Devotionals - Know HIS Ways

The Need to Rest (Part III)

2 Comments / Enslaved, Rest / By Karline Fischer

Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried out to Pharaoh, saying, “Why are you dealing thus with your servants? There is no straw given to your servants, and they say to us, ‘Make brick!’ And indeed your servants are beaten, but the fault is in your own people.”

But he said, “You are idle! Idle! Therefore you say, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the Lord.’ Therefore go now and work; for no straw shall be given you, yet you shall deliver the quota of bricks.” And the officers of the children of Israel saw that they were in trouble after it was said, “You shall not reduce any bricks from your daily quota.” Exodus 5:15-19

The children of Israel were in bondage to Pharaoh for four hundred years. They had worked hard as slaves in Egypt and had been crying out to the Lord for deliverance from this bondage. God heard their cries and sent Moses to the deliver them from the Egyptians. Moses told Pharaoh that God’s people need to go to the wilderness to worship the Lord! Pharaoh took an offense to this. He assumed that the Jews must not be working hard enough and have too much idle time that they want to worship their God.

Whenever we choose to rest in God, the enemy is not happy with that decision. The goal of the enemy is to keep us burdened, busy, and stressed. The enemy has no rest, and he doesn’t want God’s people to rest either. Resting in God can be a spiritual warfare because the enemy wants us to be seen as restless, anxious, and driven people who are not in tune with their God! Rest is a gift from the Lord! Rest gives us the opportunity recognize the God who gave us work to do and to enjoy what we have worked to produce.

In the above passage, Pharaoh punished God’s people by giving them more work. Egyptians used to provide the straw for the bricks made by the Jews. But now they wanted the Israelites to find their own straw and still produce as many bricks as they did before. Pharaoh burdened and pressure them so much that they would not have time or energy to think about worshipping God! The enemy is still doing the same thing with God’s people. He throws all kinds of distractions to keep people exhausted, busy, and running around to ensure they don’t have time to rest nor do they have any daily devotional time with God.

Unfortunately, we have a culture that celebrates being busy. We perceive being busy as being successful and fulfilling God’s plan for our lives. However, that is not necessarily the case. Furthermore, the demands on people and families continues to increase. Everything including food, housing, cars, and education are becoming more expensive. Hence, the need to work harder and longer. We need to find the time to rest everyday and have a sabbath day of rest every week.

As God’s people, we can’t be swept by the winds of change and allow those things to pressure us to the point that we are enslaved to work and have no time to rest. The Lord does not keep us busy to the point of not having time for Him. There could be seasons that life is difficult, but as much as it depends on us, we have to make the effort to make time to rest physically and spiritually.

If you find it difficult to rest, suspend most of your activities for a couple of days to seek the Lord. Ask the Lord to show you how you can find time to rest. What needs to be cut off? Let Him show you the areas that your priorities need adjustment. Have you allowed the trends of the culture to dictate how you should live your life!? Are you able to get the sleep you need every night? If you are a caretaker for someone who needs you on a regular basis, pray that God would send workers to hold your arms up. The Lord has designed us with the need to rest! Allow Him to show you and teach you how to do it well. It takes faith to rest well! You can be an example to those around you that rest is possible, and it is a gift that the Lord has made available for His beloved children!

The Need to Rest (Part II)

Leave a Comment / Rest / By Karline Fischer

We are inundated with information, choices, and decisions on daily basis. We also pressure ourselves in trying to be one step ahead of the game. We are driven to gather all our facts to ensure we are ready and prepared for what is coming down the pipe. All this pressure can be overwhelming, and it causes us to be in a continual state of hyper alertness and stress!

The Bible tells us that the Lord knows our frame and that we are made of dust (See Psalm 103:4). He does not expect us to figure everything out, and neither does he want us to control every situation. We may consider those actions as being responsible or protective of our loved ones, but God sees our anxiety and its impact on us and our relationships!

Unless the Lord builds the house,
They labor in vain who build it;
Unless the Lord guards the city,
The watchman stays awake in vain.
It is vain for you to rise up early,
To sit up late,
To eat the bread of sorrows;
For so He gives His beloved sleep. Psalm 127:1-2

The Lord is in charge of building our lives and protecting us and our families. We have a part to play in it, but our part comes from following His word, listening to the Lord, and surrendering our will to Him. If we are compelled to do something out of fear of losing or running out of time, we are thinking too highly of ourselves! We can waste time and energy toiling in our own strength. Unless the Lord builds our lives, we are running on a treadmill that does not get us any faster to our hopes and dreams. We can waste valuable time and precious moments while trying to think of all the scenarios and possibilities. The truth is we are just spinning our wheels, and we are not making any real progress in the situation.

