“Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea.” (Mark 9:42)
Once again, I can give testimony to two things. First, I can share what God spoke to me about today as a distinctive lesson from his word.
Second, I can emphasize how God continually speaks in the most personal ways through his word so we know what he is saying about things we are facing, we can identify what he is doing, and we can recognize how to join him in his work.
One thing I often share with people is that our time with God should begin by fessing up about how we are doing. When we make a habit of acting like the child who is coming to our Father in heaven for parental attachment, we can tell him what’s up with us and then watch to see and hear how he will address those things when we open his word.
Today this came together as I was lamenting to God the loss of some Little Ones who were turned away from Jesus. It’s one of those special days that hurt more than others. I expressed my grief at what was done to me in my personal loss, but I poured out my heart in mourning what was done to the children by convincing them that Jesus could not be trusted.
The above text was what I came to next. It was just there. I can honestly say I hadn’t seen it coming. But it clearly told me how God views the situation no matter what I see happening.
The point for me is that God’s specific word this morning is to assure me that justice is in his hands. Whatever he does with such things is scary. Jesus deliberately used a terrifying image to assure us that his judgment against people who cause the Little Ones to sin is far worse than his illustration.
This took me to a picture that is described in even greater detail as the horrible judgment on people who turn away and do harm to the Little Ones.
For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? For we know him who said, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge his people.” It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. (Hebrews 10:26-31)
This is what God spoke to me about this morning. It’s clearly just what I needed to hear today. The specific word encourages me to leave justice in God’s hands. And the personal application to my heartache and grief this morning affirms how real and personal God is to speak to his child through his word every day of my life.
Since yesterday’s word was so clearly about how receiving the Little Ones into the company of our hearts assures us that we are receiving the Triune God at the same time, it is easy to see how to examine our hearts to clear up any ways we may have caused Little Ones to stumble, to bring to God any wounds of how Big Ones have caused us to sin when we really didn’t want to, and to be completely honest with our Savior about opening our hearts to him and his Little Ones in whatever ways we have opportunity today.
It IS a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God when we are causing Little Ones to stumble. But it is a return-to-joy thing when we receive the living God into our fellowship as we receive the Little Ones he sends our way.
© 2024 Monte Vigh ~ Box 517, Merritt, BC, V1K 1B8
Email: in2freedom@gmail.com
Unless otherwise noted, Scriptures are from the English Standard Version (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.)
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