[Jesus] said to them, "Therefore every teacher of the law who has been instructed about the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old." — Matthew 13:52
One day I asked the Lord if He would share with me something that is in His heart.
"I have heard the cries of the children," is the reply I heard, "and I have come to rescue them."
I don’t know if you realize it or not, but the struggle for dominance between the dominion of darkness and the Kingdom of Light is a fight for a child’s heart. This is where the front line is in the great spiritual war that is taking place to claim souls for eternity. The devil may be foolish, but he isn’t stupid. He knows where and when we are the most weak and the most vulnerable. He will hit us the hardest there and then. It only makes sense.
The devil will go after a child ruthlessly, because he knows that once he convinces a child that life is hopeless, that God doesn’t love, that God is mean, that God is distant, that the child has no worth (and the list goes on), that he really has very little work to do the rest of that child’s life. Even if the child grows up and learns proper theology, he or she will never quite believe it deep down inside.
No wonder Jesus was indignant when the disciples tried to keep children from coming to Him!
In our passage, Jesus speaks of the Kingdom and of the law. The law brought many treasures to us. The law showed us that God heard our cries when we were in slavery, that He sent a deliverer, that He designed a life for us that protects justice, property, dignity, marriage, families, values and our very lives. These are treasures.
But then the Kingdom came along. Here we find new treasures. The Kingdom brings with it a King — One with the power to undo the works of darkness in our lives. This is no ordinary King. Earthly kings can make laws and defend their borders. But this King can find the child’s heart inside each of us, call that child to Himself, and give us the powerful news: It’s okay now — we are free.
Be encouraged!
Dwight
Dwight Clough is the author of four Christian books and is an active member of Lake City Church in Madison. This devotional is also available via email and you may review the archives back to 2002. To contact Dwight or Kim, use their contact form. You may also support their ministry.