Something very exciting happened for us on July 5 when we welcomed baby William James into our home! We are so thankful to the Lord for this wonderful gift.
Since William’s birth, I’ve thought a lot about children in the Bible. You might know the chorus “Jesus loves the little children/All the children of the world…” In Matthew 19:14, Jesus says, “Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” Suffer here means allow. Jesus’ disciples were trying to keep children away from Him, thinking they would bother Him, but Jesus wanted children brought to Him. What a kind Savior who loves children just like William and just like you! Not only does Jesus love children, but He often uses them to do wonderful things for Him. The Bible gives several examples of little ones whom God used to fulfill His promises.
In Genesis 21, we read about a baby named Isaac who was born for a very special purpose. Isaac’s parents, the prophet Abraham and his wife, Sarah, had wanted children for a long time but were old when God gave them a son. They were older than your grandparents when Isaac was born! From birth, Isaac was chosen by God to be the grandfather of the twelve tribes of Israel. When Isaac was a little boy, he had no idea how God would use him later in life!
Then, in Exodus 2, we read of baby Moses, a Hebrew child born into slavery in Egypt. Pharaoh, the ruler of Egypt, ordered that all Hebrew baby boys be thrown in the Nile river because he didn’t want them to grow up to be too powerful. How terrible! Jochebed, Moses’ mother, hid him in a basket and placed it on the river. As he floated down the river, Pharaoh’s daughter discovered him, and, instead of killing him as her father had commanded, she adopted Moses. Moses’ sister, standing near the river to make sure he was safe, greeted Pharaoh’s daughter and suggested someone to become Moses’ nurse until he was old enough to live at the palace. Pharaoh’s daughter didn’t know the “nurse” was Moses’ own mother! Moses grew up to lead the Israelites out of captivity in Egypt. Also, God gave him the ten commandments to teach to the Israelites and God parted the Red Sea so they could safely cross to the other side. God used Moses to lead and teach His people for many years until his death.
God prepared these little ones for service when they were young and then He used them mightily in His service later in life. Just like them, God can use you now, which may lead to doing something more for Him when you’re older. I encourage you to read these stories of Isaac and Moses in your Bible. Then, ask God what you can do for Him.
Next time, we’re going to talk about two very special babies in the New Testament who were cousins. One was the most important baby ever born! Can you guess who He is? Be sure to read next time for the answer!