BELIEVE

By Paula Williamson, guest writer

Have you seen the movie “The Polar Express?” It’s about a young boy who stops believing in the Christmas he knew as a child. It’s a fantasy movie, but it drives home a big truth about what happens when we lose belief. We can learn something important from this movie, and scripture backs it. MATTHEW 18:2-3 And He called a child to Himself and set him among them, 3 and said, “Truly I say to you, unless you change and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.”

It Is Written

PSALM 94:11 -19 Unless the Lord had helped me, I would soon have settled in the silence of the grave. 18 I cried out, “I am slipping! but your unfailing love, O Lord, supported me. ¹⁹ When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer.

The Faith of a Child

We can learn from little children. They have no trouble jumping into their mom or dad’s arms. They point at everything, believing the adults around them will tell them the name of each item. It is a sad day when we lose our hope and belief because of adverse circumstances that often have nothing to do with God but with the fallen nature of humankind. Scripture supports the idea that when we cry out to God, He comforts us with renewed hope and cheer. It takes the faith of a little child to believe those words, but what a vast world it opens up!

Prayer

Lord, I come to You with the faith of a little child. I take all my doubts and fears, along with the failures of those who disappointed me, and will not project them onto You. I call out to You, daring to place my childlike faith and hope in You, and say, "Okay, God, I believe." I invite You into my heart, my life, and my mind, and say, "Teach me about You and Your ways."

Takeaway

Belief begins with the faith of a little child.