“Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” (Mark 10:15, NIV)
Late Sunday in Wisconsin, I’m thinking Dash Day had no idea what hit him. Hoisted in his papa’s arms, face to face with that crying daddy of his, and all those people raining their appreciative applause on the newest major champion, the little guy certainly knew something was up. But just what, and just how big—not a chance.
Dad sure knew, though. For several seasons, Jason Day has been one of the game’s best players in major championships. He has come close and then closer. But before Sunday, he had never won. Now he was floating on a cloud.
Our God, despite the cartoonists’ many depictions of heaven, likely does not float on a cloud. Not figuratively, like a tournament winner, and not literally, as those drawings suggest. But our God knows what we do not, and in that there is great assurance.
You see, up in Daddy’s arms, Dash Day, confused as he might have been, was feeling quite secure. He knows his daddy’s voice, his daddy’s features, his daddy’s aroma. And in such a moment, he knows all he needs to know: Daddy’s got him.
The picture by now should be exceedingly obvious. When we are in Christ, as children along with him of the God who reigns, we have found our great Father, our loving Daddy. And yet to go there in our mind, especially as adults, can be awkward. Does any grown male (particularly) still call his dad “Daddy”? You’d look funny at him if he did!
All of which leads us to that rather uncomfortable passage where Jesus presents a child and tells us this is our example of faith. It’s not really about the name—Daddy, Papa, Father. It’s about being Dash Day, about knowing in the midst of the confusion and noise of this life (no matter whether it comes by celebration or calamity) that God is right here. That can be very hard to do. We really are too often people “of little faith.”
But here’s the constant wonder: God knows. God has every awareness of what’s going on around us and within us and above us. And God’s got us. If you come to know this alone, you’ll have all the faith you need. Faith of a child. Faith that is certain. And you may enjoy it so much that you run and play in a bunker. Or you can leave that to Dash.
—
Jeff Hopper
August 18, 2015
Copyright 2015 Links Players International
The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.