Have you ever sat and talked to a 3-year old? If you haven't lately, it might not be such a bad idea. This Christmas season, I had the greatest revelation about God that I have had in a very long time. Here is what happened.
I was watching my sister, Angie, put up her Christmas tree. Her 3-year old daughter, Briley, was sitting there watching. For some reason, she called my sister by her first name. I thought to myself, “This would be the perfect opportunity to play a little trick on her.”
I said, "That's not her name," referring to my sister. "Yes it is," she replied.
“No, that's wrong. Who told you that? Her name's not Angie."
"That's what daddy calls her," Briley insisted.
"Well, that's wrong. That's not her name."
Then, she gives me a puzzled look and said, "Yes it is." She walked toward the back of the house to get him while yelling, "Daddy!"
I said, "He's not here Briley."
This is when it happened. I finally understood Jesus’ principle of childlike faith. Jesus said, "I assure you, anyone who doesn't have the faith of a child will never get into the Kingdom of God” (Mar. 10:14-15).
You see, children are relatively new to the world. They keep it simple; nothing fancy. They don't think too hard or overanalyze things. They usually don't doubt much, but instead they accept what they see and hear as truth.
Briley had been exposed to the fact that her mother's real name is Angie. This was told to her by the most important figure in her life— her father. And, she refused to believe my word over his. Even though her father wasn't present, she knew immediately that I was telling a lie. She never doubted what he said. And, she didn't waste time trying to get her mom to validate the truth. No, she just stood on her father's word. Did you hear me? I said that it didn't matter what I said; she knew the truth.
It reminded me of the lies that the enemy tries to tell us when we stumble or fall short. Look at you. You messed up. God will never forgive you. God won't give you a second chance. You are a financial failure. You are a backslider. You are a wannabe. You are a lost cause. You are an adulterer. You are a heathen. You are a prideful and ungrateful person. What a failure!
If any of these lies sound familiar to you, then why are you even entertaining them? They are lies straight from the pits of hell. Your response to Satan’s lies should be the same as Briley’s: You must use the Word of God to fight the lies of Satan.
Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.We submit to God by knowing, speaking, and doing His word. We must believe God’s word like a 3-year old. We must recognize that anything contradictory to His word is a lie. Once, the devil sees that we unquestionably believe what God says, he leaves us alone. Start your New Year with the faith of a child.
(James 4:7)
Daily Confession: Lord, I am thankful for your Word, which is the truth. I accept it like a child. I am so glad that you are not like us. You cannot lie. I will accept your Word over lies of the enemy. I submit my mind and heart to you today. Thank you for the Holy Spirit that allows me to resist the devil.
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