Day 153 "To live like a child is to love without fear."

Day 153 Matthew 18:10-11 “Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven. For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.” As a child growing up, I remember very distinctly a picture my grandmother gave me that hung in my room. It showed a child on a bridge precariously reaching to pluck a flower, and behind the child was an angel, ever ready to keep the child from harm. In some amazing way, that picture gave me incredible confidence and peace to know that God had His angels watching over me, and I dare say I surely put my angel to the test! In this passage, we see what very well may have been the inspiration for that now very famous painting that hung not only in my room but in many others as well, and for that artist I, for one, am very grateful. If there is one thing children need in their lives it is peace, especially in today's chaotic electronic world filled with a constant barrage of images and influences. Knowing that God has placed angels over my children, angels that see the face of God, brings me great peace, and as I share this passage with them, I pray it would bring them great peace as well. I wonder, however, what it means for an angel to be able to see the very face of God. It is obviously a privilege, and because of the emphasis Jesus places upon it, I would assume that it is one not given to all angels in heaven. I would also gather from this passage that these angels have the face of God because they are assigned to those who are lost, since this is how verse 11 ends. So, what does that mean for us? I believe for all of us it means that we, too, should walk in great peace–the peace of knowing we are never out of the grip of God. If I may, I would like to share what the Lord has been reminding me of in what I would consider a most divinely inspired way. The youth are, of course, our hope and our future. If we lose them or miss an opportunity to disciple them or lead them to Christ, we are risking more than we will be able to realize until we are with the Lord, and then it will be too late to change things. I, for one, am feeling called more than ever to minister to our youth in every way possible. When we minister to them, we minister to the family as well, let alone the fact that we bless God by doing so. Therefore, as we pray for guidance and are led by the Holy Spirit, may we continue and even increase our influence upon the youth of America in every way in which we can. Can I challenge you today to ask the Lord how and where He wants your focus to be? Ask Him for fresh vision, clarity, and peace, for if we continue to do things the way we always have, we will be left behind in an ever-changing world. God loves His children and you are His child. Could it be that you, too, still have an angel over you who has access to the face of God? I should hope so. Daily Prayer: Father, thank You for reminding us of the need to come to You as a child, to have childlike faith, and to trust You as a child can trust a loving Father. Bless You, Lord, and guide me through this day by Your Spirit. I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen. "To live like a child is to love without fear." Pastor Gene Burroughs