When I was a child, I wasn’t taught about God. My grandmother did give my brothers and me a beautiful picture bible when I was very young. But no one talked about God and we didn’t go to church. Still, somehow, I knew that God was there. I knew He was real. And I remember being about 5-years-old and praying to Him. I didn’t pray because anyone had taught me to. But I think we, as children, just believe. We know that there is a God and we believe.

It’s funny because we teach our children about Santa and, for a while, they believe. We teach our children about the Easter Bunny and the tooth fairy and, for a while, they believe. Yet, children like myself are not taught about God and yet we believe. But God tells us in His word that children have greater faith than adults. He tells us that we need that faith if we desire a relationship with Him and if we desire to ever see His Kingdom in Heaven.

“And he said: truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”. Matthew 18:3.

I regret that I did not teach my children to have a relationship with Him when they were younger. But I am so incredibly grateful that God revealed Himself to them without me. And, not only do they have relationships with Him, but they are raising their children to love Him too, just like scripture tells them to.

“You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way and when you lie down, and when you rise up.” Deuteronomy 6:5-7.

When our oldest son was about to have his first child, he asked me if we (he and I) could paint on the walls of the baby’s nursery. I agreed and I painted a small mouse peaking out of her hole. And He painted a rabbit on the door. We painted a number of various animals throughout the baby’s room. All from various books that our son and I had read together. Then, above the crib, I painted two very large hands. They were painted in such a way that it would appear that they were placing the baby in the crib.

Those hands were the hands of God and they DID place that baby in the crib and into our lives.

Our grandson was born and has happily occupied his nursery for 3+ years.

But our grandson was born with respiratory issues. So, our son and his family (we have a beautiful granddaughter now too :-), have attended church very little since Covid. Needless to say, as grandparents, we have been a little concerned about our grandchildren and their future faith.

Recently, however, God reminded me that He loves our grandchildren more than we do. And He reminded me that children believe.

A couple of nights ago, I received three beautiful pictures from our son. Each one was of our grandson, putting his hand on top of the painted hands, as he attempted to hold the hand of God. He knows whose hands those represent. And he believes. He already knows that God loves him and wants to hold his hand in this life.

“For I am the LORD your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.” Isaiah 41:13.

Children do not come out of the womb believing in Santa, the Easter Bunny, or the tooth fairy. Those are fairy tales that we teach them. But there is no explanation (apart from the truth of God’s word) when children who have never been taught believe in God.

Yes, children believe without being taught. But we often cause them to doubt by our own rejection of God. And then they become
“unbelieving” adults. Unbelieving is in quotes because we ALL know that there is a God. His word tells us that He WILL reveal Himself to everyone.

“For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God” Romans 1:20 (NLT).

We know that there is a God. We lie to ourselves and others and reject God because we want to be lords of our own lives. And we cause our children to doubt.

But they need Him. They will go places that we cannot. They will experience things we cannot help them with. And we won’t be with them throughout their whole lives.

There is nothing that our children will experience that God can’t help with though. There is nowhere that they can go that He won’t be. He will be with them all the days of their lives. And, if they do grow to be adults who love Him with their whole hearts, He will be with them for all of eternity. Because they will be in Heaven for all of eternity, with Him, once they leave this life. So, why wouldn’t we teach them to love Him? Why wouldn’t we tell them about His incredible love for them? And why on earth would we create doubts for them when children already believe?

Because children believe, shouldn’t we encourage and nourish that belief?

And, perhaps while we are nourishing their belief, we should determine where our own faith really lies.

Do we believe?

Or do we just say that we believe? “And so the Lord says, “these people say they are mine. They honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. And their worship of me is nothing but man-made rules they have been taught.” Isaiah 29:13.

Do we lie to ourselves and others and say there is no God? The scripture says that anyone like that is like the antichrist himself. “And who is a liar? Anyone who says that Jesus is not the Christ. Anyone who denies the Father and the Son is an antichrist.” 1 John 2:22.

Our eternal lives depend on knowing the truth. Examine yourselves to see if your faith is genuine. Test yourselves. Surely you know that Jesus Christ is among you; if not, you have failed the test of genuine faith.

So, which is it? Are you like the antichrist himself, lying to yourself and everyone else that you don’t believe? Are you saying that you believe with your mouth, but not with your heart? Or do you (like children) believe? These are the most important questions you will ever ask yourself. It is time to ask and if you cannot say that you do believe, please reach out to me. Let’s get that fixed today!

Father God, we praise you that you love us so much that you would reveal yourself to us, even as children. Thank you that you loved us this way, long before we were even born. Give us hearts that desire — and the ability — to love others the way that you do. Help us to reveal you to those around us who do not know you, Father. And help us to have faith like children, help us to believe. Thank you for your sacrifice, Jesus. That sacrifice that allows us to be forgiven by, reconciled to, and pronounced children of God.

Have you asked yourself the questions that we talked about and been unable to say, “I DO believe”? Today is the day to change that. Please go to our Life Preserver page (https://forgiven-n-loved.com/life-preserver/) and pray the prayer that you find there. This is a prayer of repentance and when we pray a prayer like this (from the bottom of our hearts) God is faithful to forgive us, reconcile us to Himself, and adopt us into His family. Please pray that prayer. Once you have, reach out to me at admin@Forgiven-N-Loved.com and let me know. I’d love to be in prayer with and for you. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I’d love to help you explore your faith!

Luv ya!