When my children were little they trusted everything I told them. They ate the food I put in front of them, trusting that it was what their bodies needed to grow big and strong. They trusted that I would take care of them during a storm or when they were scared. When they didn’t know what the next day would look like, they trusted that I would take care of all the details.
It is amazing to me that a child enters this world totally reliant on his/her parents. Even without being taught, children learn to trust their parents. Nobody had to teach their child to trust them.
This is the exact kind of childlike faith that it takes to get into the kingdom of God. Unlike our children that are born to us, we are not born with that kind of faith. This is why Jesus addresses this issue in Matthew 18.
At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” He called a little child to him and placed the child among them. And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 18:1-3
It still surprises me when I read this verse and realize that Jesus wants my trust to be that of a little child. He doesn’t care about how much I “try” or learn…he just wants my trust. It is such a good reminder for me in times of trouble and struggle that I need to trust (like a child) that God will provide.
Jesus wants nothing more than for us to trust Him fully. Knowing that He will always take care of us no matter what.
Hosea 7-10 and Matthew 18