Sitting in church Sunday morning listening to the sermon, one of the Bible stories mentioned was that of blind Bartimaeus. We have a children’s version of this story called, “The Man Who Would Not Be Quiet.” He didn’t care about the people around him or about being “proper.” He was desperate for Jesus and only shouted all the more loudly for the Son of David to heal him. Ironically, as I was listening, my 16month old was performing her own version of the “child who would not be quiet” and every time I tried to shush her, she squealed all the louder. There was something she wanted so badly that she would not take no for an answer and she completely expected her mommy to give her what she needed.
While it’s fairly simplistic to compare our need for Jesus to the wants and needs of babies, the Bible calls us to have faith like a child. One of the reasons I believe this is so, is that children very rarely hold back when there is something that they desperately want or need. It’s not in their nature to wait calmly and quietly when they are hurt, scared, hungry, or in need. And that’s not what God asks us to do either. While it often feels counter-intuitive to get down on our knees when we wish to respond in action and make things happen or change, the absolute best response we can have to any situation in our lives is to seek the Lord in prayer. Cry out. Cling to him. Like a young child who will not settle for anyone other than a parent – are we desperate for the Lord? Do we seek Him first or look to Him in all things the way a child looks to a parent? Jesus loves you more than you can truly understand and he is ready and waiting to transform your life. Ask Him into your heart today.
-Lauren