More Taking a Hike!

Psalm 34:11 - "Come, children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord."

Yesterday, I went on a hike with my middle Granddaughter, and today I went on a hike with my wife, Linda, and my youngest granddaughter - Annabelle.

When we went out on the trail, I was a little leery that her little 3-year-old legs would give out on us. Boy, was I wrong. She kept us going the entire time we were out there. 

What a wonder she found all along the pathway. It seemed every stick, every stone, every pile of dirt or leaves became a fascination to her. It was enjoyable to Linda and me to watch her facial expressions of wonder and excitement. I thought about how much we take for granted in God's Creation around us. When was the last time that you looked, dug, and enjoyed a pile of dirt on the side of a trail? When did you last stop and listen with great wonder to the song of a bird? When did you last squeal with delight as you looked over a bridge at the water below?

As I watched her, I couldn't help but wonder if this is what Jesus meant in Matthew 18:3 when He said, "I promise you this. If you don’t change and become like a child, you will never get into the kingdom of heaven." Do we miss much of what God has for us because we have "grown up?" Are we losing the wonder and majesty of Creation and our Heavenly Father because we don't stop to examine the twigs and leaves and piles of dirt along the way?

Has life become so structured and rigid that we can't see God in the midst of it all? We are challenged by God to teach our children the fear of the Lord in Psalm 34, but maybe Jesus wants us to remember to learn about God as little children do. Let us consider the joy that they have in their Father's world, and seek a little of that for ourselves today.

Prayer: Spirit, teach me to look at life through the eyes and trust of a little child. May I see the joy and wonder of the world You spoke into existence. May I rest in the assurance of my Father's love. May I seek to discover more about my Father through the marvelous Creation He has given to me to study. As Paul reminds us in Romans 1, all Creation displays God. The Psalmist declares it in Psalm 19, and maybe, just maybe, it takes a little child to draw me back to You. Thank You, Jesus, for all that You have provided. In His name, I pray, Amen.