Get in Bed with God

Many times, I get inspiration and spiritual understanding from things my kids say. What they say can sound so innocent and simple, yet on a deeper level it can be so profound. Today I had one of those moments with my five-year-old son. I was reading in my Bible plan and looked over at him. He looked tired. I asked him if he slept ok last night. He said, "Not until I came and got in bed with you." It got me to thinking about how we are (and aren't) with our heavenly Father.

How often do we go through seasons of unrest? We can't seem to catch up, fuel up, push forward, get comfortable, and feel rested. Why? I don't know about you, but for me the answer usually boils down to me trying to do this thing called life on my own like a big girl, falling behind and bringing on more stress than I need to because I forget so easily that I'm still just a little girl in my heavenly Father's eyes. What I really need is to admit I still need Him. The reality is that's exactly what He wants us to do!

Why? Because that's the love of a parent for their child. Parents do not want to see their children struggle; however, they will sit back for a while in order to let their children learn and make mistakes. But they will always be there when their kids, young or old, come to them in need of help or advice. Do you think it's coincidence that the Bible always refers to us as "children" of God and never "adults" of God? It's not. There are no coincidences in the Bible. Not one. Every word is alive, God breathed, and one thousand percent intentional. You can take that to the bank or infinity and beyond, whichever you prefer.

So... Jesus tells his disciples, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." (Matthew 19:14), and "Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 18:3). Then Paul says later in Galatians 3:26, "So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith". There are also protective promises regarding God's children. Going back to Matthew, Jesus says, "If anyone causes one of these little ones - those who believe in me - to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea." (18:6). Mark and Luke also repeat that statement from Jesus. Ahhh, the power of three in the Bible. God is amazing, isn't He?! (I will digress for now but look for a "numbers in the Bible" post in the future). A gentle protective promise can be found in Isaiah. "He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young." (40:11). There is a double promise there if you missed it. He carries the lambs close to his heart, so loving and so beautiful. He also gently leads the parents. That's double love and care!

All of those verses were to bring us back to how we are (or aren't) with our heavenly Father. First and always, He deserves our utmost respect. We should also trust Him and obey Him. Moreso than our earthly parents, because His ways are entirely and infinitely PERFECT. But at the end of the day (before we are at the end of our ropes), why don't we start jumping into bed with our Comforter, Creator, Protector, and heavenly Father, who loves us more than we can dare to imagine? Jesus loves the little children, so let's throw away the adult pride and ego and run to our Father's presence with childlike faith and let Him give us the kind of rest we really need, that only He can give.