Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”

• Luke 18:17

“I remember one story of an East German teacher who told her class that God does not exist. After her lesson, she asked who still believed in God, and a little girl stood up.  The teacher made her stay after school and write one hundred times, ‘I do not believe God exists.’ The girl could not do that, so she wrote, ‘I do believe God exists.’ The teacher was so angry with her that she made her write it correctly one thousand times at home that night. The little girl wrote it one thousand times her way, although she knew she would be punished severely in school the next day. This young child believed in God and was not going to deny Him in spite of the consequences. What an important lesson for all of us to learn!”

• Corrie ten Boom, God is my Hiding Place

“I am loved, valued and celebrated by my heavenly Father. I can trust Him and pray with childlike faith.”

• Corrie ten Boom, Highlighted Quote

Boilerplate

In this new mini-series, I will be looking at a devotion that is said to be written by Corrie ten Boom.  Really, this devotion is like several that I had read.  They come from the writings of that person.  Thus, the prayers at the end may be the editor’s addition to what Corrie ten Boom actually wrote.

Each of these posts will include the suggested verses to read, a quote from the writing that came from a Corrie ten Boom book (five in all according to the copyright page, but no chapter in the book is given the specific book of origin).  I will also include the highlighted quote, similar to an internet quotation, and I will end with the quoted prayer for that devotion.

Discussion

I believe I have read hundreds of childlike versus childish quotes, but they all boil down to the fact that you can be childlike without being childish.  And a few of them point out that God did not say for us to be childish.

The example that Corrie ten Boom uses is an example that we face a lot.  It is not a teacher but a boss or customer.  It is not writing a false statement, otherwise known as a lie, to illustrate the other person’s power over you, but we may be forbidden to say certain things, things that somebody decided was offensive.  Who decides such things?

The problem is that once you have fallen in line with one line in the sand, the boss is not satisfied until he or she draws a new line.  Sure, you have freedom of speech, but they have the freedom to fire you for no particular reason at all.

But the child in Tante Corrie’s story never backs down, knowing that the next punishment will be even worse.

Childish behavior would be vandalizing the boss’ new car or spreading untrue, or even true, gossip about the boss, or just spreading the gossip that is already out there.

Tante Corrie gave a few other examples of childlike behavior that could be related to adult circumstances.

But where do we lose childlike behavior?  At some point, the chasing of dreams becomes secondary to earning a paycheck or a better paycheck.  Maybe learning what we lost somewhere along the line is the key to getting back to that childlike wonder, that belief that overpowers any logical argument, that confidence that what Jesus promised is all that I need, just because He is Jesus.

I think one of the ways we lose that childlike faith is to rely on humans.  God never lets us down, but humans are flawed just like we are.  Promises do not get kept.  I have known people who you knew would break a promise just to break it.  I never wanted them to make the promise.  I knew it would get broken.  So, that childlike faith becomes eroded.  Until the next person that looks nice does the same thing.  After a while, you have absolutely no one that you can trust.

And what does God ask of us?  Trust.  The childlike faith returns when we know that God is a promise keeper.

Closing Prayer

“Father, I want to live with childlike abandon-without fears or inhibitions limiting me. Teach me to understand who You’ve created me to be-compassionate, powerful and significant. Your viewpoint fills me with confidence, so I can enjoy life. Let Your love be my anchor of truth. You have cleansed me, washed me in Your blood and call me by Your name. Help me to always walk before You with the innocence of a child.”

• Corrie ten Boom, God is my Hiding Place (prayer for Day 3, Becoming Childlike)

Soli Deo Gloria.  Only to God be the Glory.