Lent Day 11 - Unabashed

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. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. (Matt. 18:1–4)

Sometimes people have a military bearing, long after they have left the ranks of the army. There is something about the way they stand and walk and hold themselves. Others have a regal manner, gliding through any room or crowd, as if they expect everyone in the room to defer to them. Others seem to hug the walls and melt into the shadows, as if they would rather not be seen. With Almaz it was none of those things. With her, it was an overwhelming sense that she felt at home, untroubled by whatever was going on about her. She was not self-important, in fact quite the opposite. There was a deference about her which bordered on shyness. However, beneath it all was a quiet reassurance that she somehow mattered. Since that milestone day where she had been picked out of the crowd, life had thrown all kinds of misfortune her way. She had been entangled by poverty and scarred by disappointment like so many others. Now, with her grey hair and her stooped shoulders she seemed a million miles from that shy, smiling child who had stood at Jesus’ side. And yet, through it all she knew who she was. These days, others would seek her out. Those who had lost sight of themselves and lost all hope of heaven’s door would come looking for Almaz, that little girl who had stood quietly beside Jesus as he made his point. Hesitatingly, they would enquire as to whether heaven really was meant for such as them, or whether God’s door would be yet another which was shut in their faces. Every single time she would reassure them that the door would indeed open to all whose hearts were his. I used to see her, walking with a stoop now, making her way through the market or stopping in the street to listen, head on one side, to a neighbour. For many months now there has been no sight of her. I know I shall see her again, though. I just know it. Jesus said so.

Very often, we are quick to forget the sensation when we first realise that we matter to God. Instead, we experience it once again through the eyes of others who come to faith.

Taken from What Happened Next? by Richard Littledale

Imaginative and thought-provoking, the 52-day devotional What Happened Next? explores the impact encountering God had on biblical characters.

Have you ever thought about what it might be like to have been present at the feeding of the 5,000? How might you have felt if you had seen the temple curtain torn in two?

Richard Littledale takes 52 well-known Bible stories and imagines what might have happened next. Written from the perspectives of eyewitnesses, each story helps us see how interactions with God changed the people involved.

In What Happened Next? each devotion includes Bible verses, an immersive retelling of the story, a reflection, a prayer and an idea to action.

Dive deeper into Scripture and explore afresh the life-changing effect that meeting God has in both the Bible and our lives today.

Prayer

Dear God, I thank you for my welcome into the kingdom of heaven, and I take it to heart today with all the simplicity of a child. Some days it is easy to believe, and others not, but help me to hold onto it, always, I pray. Amen.