It’s No Wonder about those “Little Wonders”

“Even So, It is not the will of your Father which in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.” Matt. 18:14

Have you ever been in a discussion about what is God’s will? There is quite a bit of ignorance about what the Bible actually states about God’s will. There are a few places in the Scriptures that are as clear, as our reference here (a negative positive).

Jesus chose to illustrate his own mission in coming to "save that which was lost" by telling of a shepherd who leaves his ninety- nine sheep to find just one errant lamb. He tells of the shepherd’s exuberant joy when the lost lamb was found. Upon this parabolic story, Jesus makes a new declaration, one, never before declared to the disciples.

Here is a reference with a panoramic view. Just like a clear view from the top of the mountain; you can see forever here. See! Over there is heaven and on the other side is Hell, were people perish. There is a great gulf fixed between them. In the middle are millions of children from the ages past, but from throughout the earth. Then Jesus appears and with thunderous voice pronounces His Father’s will, in no uncertain or conditional terms–“Not one of thee little ones should perish.” Hear it?

You almost get the drift here that God made Heaven for children. Or at least, children were made for Heaven! Jesus elsewhere referring to the children, “of such is the Kingdom of Heaven.” (Mk. 10:14, Mt. 19:14, Lk. 18:16)

The disciples needed this revelation to know the Father’s will clearly about the children. To hear this they must have been in shock! They probably would not have guessed this truth.

If the creation of Heaven was up to them, they would probably have omitted the children, or at best, they would be forgotten them, like an “after thought,” maybe they would finally be missed.

Through Jesus words, one could see the whole plan, the deliberate plan–the plan of heaven, included the kids from the beginning to the end. It is clearly God’s mercy and love to make a provision for the little ones. It was no “after thought.” It was the “first thought,”–the “original thought.”

This is not about how these “little ones” were so innocent, so dependent, so trusting, so nice, or so cute–as though there is something inherent within the child that qualifies them for heaven. Rather, this is more about God and His character–who He is! He is both just and loving. He is both the Creator and the Father. In His eternal plan He made provision for these “little ones” and Jesus came to tell us all about it.

What a comfort that is for a grieving parent of a “little one.” We actually know what the will of the God of Heaven and Earth is – that the “little ones” will not perish!

Such assurance is deep, such certainty is surely refreshing, such announcement leaves little wonder that those “little wonders” will not perish, by God’s plan and design. There is no wonder, it is certain, Jesus said it. “It is God’s will that the little ones will not perish!”

He removed the “wonder.”

Fighting The Good Fight!

Recently, I read an interesting passage of scripture from the New Testament in the book of Acts--the trip made by Paul and Barnabas to the cities where they had found churches and made converts to the Lord Jesus Christ.

In one of these cities, Lystra, Paul had been stoned and left for dead but the disciples had gathered around him and prayed and sang and he got up and went back into the city. Paul has the courage with Barnabas to return now to these cities so they can strengthen the disciples.

The passage is Acts 14:21. They preached the good news in that city and won a large number of disciples.

21b. 'Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium, Antioch strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith "We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God," they said.'

This is a strange advertisement for the Christian religion that Paul and Barnabas give to the new converts in these cities, converts who are very precious to them. In the country we live in with the pressure of marketing and trying to make everything look appealing and make it very gratifying to the senses, we would not hear very many ministers talk to there new converts the way the apostles did. "We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God." That sounds like a turnoff to me, something I would not want people to be thinking about, but it just so happens to be the truth. The word used there for hardship in the New International Version is a derivation of a word that means 'to break,' and it means previous affliction or distress. It actually comes out of another word, which is also the connotation of crush, press, and compress or squeeze. So this word, the experts tell us, refers to being in crushing circumstances and difficulties and hardships and Paul says that God has ordered things that we must go through these hardships to enter the kingdom of God.

The Bible tells us that Jesus said in John 16:33, "I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace, in this world you will have trouble but take heart I have overcome the world."

Romans 5:3 tells us "not only so but we also rejoice in our sufferings because we know that suffering produces perseverance."

So let’s summarize what God is trying to teach us here. There is no escape from hardships in the Christian life. They come in different forms and shapes and sizes, but the realty of spiritual warfare and living for Jesus Christ in a hostile spiritual environment is that you and I will go through difficult moments but the Lord has promised never to leave us nor forsake us. He has overcome the world and he wants us to rejoice in that fact, even though in the world we will have trouble.