Jesus said, “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 NIV

Listen to Words from the Heart

Children

Launched in 2018, Raising Canada is an annual series of reports that track the top 10 threats to childhood. The report sheds light on the reality that one-third of kids in Canada do not enjoy a safe and healthy childhood. For more than a decade, the state of childhood in Canada has been on the decline. Canada ranks 30th out of 38 affluent nations for protecting the well-being of children, according to UNICEF – a significant drop from 12th place in 2007.

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It is natural for parents to love their children. Parents will go to great extremes to provide for their children – we see that often these days in immigrants who go to great lengths to come to a country that offers a better future for their family. So, it shouldn’t surprise us to read in the Gospels the special place that children have in the heart of Jesus. In Matthew 19:14 we read “Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.’” Children have a natural curiosity – they soak up information and constantly ask “why.” They are also very trusting – and depend on adults to care for them and look after them. This is why Jesus says the kingdom of heaven belongs to children – and adults who like children easily trust God and depend upon Him. We are each called to have the simple trust of a child when it comes to our relationship with Jesus. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t have a mature faith – we are called to grow in our knowledge of the Lord. But our faith, our trust in Jesus, must always be like that of a child.

These have been words from the heart.
Bob Beasley