peggywritesblog

The Kingdom of Heaven

Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 18:4 ESV

But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 19:14 ESV

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
Jesus said, “The kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

I was a teacher. I began in special education; Behaviorally Emotionally handicapped, then Learning Disabled and a Multi-handicapped class for a short time. And then I taught first grade for several years. Although I truly loved every child I taught, what I loved about the little ones was their acceptance and humble trust. They believed that I loved them, they accepted that I would only do what was best for them, they were open to learning, and they were willing to follow when I asked them to do something new.

When Jesus began His ministry, He often used the term, “kingdom of heaven” (which is sometimes called the kingdom of God), and refers to God’s reign on earth, which was beginning with Jesus. “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Matthew 3:2

God already reigns in heaven and with the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, God also reigns in the heart of every believer here on earth. We are members of the kingdom of heaven!

I admit our verses today convicted me. Jesus tells us that we are to be child-like in order to be great in the kingdom of heaven. And just like my first graders, we are to be humble and trusting like a child, to love and accept Jesus for who He is, the Son of God, and we are to trust in all His promises and believe that God can and will care for us.

How many times do we, as adults, try to do things on our own and only call on the Lord as a last resort? How often do we struggle through a difficult time without giving our burdens in prayer to the Lord? How frequently do we believe we have it all under control, until we don’t, and then cry out to God?

This week, and always, let’s choose to be child-like, let’s humble ourselves and have faith in Jesus and all that He does for us, trusting in His guidance and provision, obeying His words, imitating Him, and rejoicing in the kingdom of heaven.

I thank God for each of you! And I thank you for joining me this week as we follow Jesus, humble ourselves like children, and embrace our place in the kingdom of heaven as a child of our Almighty Father God.

Blessings, peace and joy in the kingdom of heaven!

8 comments

  1. In such a harsh, upside-down world, it’s so difficult to let go and trust anyone anymore. We seem to be hard-wired to be afraid and unwilling to be vulnerable, especially when times are tough. Honestly, I struggle with this all the time. The human condition makes for a very wary soul. Your messages are timely reminders that there’s more going on in our lives than we may think, and maybe it’s okay to trust a little in Someone who is there to help. Thanks, Peggy. 😊

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    • So true, Mike, I think the world we live in tends to make all of us cynical and world weary. I have to admit I am usually writing to myself as well, reminding us all that God is with us and his kingdom is where we truly belong.

      Thanks, Mike, for your comments and kindness and your constant encouragement! 😊

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  2. Love this post my friend. It convicted me too. No matter how much I keep saying I trust God it’s as if I always want to help Him fixing my stuff when He doesn’t need my help—I need His. Perhaps one day I’ll get it! Praying that I will. Blessings and Peace!

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  3. I had a friend who would always say to me that the strongest grip is an open hand. Learning to let go, acknowledging that God is in control, can be so difficult for us. There’s an old hymn that has the line, “just to rest upon his promise, just to know thus saith the lord”.. isn’t that childlike faith?
    I needed to read this today, Peggy.
    I hope you are well, my dear.

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