What are some of the characteristic of a child-like heart that makes God’s word (His Light) shine through them?
1)They understand and utilise the mystery of prayer.
-Matthew 21:15; But when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and the children crying out in the temple and saying, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant
– the children crying out denotes prayer. Prayer is one key that helps unlock the mysteries in God’s word. Prayer help to unfold the wonderful things in God’s word
– In Luke 6:12-19; we are told Jesus the human embodiment of God’s word had to pray all night, so the following morning, he healed the multitude of sick and demonically possessed that were brought to Him because power came out from Him (the word of God
-Prayer is therefore needed to release power to come out from God’s word.
–Another dimension of prayer that believers don’t understand is this, that prayer releases discernment & understanding of God’s word (Proverbs 2:3; Yes, if you cry out for discernment, And lift up your voice for understanding,). You see if you have no discernment & understanding of God’s word it will not work for you. So, you could have been reading your bible for years but no change in your life because you have no understanding and discernment of God’s word and it is prayer for understanding & discernment for God’s word that opens up the mysteries of God’s word in your mind and when that happens your life cannot be the same because you will have been touched by the grace of God’s word.
2) They know that praise & worship in truth & Spirit will cause the word of God to light up their lives. Matthew 21: 16, They asked Jesus, “Do you hear what these children are saying?” “Yes,” Jesus replied. “Haven’t you ever read the Scriptures? For they say, ‘You have taught children and infants to give you praise.
–You see praise activates the warfare dimension of God’s word (if you read Psalm 149 which deals on praising God by the time you get to verse 6 to the end it teaches you that your praise becomes a double-edged sword in God’s hands to execute vengeance on anything or anyone troubling you.)
-So as you are praising God for His word that says I will not die, God comes with fire in His eyes and says you spirit of sickness leave now, as you are busy praising God for His word that says those that trust in the Lord will lack no good thing, God comes with His sword and says poverty of your father’s house, depart now, increase come now
-You see only those with a child-like heart can praise God for His word. You really don’t need music to praise God, though it helps but you can praise God for His word without music for hours and you will find that by the following day God will visit you.
3) They have an intimate relationship with God. 1st John 2:13b; I write to you, little children, Because you have known the Father.
The price of intimacy with God, is the price to know God by His word. People with a child-like heart are willing to pay the price to know God.
Dan 11:32; says But the people that do know their God shall be strong & do exploit
-the word know does not just mean an awareness of God. Just because someone is aware of God does not mean they know Him. I am aware that Sunak is the prime minister of UK, does that mean I know him? No!
Also your level of intimacy with God is a reflection of how much God’s word you really know and hence the results you get.
-Many believers know God can give and blesses stupendously. And all they want is the God that gives & blesses but are not really interested in paying the price of intimacy with Him to know the mysteries of God by His word.
-Some believers hang around activities that relate to God but do not know God by His word. And yes, God will choose to bless them, because God is wonderful employer, you cannot work for Him (in His vineyard) and not bless you but they only know His hand, not his face, they only know His signs and not His word and that is why they are pegged at that level of blessing.
-You see there are levels of results that can only come from deep revelation of God’s word; for deep calleth unto deep.
-The mystery of knowing God is this, “your claim to know God is dependent on the honour you give Him”. (Romans 1:21a; For although they knew God, they did not honour him as God or give thanks to him…)
-So how can you claim you know God but don’t honour Him? How can you claim you know God but you don’t honour His word.
-It doesn’t matter that you are a pastor, or an usher in the church if you are not honouring God, if you are not honouring His word, you don’t know God, you may have an awareness of God and so do not be surprised as a believer if your life is devoid of strength and exploits.
In Matthew 7:21-23; Jesus taught us that one of the ways we honour God is to do His will
-Jesus said that is not everyone that says to Him Lord, Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven but only those that does the will of the Father.
-So you may be calling Jesus as your Lord but that is not enough to claim you really know God but you must do His will to claim you know Him.
-You honour God by doing His will which is His word. When you do His word, God is obligated to ensure that His word becomes fruitful for you (read Genesis 28)
– I want to charge someone here to move from the level of awareness of God to begin to honour God through His word and watch the kind of incredible results that God will give you.
– (In that verse in Romans, Paul says we know God when we are able to thank Him)
And although I have focused on honouring God’s word as an index of you knowing God but I cannot ignore that Paul also included in that verse that those who do not understand the mystery of giving God thanks do not really know God.
-A believer who is thankless before God or has a mindset of ingratitude to God does not know God.
-They are the ones that don’t see the need to thank God for having food to eat because in their mind it is not a big enough miracle compared to buying a house forgetting that a man that can thank God for something as little the food he eats is a man who knows that even the ability to eat and the food he is eating is a grace from God, such a man will certainly operate in higher dimensions of God’s grace.
-Therefore, let me summarise here by saying this, if you claim that you know God, that you have an intimate relationship with God, ask yourself two questions? Do I honour God? Do I engage in a daily life-style of giving Him thanks? It is only when the Holy-Spirit has helped you examine your heart on those two areas can you gauge how truly intimate you are with God and His word.
4) Only believers with the heart of a child are led by the Holy-Spirit. Romans 8:14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.
-Notice that the verse did not say those who are led by the Spirit of God are the men of God but the noun that God used was “children”.
-It is only those with a child-like heart and attitude to the kingdom of God, are the ones that can be led by the Spirit of God.
–You see the heart of a child up to a certain age understands complete submission.
-In child development from 6 months which is the age most babies sit unaided, leave that child there, when you come back, the baby is still sitting there waiting for you because they completely depend you at that age but from 7 months which is when they start crawling, you dare not leave them alone because they are now becoming less dependent on you at least for movement.
– And many of us are like that 7 months old child that feels they will depend on God for some things but for other things we will rely on our wisdom or man. But God is saying I want you to be like that 6-month-old child that is completely submitted and dependent on Him
-If you are not totally submitted to God’s word, then the level of results you will get from God’s word will reflect the level of your submission to Him
5) Their lifestyle reflects Light. Ephesians 5:8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light.
Again notice that the verse did not say live as men of light or women of light but children of light. It is only believers with a child-like heart that can carry that light. It is only those that are child-like at heart are the ones that the light of God will light up for the world to see His glory.
-(Live as children of light). Meaning there is a life-style, a mindset that reflects the light of God’s word. Children of light will not beat up their spouse. Children of light will not steal church funds. Children of light will not use their mouth to destroy people. Children of light will not sleep around and then say am only human!
-They are committed to living at the standard required by God. James 1:20; for the [resentful, deep-seated] anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God [that standard of behaviour which He requires from us]. AMP
I know some believers don’t like to hear this because of how some pastors have perverted the doctrine of grace and holiness.
– from that verse we just read there is a standard behaviour God expects from you if you claim to be children of light.
-The professional world understands this. As doctors in UK, you have to practice according to the professional standards set by the GMC and if you as a doctor is found to be operating below that standard you either suspended or struck off from the GMC register.
– So earthly professional bodies such as GMC, NMC, The law society, institute of chartered accountants, CIPD and so on all have a set of standard behaviours they expect from their members, then how much more God Almighty who controls heaven & earth.
-You cannot claim to be a child of light and yet you live like a child of darkness and yet you want God’s word to work for you.
As you embrace and do His word, He will make you shine like a radiant star in this perverse world. May God continually cause His Face to shine upon you and all aspects of your life in Jesus Name. God bless you.
Prayer: By the Grace of God, whether the enemy likes it or not, I will shine on earth by His power and presence upon my life in Jesus Name.