This week, one of my children has been given some choices that require a decision. I’m thankful to the Lord for the choices, but I have been stressed trying to figure out the ramifications of choosing one option over another. We had been praying about this for sometime, so this was not a surprise. The Lord is completely aware of the entire situation. Fretting is not going to provide anymore information or peace about one choice over another. It is surrendering it to the Lord and allowing Him to lead and guide the situation is what is going to give me peace and rest in Him!

Are you fretting over something today? Are the pressures of life keeping you awake at night? Do you give room for the Lord to have a say in the matters and calm you with His love? The above scripture is a good passage to memorize or post it somewhere in your home, so you are continually reminded of how God see it. I will continue with this subject in the next devotional.

The Need to Rest (Part I)

1 Comment / Rest / By Karline Fischer

Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished. And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Genesis 2:1-2

After creating the heavens and the earth in six days, our awesome God rested on the seventh day! Although the world and all it activities was only about to begin, the Lord chose to enjoy all that He had created! The Lord did not rest because He was tired or weary. He was doing it to enjoy His finished work of creation! Just like an artist that steps back and enjoys their creative work, our God looked at all His creation and called it good!

Since the Lord has created us in His image, we are designed to rest and enjoy our work. Why is it that some of us have such a hard time resting!? Some people feel their work is never finished, so it’s hard for them to rest. Some are overcommitted, and they always feel behind. Technology allows for people to draw upon us at all times via texts or email, and sometimes it may feel like we can never unplug. At other times, we are so used to being connected to people or work, we don’t want to unplug in the fear of missing out on something. In addition, we live in a culture of “not good enough,” which makes people feel like they always have to do more to be enough!

The truth is that we all need rest for our spirits, souls, and bodies. It is in resting that we gain clarity and have the opportunity to hear God better. It takes faith to rest our entire being! It takes faith to rest our minds from going a hundred miles an hour and trying to figure things out. It takes faith to rest our will from striving and making things happen. It takes faith to rest and still feel loved and valuable. It takes faith to rest and not fear being forgotten if I we are not seen for a few days. It takes faith to rest and know that time is not going to run out on us while we’re resting. It takes faith to rest our bodies and get the sleep we need. It takes faith to rest and know that God cares about our needs even when we are resting!

Our flesh is going to fight resting because its intent is on remaining carnal, active, and busy. For some resting won’t be easy, but we must press through. When we can rest without being anxious, it is a step towards victory! Is the Lord calling you to rest? In resting, we may be delivered from fear, insecurities, restlessness, etc. Today, find time to rest in God and celebrate what He has already done in your life!

A Form of Godliness (Part IV)

Leave a Comment / Godliness, Power / By Karline Fischer

But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! 2Timothy 3:1-5

Paul warns the believers that in the last days people will be lovers of pleasure, having a form of godliness but denying its power. How can we be the people who are Godly and walk in the power of the Holy Spirit!?

First, there is nothing wrong with enjoying life, but when pleasure becomes the means for us to be happy, our heart has changed! There are some who live a double life and want to enjoy worldly pleasures by drinking, carousing, using drugs, dancing in clubs, etc. At the same time, they also want to show up to church on Sundays and enjoy the presence of God! We can’t have both! We can’t be lovers of pleasure and lovers of God! Following Christ requires wholehearted devotion to Him. It means that we cannot straddle the fence for too long without losing our peace and joy. Some people are so afraid and offended by those who confront their questionable activities, that they miss out on what the Holy Spirit is speaking. When Jesus told the woman at the well about the condition of her life, she could have been offended and walked away from Him. Instead, she responded with humility recognizing that this man cared about her wellbeing. This caused her to open her life to the living waters that Jesus offered her, and it also allowed her to share the gospel message with her countrymen (See John 4:1-26). If we want to thrive in the last days, we need to stop getting offended by people and pay more attention to what the Holy Spirit is speaking to us or through others.

Second, Apostle Paul addressed people having a form of godliness, but rejecting the power of God. There are many in the body of Christ who claim to be strong Christians. They are proud of the fact that they have been walking with the Lord for decades or that they have family members who are in ministry. They will quote scriptures and have a self-righteous attitude, but they are not experiencing the freedom they claim to have! Sometimes they misinterpret the scriptures, and sometimes they focus on other people’s sin in order to deflect the issue.I have also seen intellectuals who take their understanding to the borders of unbelief by reading materials written by heretical commentators. Hence, their views of God, Jesus, and the Bible are a hodgepodge of different doctrines.

