Matthew 18:1-14 KJV
1 At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?
2 And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them,
3 And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
4 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
5 And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me.
6 But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.
7 Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!
8 Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire.
9 And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire.
10 Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.
11 For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.
12 How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray?
13 And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray.
14 Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.

Sin is one topic many do not like to talk about, or even rationalize about in regards of needing repentance or change. We like what we do and see nothing wrong with our actions, until it comes to harm or hurt someone we care about. A child see a parent in the act of adultery is seldom cheering them on. A child seeing the lies of their parents loose confidence in their parents authority. A child seeing things they told they not old enough to do wonder why they not old enough, until their parents out of control with alcohol and beats or abuses them in someway. A cigarette left unguarded cause the child house to be burned down. Drugs that are abuse by adult that passes out are unable to drive the child to meet their friend at the mall or even cook a home cooked meal. Seldom do children understand but they know what harm these actions can do and how it effects them.

If we talk about the harm of child, a parent accidently leaves a child at school has a hard time making that one up to their child. It is the simple things a child can understand and forgive more readily but sometimes not. Children are often more forgiving then adults because adults have learn the importance of things and the cost of a deadline to make. An adult that continues to hurt a child is taking for grant the love of a child. Failing to show a child his importance is casting him out to the wolves of the world that make him to feel loved but then turn around to only abuse him later. I watched a video where a lion laid down with a fawn. It took care of the fawn as if it was its own. When the deer grew up it became lunch for that same lion. Farmers do the same thing to their animals, they tend to them and care for them until the animals are fattened up and then they haul them to the butcher or butcher them theirselves.

Jesus talks about the harming of children, why because He desires all children to come to him. He came to save the lost children, the ones that abused, neglected and maimed. He came seeking his own but also in search of the ones in need of him. The ones to lift a child up, save him and put him in the sheep fold where he can be protected. When coming to God you must come with the innocents of a childlike faith. One can not enter into heaven without child like faith. How many children went to the fires of Asthrothe not understanding their death was taking their soul to another place(during Solomon time). They went to the fire with childlike faith of believing their mother and their priest not understanding that their parents had no love for them. Innocents of a child is seen as adult leads a child into danger, trusting the adult. If we lead our children to Jesus, he going to protect them. How many in gun shooting have had to learn how to cover themselves in their friends blood to survive, or stand in the gap between others to get others to safety, even using Jesus as their shield for a few seconds before getting shot. The innocents of a child to not realize Jesus protection is of the soul, not always the body.

If we going to train our children teach them wisdom to learn to protect themselves and sometimes others when they can not get out of harms way. Fire departments teach the school children to drop and roll and schools teach their kids to get out of the school in case of fire, when a fire alarm is sounded. In tornado areas, children learn how to duck in the halls of their schools and even locations of hopeful protection. During the atomic bomb age as fear of war broke loose, kids were taught to duck under their desk. Pandemic hits kids are taught not to go to school but go online and take a class and when back to school they learned to wear a mask. Children learn about all types of safety including fire arms. Does anyone teach a child why to shoot, why to bear arms? Of course the government classes are failing in those history lessons of why bear arms.

Are we teaching what will save the soul of a child, protect a child in danger by heeding and obeying the Spirit of God, because of sin. Are we setting the example as adults about salvation, about hope, about love and about faith. Are we training a child in the way he should go. And are we coming to Christ as innocent as a child, not fearing the wrath that meant for the world of sin, for the world that we are being saved from into eternity upon salvation.

Our children begin to loose their innocent from the time they are born, when the mother fails to hear the infant cry for milk or a diaper change, because of exhaustion and need for sleep. The child grows up learn they demands are not always meet, their need is not always fulfilled on their time table. As a child of God we can guarantee two things, our eternity is through Christ along with our hope and that God is never going to leave or forsake us all the days of our earthly and eternal life. He did not promise we would not have to face hardship but he could prepare us for it, and take us through it.

He promised us he offering us the keys to the kingdom through Jesus and yet do we take Jesus on faith that he is the only way mankind can be saved? It child like faith to do so. God desires us to believe him at his word and to take him at his word. Jesus came to seek the lost. Jesus wants to be the way maker in the life of the lost, the map maker in the direction of one's life ought to go in. Give the desire to seek his direction and pathway that is not our own. He wants to love us where we are even in the depth of our sin. He wants to remove that sin from our life. Jesus came because of the world of sin. Because man love sin more then God. Jesus came to show the difference a day with him made. He came seeking the lost from those hurt from religions that knew not God and religious people that set the bar or standard not of repentance but a bar of how perfect you need to be to know God. In fact your perfection does not make you any closer to God then a sinner in the need of faith and grace. God's grace is greater then all work you can do to say you are a good person.

Dear Heavenly Father, help us to come innocent as child to your saving grace not of works but of faith in you, knowing you forgive us all of our shortcomings and imperfection and attitude of perfection. In Jesus precious name, Amen.

Continual Scripture Study: Luke 15:10 KJV
10 Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.