Daily Devotion for December 29, 2005

Holy Innocents

 

In a surge of anger I hid my face from you for a moment, but with everlasting kindness I will have compassion on you," says the LORD your Redeemer…..
All your sons will be taught by the LORD, and great will be your children's peace.  Isaiah 54:8, 13

 

In gazing at the Christ Child, I am reminded that in Mark 10 we are to strive for a childlike faith in God. Not a childish faith but a childlike faith.  There is a big difference.  Jesus is telling us in Mark 10 that we must have a childlike faith to enter the kingdom of God. Children have a simple, uncomplicated faith in those whom they trust. Adults have generally been “educated” out of that childlike faith. We have faith in those institutions, people, things, and yes, even God, if we still trust them. Over the years, we lose trust in people and things that disappoint and betray us. It gets harder and harder to trust.

 

But trusting God is something we can do without question if we realize that he loves us completely and only has good things in store for us, not just in heaven but here and now. We must let go of the substitutes that we try to stuff into that space inside us that is reserved for God alone. We are made with that emptiness that longs to be filled; we have to trust him to fill it. Isaiah 54 tells us that our redeeming God will have compassion on us with everlasting kindness; his unfailing love for us will not be shaken nor his covenant of peace be removed.

 

Trusting God then becomes a childlike, simple, uncomplicated, and complete faith in him, a faith that is there regardless of the circumstances, helping us to love God and our neighbor.

 

Prayer
As Martin Luther once prayed in his popular Christmas hymn, "Oh, dearest Jesus, holy Child, Prepare a bed, soft undefiled Within my heart, made clean and new, A quiet chamber kept for you"  Amen

---

Did someone send you this Devotion? Would you like to receive future ones directly? Click here to subscribe.

Tim Hetzner - President - Lutheran Church Charities
		333 W. Lake Street, Addison, Illinois 60101
		(866) 455-6466 • Fax: (866) 451-1476
		Web Site: lcc.LutheranChurchCharities.org
		E-Mail: TimHetzner@LutheranChurchCharities.org
At the end of the day. . . Making A Difference In People's Lives and In God's Kingdom