Paul’s writing is a warning for the body of Christ. There are going to be many who will have a form of godliness but not having the power of God to live a Godly life. Some big trees in our neighborhood have given me an analogy to our spiritual walk. Many of these trees look alive and flourishing. However, in the last couple of months, I have noticed that that some big branches have fallen in the middle of the streets. We have no rains, winds, or storms that would cause these thick branches to break. The trees don’t look diseased or dry. They still look like a alive and flourishing tree, but inside they have become dry and hollow eventually leading to the fall of the branches. That could also be true in the life of a believer.

Those who have been a “Christian” for a long time, will have a form of godliness. People may know the Bible and can quote scriptures. However, if they reject God’s dealings in their lives, they will lose their connection to the Lord. They will begin to become powerless, which will lead them to unbelief and questioning the things of God.

Jesus is a good example of how a believer receives power. After forty days of fasting, prayer, and temptation, Jesus came out of the wilderness with the power of the Holy Spirit (See Luke 4:14). Similarly, our power comes from seasons of prayer, fasting, and obedience in the midst of famine or tribulation. The perilous times will require us to be faithful in the midst of adversity. God will give us the grace we need when we look to Him. We will be empowered by the Holy Spirit to do what we would not be able to sustain in the natural.

The Lord is preparing us for the perilous time ahead. Are we ready to be light and salt in these times? Lord, we pray and ask that the Holy Spirit would show us anything in the above scriptures that relates to our lives, our attitude, or our parenting. Give us your grace to confront it and repent from it. We want to be your holy priesthood ready to reach a generation of lost and self serving people by your power and your anointing! In Jesus’ name. Amen!

A Form of Godliness (Part III)

Leave a Comment / Loving, Respect / By Karline Fischer

Paul warns us that in the last days children will be disobedient to their parents, and many people including children will be unthankful, unholy, and unloving towards others. In the last devotional, I shared about the need for raising loving and respectful children. This is the continuation of raising Godly and responsible children.

The Bible does not mince any words about our sinful and carnal nature that needs to be shaped through obedience, discipline, and denial of self. This also impacts our parenting. One of the important areas in raising children is to teach them to take responsibility for their own actions. We need to hold them accountable and not rescue them from the consequence of bad actions. This includes learning to get along with their siblings, classmates, teachers, and friends. When they have a problem with someone, it can’t always be somebody else’s fault. If they are getting bad grades, most likely, it is not because their teacher dislikes them or she is mean.

Parents who are super-protective of their children become enablers of unhealthy patterns of behavior. We cannot save children from trials, but we can teach them how to appropriately handle them in the way that reinforces their identity in Christ and honors God and others.

A study by a major university found that the majority of teenagers believed that success was more important to their parents than kindness! That was convicting! How many times do we care about our children’s academic or social development, but we are not evaluating the condition of their hearts. When was the last time you asked your child or grandchild if they have shown kindness to anyone lately? We may focus on having them recite scriptures but acting on those verses and learning to live them out is more powerful!

Every parent wants their children to be confident and to do well. The problem is the way we go about it that can lead to raising proud and arrogant children who cannot accept losing. Our goal should be to raise meek and humble children. Struggles are great opportunities for children to know their limitations and appreciate the need to be in relationship with God and with others. Understanding their limitations gives them the opportunity to be teachable and to gain wisdom. Through struggle, they gain maturity and humility. They begin to appreciate healthy boundaries and as the saying goes, “Gravity is not a myth!”

The world has its messages of success for our children. However, as the people of God, we need to pay attention to the condition of our children’s hearts and ensuring that as much as it depends on us we are shepherding their hearts not just their performance! The perilous days have come and will continue to come, and the only hope this lost world has is for us to raise a generation that not only claims to be a follower of Christ, but it is able to live it out before a dying world.

I will continue with this subject in the next devotional.

A Form of Godliness (Part II)

Leave a Comment / Uncategorized / By Karline Fischer

I shared in the last devotional the danger of loving ourselves and indulging our carnal nature. Being lovers of self is also important as it relates to raising loving and respectful children! The above scripture, tells us that in the last days children will be disobedient to parents. Paul prophesies that they will be unthankful, unholy, and unloving. This is a warning for all of us as parents and grandparents!

