Sunday Devotions- Locked in by Sin

The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. He then brought them out and asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"


The other night at bedtime Yip and Yap and I were reading our nightly Bible story (Paul & Silas freed from prison by an earthquake - Acts 16) when our version mentioned "being saved".

This prompted a conversation between the three of us about what it means to be saved (asking Christ to come into our hearts) and who it is that does the saving (God and Jesus) and what are they saving us from (our sins). Yip piped up and put it this way;

"The devil takes our sins and locks em' into our heart with a BIG lock. Then God puts on his invisibility cloak (remember Potterheads) and he comes inside us and opens up the lock and sends our sins away."

"Okay," I asked, "how does God know we have sins in our heart we need help getting rid of?" 

Yap quickly answered, "We have to ask him to save us from our sins!" 

Right then and there both boys asked God to forgive their sins and take them away from their hearts. I just about cried I was so touched by their innocence and trust in Him. 

The older my boys get I find more instances when they teach me by their example. The older my boys become the more I come to truly understand when Jesus said, "Come to me as a little child." My kids know that if they ask me for something they truly need, like food, I won't deny them. (New toys are something else however.) And when Yip and Yap prayed for forgiveness they truly expected God to do as they asked of him. No self conciousness, no doubts, just total trust.  

I'm not sure if I have the kind of relationship with God yet that my boys have. I can think of many times when I prayed with the thoughts in the back of my mind that God wasn't really going to answer this prayer for me. Doubts, fears, second thoughts.....all things that have kept me from totally trusting in God and asking for His grace. When Yip and Yap prayed for forgiveness they didn't question their request or belittle themselves saying they weren't worthy. They asked and then went on with their nightly routine. They had put their sins in God's hands and then forgot about them.

Dear God, Thank You for the voices of children. Thank you for reminding us to give all of our burdens to You without a second thought, as a child. Thank You so very much for Your grace which is free to all those who will simply ask for it. Amen.