7 all sheep and oxen,
and also the beasts of the field,
8 the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea,
whatever passes along the paths of the seas.
9 O Lord, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as It was in the beginning, is
now, and shall be forever. Amen.
Mark 10:13-16
13 And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them.
14 But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God.
15 Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.”
16 And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them.
This is the Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God.
Little Ones
Parents were bringing their children to Jesus, asking Him to bless them. Perhaps some were seeking healing from disease. Perhaps some were what today we might describe as being “on the spectrum”—restless, different, or slow learners. But to the disciples, whatever their needs were, these were “just children.”
From their perspective, Jesus’s time could be put to better use—teaching the crowds or answering the Pharisees’ questions on divorce. So they rebuked the parents:
“Our Master has more important matters to attend to. Don’t trouble Him with your little ones.”
But Jesus saw things differently. He welcomed the children. He took them in His arms. He laid His hands on them and blessed them. In both word and deed, He showed the importance of these little ones, and how they serve as an example for the rest of us.
In that society, the child represented the lowest place. Children had no status, no rights of self-determination, and were completely under the care of others. To “become like a child” (Mark 10:15) is to let go of status, to accept humility, and to take the lowest place. Jesus tells us that unless we do so, we cannot enter the Kingdom of God.
What might the Lord be saying to you today?
Will you set aside your achievements, your status, and your self-sufficiency, and come humbly before Him—like a child?
Will you call on Him as Abba, Father as you begin your day?
Will you ask the Lord to show you how to live today simply, trustingly, and joyfully—as His little one?
We close with this prayer that reminds us to be like the “little ones” in His eyes:
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin
against us.
Lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power, and
the glory are yours
now and forever.
Amen.
Be blessed by this song, Child of God by Kathryn Scott.
With every breath, with every thought
From what is seen to the deepest part
I offer all that I’ve come to be
To know Your love fathering me
Father You’re all I need
My soul’s sufficiency
My strength when I am week
The love that carries me
Your arms enfold me, till I am only
A child of God
With every step on this journey’s walk
And wisdom’s songs that the soul has sought
I give myself unreservedly
To know Your love fathering me
Daily Devotion 
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