Many of us can be guilty of spoiling our children/grandchildren and making excuses for their bad attitude or behavior. Sometimes, we are so focused on their success, good grades, entering top colleges, and developing an impressive career that we forget what God cares about! The Lord cares more about the condition of our children’s hearts than their impressive accomplishments!

If children are disobedient and unthankful in their younger years, someday they will carry those attitudes to their jobs and their marriages when they are adults. Some parents marvel at their children talking back to them and having a sassy rebuttal. They see it as a leadership or negotiation gift. There might be some truth to it, but it’s the parents’ job to channel the children’s gifting and to teach them self-control. The truth is that if the children are comfortable challenging their parents at age 8 0r 9, by the time they get to teenage years, they have the capacity to rebel at a whole another level, and that sassy response won’t be cute anymore! Instead, their rebellion can create much pain for the children as well as their families.

There is also the danger of raising unthankful children! We live in a land of plenty, and many parents are blessed with vast amounts of resources. This allows them to give their children anything they want or desire. It is incumbent upon us to show self-control and not feed their every demand and desire. It’s good for them to hear a “no” from time to time. For example, if the girls are getting regular manicures when they are 15 years old, what will be a special treat for them when they are 25 or 30!? Every time we give-in to their desires, we increase their standard of satisfaction thereby leading them to dissatisfaction! It makes it harder for them to be happy with simple things in life.

Dissatisfaction in life leads to having an unthankful attitude! Unthankfulness is one of the characteristics of being lovers of ourselves that Paul writes about in the above scripture. Children need to learn to be thankful and use the words, “Thank you!” Some people including children seem to have a problem to say, “Thank you!” That could be an issue of pride, and it shows that the person thinks more highly of themselves than they ought. There are many scriptures that instruct us to be thankful and to praise God in all things. Thankfulness is a state of humility and appreciating what God is giving the person. It is also a reminder that we need the Lord and others in our lives and that we are not an island to ourselves. If we want to raise thankful children, we have to put limit on how much we cater to their demands and observe their attitude when they don’ get their way!

I will continue with this subject in the next devotional.

A Form of Godliness (Part I)

Leave a Comment / Selfishness / By Karline Fischer

We do live in perilous times where people are becoming more and more lovers of themselves, yet they profess to be spiritual or even Christian! Things around us are getting darker, but people profess to be more spiritual! Paul accurately prophesies that in the last days self will be placed on the throne! We see that to be true in our lifetime. Self is worshipped by meeting its various demands. We want perfection on our exterior by focusing on building a beautiful body, dressing in designer’s clothes, having a perfect-looking house, and driving luxury cars . We love to indulge ourselves because we believe we are worth it! The social media and our Iphones give us the opportunity to take selfies, post pictures, and show the world how great and wonderful we are! The problem with feeding the carnal self is that it is a wild beast that becomes more demanding in nature over time. It is only temporarily satisfied with our indulgence and them it craves for more!

When we are focused on serving self, it comes at the cost of neglecting our relationship with the Lord and our relationship with others. When people become lovers of themselves, that becomes the gateway to all other evil such as being lovers of money, boasters, proud, and blasphemers. The book of Proverbs tells us that pride brings about strife. This means pride eventually leads to breakdown of relationships.

In addition, loving ourselves causes us to become disobedient, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, headstrong, etc. We begin to look down on others and develop a self-righteous standard that no one can meet. Our standard of satisfaction becomes so high that we cannot tolerate any imperfection and have no mercy on the ones who don’t treat us the way we deserve!

Some of us may wonder why loving ourselves is so bad. Jesus instructed the people to love their neighbors as themselves, which would infer that we must love ourselves first. Jesus’ commandment preceded by the commandment to first love God with all our hearts, souls, and minds. When we are committed to loving God this way, He remains on the throne of our hearts. What we want or desire takes a backseat to what God says about it. We don’t use “if”s and “but”s to justify our position or disobedience. Instead, we look to the Lord for direction and instruction in righteousness. This causes us to love ourselves the right way by feeding ourselves the good food of the Bible and ensure that we are growing and maturing in the faith. We also know that when God says “no” to something, it is for our best. We don’t have to pout, complain, or gossip because we didn’t get our way. When we love ourselves according to God’s ways, then we can appropriately love our neighbor as ourselves!

