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

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

A kingdom is a place where a king rules over all the land and the people that live there. Some countries have a king or queen, and they rule over all the people in their country. They take care of the people and the land.

The kingdom of heaven is also sometimes called the kingdom of God. It is a kingdom where God rules. God rules in heaven. On the earth He rules in the hearts of those who believe in Jesus, His Son, by the Holy Spirit.

In our first verse for today, Jesus tells His disciples to let the children to come near to him because the kingdom of heaven belongs to them and all who believe like children. You are a part of the kingdom of heaven when you believe in Jesus as your Savior and the Holy Spirit is in your heart. We call that being “saved” or “born again.” You become a new person in Jesus and a member of the kingdom of heaven!

Think about your home with your parents. Your parents love you and you love your parents. You trust that they will feed you, take care of you, and protect you. They provide what you need; maybe not always what you want, but what you need.

Jesus does the same for you! He loves you. When you believe in Him and what He did for you, love Him, trust Him to care for you, protect you, and provide for you, you are saved, and you belong to the kingdom of heaven!

Our second verse is Jesus talking to adults. He says that adults need to become like children to belong to the kingdom of heaven! They need to love and trust Jesus to take care of them, and all their needs, and be saved.

We all need to love Jesus, trust He will care for us, trust that He hears and answers our prayers, and then tell others about Him and God and the wonderful kingdom of heaven.

This week talk with your parents about the kingdom of heaven and how you can all be a part. What things can you do to learn more? How can you love Jesus? How can you trust more? How can you help others become a part of the kingdom of heaven?

Blessings and joy as a part of the kingdom of heaven!