Have you ever watched a child experience something for the first time? Think of the way their face lights up. That initial light is inevitably followed by a smile, maybe even laughter. Childlike awe is so precious and infectious; it makes you want to smile and laugh right along with them. It’s amazing to us how children keep that awe even with things they get to see over and over again.
Jesus said that if we want to enter the kingdom of heaven we must be like little children. Could He mean that we should approach God with humble, childlike awe? One of the things that brings joy to our daughters is spotting a rainbow. We search the sky to see who can point it out to everyone. You can see their faces light up when they spot it. Joy is that rainbow after the storm.
We all go through storms in our lives. With God, we can endure those storms and look forward to the rainbow that He has promised us. It is because of the great joy that was ahead of him that Jesus suffered the shame and endured the cross. (Hebrews 12:2) We can look to Jesus as our example as we eagerly wait for the Joy that is to come. Jesus teaches us in John 15:9-11 that if we remain in his love and follow his teaching, we will be filled with His joy and our joy will overflow! What can be better than that?
When we have the overflowing joy that comes from Jesus conquering death and giving us the hope of eternal life, no circumstance can steal that joy away from us because it is based on an unchanging promise. Join us as we focus on living with joy and approaching each day with childlike awe for all God is doing.