It is easy to look at the culture or even other Christian groups and agree with the words of Paul in the above scripture, but the world is looking to us for genuine faith that makes a difference in life and in conduct. How are we perceived by others!? Do they see us as gentle, kind, loving, and forgiving? Or do they consider us unloving, unforgiving, headstrong, and haughty? Are we only loving towards those who treat us well or are we able to rise above our own emotions and do good to all? The world is looking for hope, and we are called to share the hope by our speech, conduct, and attitude and represent Him well on this earth!

I will continue with this subject in the next devotional.

The Quest for Acceptance (Part II)

Leave a Comment / Acceptance / By Karline Fischer

In the last devotional, I shared about Cain and how he felt rejected when his sacrifice was not accepted by the Lord. The Lord gave him the opportunity to do right, but Cain took his anger out on Abel. Instead of taking responsibility for his wrong, he killed his brother for doing right and being accepted.

We all have a God-given desire to be accepted. Acceptance brings security in our relationships. However, the true acceptance that we are looking for comes from God and does not happen on our terms. The Lord has a standard, and He will not change it or diminish because we don’t agree with it. The world has misconstrued the issue of acceptance, and it tries to tell people that regardless of what they believe and how they live, they should be well-received and accepted.

People used to advocate for tolerance a couple of decades ago. If you were not in agreement with certain habits or lifestyles, you were considered intolerant back then. However, things have changed over time. Being tolerated is not enough anymore. Nowadays, people are demanding inclusion and acceptance. They take it even further by accusing others of hatred towards a certain race, gender, lifestyle just because someone does not condone their actions or lifestyle.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. Ephesians 1:3-6

The world has deceived people into thinking that the rejection they feel is due to others’ disapproval of them. The truth is that their real problem is with the Lord and not with people. We all need to be accepted by God. This acceptance is not based on our performance, but it is based on the work of Jesus on the cross. Sin has caused a chasm between us and God. We are aliens to Him until we admit that we are sinners and accept that Jesus suffered for our sins on the cross.

When we admit that we are sinners in need of forgiveness, the Lord opens His arms to us and accepts us into His fold just as the father in the Parable of Prodigal Son received his son. This acceptance is a priceless gift that no money can buy. God adopts us into His family. This brings rest to our spirit and healing to our souls. When we realize that we are accepted in the beloved, our desires begin to change and we want to please the Lord. This is the place of security and love in our relationship with the Lord.

People are on a quest for acceptance, but, unfortunately, they are looking for it in all the wrong places. They are also too confused and distracted with their own desires to understand that being accepted is not something you demand! In addition, true acceptance does not come from people’s agreement nor does it come from changes in civic laws. Those may make someone feel more comfortable temporarily, but man is still lonely and insecure apart from the love of God. People are still orphans in need of the acceptance from Abba Father!

Let’s not get caught up with the world’s definition of acceptance. We all need to find out what God desires in our lives and live at peace with Him. Furthermore, let’s love people by pointing them to Jesus for acceptance. Laws or opinions of others cannot change people’s soul and spirit. It is only in communing with a Holy God that they will come to rest in their souls and be accepted in the beloved!

The Quest for Acceptance (Part I)

Leave a Comment / Uncategorized / By Karline Fischer

Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, and said, “I have acquired a man from the Lord.” Then she bore again, this time his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord. Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the Lord respected Abel and his offering, but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.

So the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.” Genesis 4:1-6

The story of Cain and Abel reveals our need for acceptance and the danger to achieve it in our own way. Cain and Abel both brought an offering to the Lord. Abel brought an animal sacrifice, and the Lord accepted it. However, Cain decided to bring an offering from the produce of his own hands, and it was not accepted by the Lord.

Seeing Cain’s displeasure, the Lord explained to Cain that if he did well, he would also be accepted. The Lord also told Cain that if he chose not to do well, he was opening the door to sin. God both encouraged and warned Cain about his relationship with Him. This was Cain’s opportunity to get it right and bring the kind of offering that the Lord expected.

Instead of taking responsibility for his own actions, Cain took God’s correction as rejection and became angry! Cain took it further by directing his anger towards Abel and thinking that God’s rejection was due to the fact that Abel’s sacrifice was better. Cain could have had the opportunity to ask the Lord for forgiveness. However, he chose to focus on Abel for his problems.

There are times that we look at those around us and consider them to be the obstacle to our acceptance. Spouses complain about each other for being an obstacle for fulfilling God’s plan in their lives. Children rebel against their parents accusing them of holding them back from living to the fullest. Some are discontent with their jobs because they see their coworker as the obstacle for them being liked by the boss. Some women compete for their desire to develop good friendships. People try to destroy one another by backbiting and gossip just so that they can be accepted. All the while, the person is aware of their areas of shortcomings that they can be working on. Instead of asking the Lord to help them, they blame others for their problems.

Now Cain talked with Abel his brother; and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him. Genesis 4:8

Cain chose to kill his brother, even though Abel was not the problem. Abel had nothing to do with Cain’s offering not being accepted. Cain could have been the only child, and his sacrifice still would not have been accepted by God. Cain had the option of running to God, but he didn’t. Instead of humbly accepting God’s correction, he became angry. He also ignored God’s warning about sin desiring to control him. He opened the door to the sin of murder, which eventually led him to living a life of fugitive and a vagabond.

When we try to strive for acceptance in our own carnal ways and ignore God’s instructions, we open the door to all kinds of evil including rejection, loss of relationships, hurting people, and living in a dry land as a vagabond on a quest for acceptance.

Do you feel accepted? If not, who do you see as your obstacle to acceptance? Do you trivialize God’s correction? Do you have a tendency to blame others for your problems? Are you angry at others who seem to be accepted? Do you find yourself moving from job to job, relationship to relationship, or church to church because you don’t find acceptance? Ask the Lord to show you and let Him speak to you about this important issue.

Who is the Greatest? (Part III)

Leave a Comment / Born again, Sanctification / By Karline Fischer

At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 18:1-4

As I shared in the last devotional, the spiritual conversion begins by becoming born again and accepting Jesus as our Savior and Lord. Jesus told his disciples that they need to become as little children. This is a conversion of our souls and how we operate in life. As our spirit man grows and we subject our minds, emotions, wills, and bodies to the leading of Holy Spirit, our soul is converted and becomes less complicated.

For years, we developed habits that benefited us in getting our way and in protecting us from pain/harm. It is not easy to let go of those habits. Becoming child like is a difficult process for many. Letting go of taking care of “number one” is hard and feels like foolishness to the carnal man! Our tendency is to question things, think critically, and be goal oriented. It requires much faith and self-denial to surrender those habits at the cross!

Jesus stated that the conversion will bring out a child like spirit. A child like person operates completely opposite of the carnal man. A child is trusting and does not ask questions about the future. They are not into analyzing facts and figures. They are not agenda-driven and don’t make long-term plans. Children are present focused and ask questions out of the wonder and curiosity of learning about their environment not out of suspicious or distrust.

This is a reminder of my family and our road trips together. There was a great likelihood that my son would fall asleep on the road trips regardless of the length of the trip. This is always a picture of a child like faith to me. He was comfortable and confident of his father’s driving and his sense of direction. He had no need to question it or wonder when we were going to get to our destination. So he was able to rest and enjoy the ride until we got there. What a blessing it would be if we could do that with the Lord on our journey of life!

Our carnal soul is in continual enmity in having faith in God! Those who think are smart, crave information! We cannot rest until we have all the details, so we can evaluate things for ourselves. We have this insatiable desire to lean on our own understanding. That may make us feel good, but we are blocking faith by trying to see how things will work out. Our emotions is another aspect of our soul that has to come under the control of the Holy Spirit. We get impatient and frustrated when we are not getting our way, but who says that our way is the right way!? For some, their will is compelled to action, even though they don’t know what they need to be doing. So they run restlessly trying to make something happen. The truth is that being yielded to the Holy Spirit will save us so much time and anxiety, and it will help us with our relationships with others as well.

For a period of time, Adam and Eve had child like faith and were able to walk with God without questioning Him or doubting Him. This was a state of bliss. God had told them not to touch the tree of good and evil, and they did not question God’s motives. However, the serpent planted a new thought in their minds about God’s motives, and he questioned God’s integrity. When they came into agreement with those thoughts, they opened themselves up to the world of suspicion, distrust, and analysis.

Jesus knew that walking by faith will not make sense to our carnal minds. If we were to analyze it, it could lead to stress, unbelief, and anxiety, and we would not be able to maintain peace and joy in our hearts. The only way we can walk successfully with the Lord is to remain child like. We need to be converted in our spirit and soul. Jesus told His disciples that these kinds of people are the greatest in the Kingdom of God!

Do you have child like faith? Are you more child like in your faith today than you were five years ago? Ask the Lord to show you how to develop a child like faith. It’s helpful to be in relationship with those who have child like faith and to learn how they walk with God. This kind of faith will bring peace and joy in your heart, and it will take you on your journey lighter and more dependent on Him!