People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.’ And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them.

Mark 10:13-16

With a big smile on her face, my daughter came running up to me, shouting, “Mommy! Mommy! May I make a care package for the mailman?” I was so pleased with her eagerness to show love, that, of course, I said, “Yes!”. She disappeared and came back about an hour later. She had made the care package of all care packages. A decorated brown paper bag filled with candy and pictures and books and a whole lot of Jesus. As I looked through the bag, I wondered if it was too much Jesus. I’m ashamed to admit it, but I almost didn’t let my sweet little disciple of a daughter actually put this kind gesture in the mailbox. I was afraid that it might be “too much”.

What would have happened to my daughter’s kind, Jesus-sharing spirt, had I told her that maybe we should tone the care package down a little bit? Knowing my daughter, I can tell you, that she would have thought she had done something wrong and that joyful little light of hers would have dimmed just a tiny bit.

“Do not hinder them…” This Bible verse kept ringing loudly in my ear.

While the care package may have been too much for my jaded heart, isn’t that kind of eagerness to share the love of Jesus something that I should want from my child? Something that I should be joyful of? Thankful about? Even imitating in my own life?

“Do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” Vs.15

There you have it. Do not hinder them. Do not teach them to live their faith and then limit how they do it.

We can learn a lot from the littlest of his disciples.

So, when a child sings a hymn in church a little off beat or a little louder than the veteran members, enjoy it.

When a child boldly belts out “Jesus Loves Me” in the grocery store, smile at your fellow shoppers.

Encourage their boldness. They love the Lord! Praise God!

Their excitement to learn about and then share the love of Jesus is an answer to our prayer for them. They’re living out their faith! “Do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” Vs. 15 Amen!

Prayer:

Dear Jesus, forgive me when I am a hinderance to my students. Help me to see their childlike faith as a blessing and echo it in my own life. Amen.

A Question to Consider:

What are some “out-of-the-box” ways that your students can spread their love of Jesus with others? Connect with other educators to gather a variety of ways to spread the gospel.

Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all.” He took a little child and had him stand among them. Taking him in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.”

Mark 9:35-37

Line leader! It’s a big deal! No matter what system you use in your classroom, it’s a big deal. Most children watch and wait with eager anticipation for their day to be first in line. They may walk a bit taller and have a little more confidence in their step.

For most of us, we have a similar desire. We may not be looking to be a line leader, but we want to be recognized as someone who has gifts that stand out. We want to have a status that identifies us as important. If we’re being honest, we’d like it to be understood that we are more important/gifted/talented than others around us.

As so often is the case in Scripture, the Lord turns this on end and flips this idea around completely! In today’s reading, the disciples are travelling with Jesus. Jesus notices that an argument has taken place. While he, as God, knew what was going on, he asked them to share what it was that caused the argument. Silence. A silence coming from embarrassment. They were arguing about who was the greatest of the disciples. Here they were, alongside the King of Kings, the creator of all, and they were arguing about who of them was the greatest. Jesus’ response was to the point for them and for us. The greatest, is the one who is a servant, the one who puts others before self. To illustrate his point, he held a small child in his arms and shared that those who welcome a young child, welcome him and ultimately God the Father.

I can only imagine the thoughts of the disciples as they listened to Jesus. His response makes no sense in their world or in ours if one is thinking purely worldly. Servant? Who aspires to that? Last? How embarrassing! And then we consider Jesus, his acts of service, his sacrificial heart for everyone from the youngest child to the wealthy man trying to understand how to get to heaven.

When we consider and reflect on Jesus’ life of sacrifice, we are moved by faith to respond in kind with acts of kindness for others. No role is beneath us, but each role is a joy and privilege. Are you a teacher, director, leader, classroom aide, administrative assistant, classroom volunteer, the one who keeps the building clean? Motivated by love for our Savior, each role provides an opportunity to serve others, to give sacrificially, to reflect Christ’s love for us to those around us. Think about what you do each day. As you comfort a child, you are the loving arms that reflect Jesus. As you hold the hands of the struggling new walker, your words of encouragement help motivate that child to keep going. As a child conquers a task or learns a new concept, you are the guide, the teacher, the cheerleader to encourage them. As you share a Bible story and God’s message of grace and forgiveness with the children or with each other, you are sharing the most precious lesson one could, the one about God’s gift of salvation, mercy, grace, and love for all.

Line leader? It’s still a great thing! But servant…now that’s something to consider. As our Savior Jesus showed us, we look for opportunities to serve others out of faith and gratitude to him.

Prayer: Dear Jesus, accept my humble acts of service to others and motivate me to serve with joy and gratitude for you and because of you. In your name I pray this. Amen

A Question to Consider: Over the next few days, look for ways that you can show acts of kindness in service to someone else, even if they are unaware that you are doing so. Pray that the Lord gives you a humble heart in your service to others.

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.

James 1:17-18

I struggle with gift giving. I’ll admit it. I really don’t like giving a gift just for the sake of giving a gift. I want it to be meaningful, personal, and clearly one that touches the receiver in some way. That’s a lot of pressure. I have never given the perfect gift. I’ve been excited about giving some, but none perfect. I recently took up knitting after many years of silent needles. I worked for months on a simple afghan for my mother. While she was truly touched, I could easily spot the errors in my work.

We have the perfect gift giver, our dear heavenly Father. He has given us many gifts, the greatest of all being his grace and mercy through his son, Jesus as our Savior. You and I could sit together and make an endless list of the gifts we have received from God. We would likely include our family, friends, food each day, clean water to drink, our church, the beauty of nature, our ability to learn and grow, our health, healthcare workers when our health fails, and on and on. These treasures and so much more come from God who is faithful and constant and full of grace. The passage reminds us that he does not change like a shadow that moves with the sun. That in itself, is a remarkable gift in this ever-changing world.

When we think of all that he has done, it might be easy to miss one incredibly significant gift—he chose to give us birth! Not just a physical birth, although that is amazing. Even more, he chose to give us a spiritual birth, through faith. Of all that he created, we are the crown of God’s creation. No mountain range, no breathtaking sunset, no spectacular animal comes close to his gift of faith to us, his ultimate creation. For you and I were chosen to be his people, his children, through faith in his son, Jesus. That gift is indescribable. That gift is worthy of our praise, of our thanks. With this gift, we know that we can trust him in each day, in every struggle and temptation. We can also reflect that love as we share his grace and mercy with others.

God’s gift to you, the gift of faith, of grace, of peace with him through Jesus—the perfect gift.

Prayer: Dear Father in heaven. For the gift of faith, for the gift of your grace, for your faithfulness, we thank you.  In Jesus’s name. Amen

A Question to Consider: Thank you notes seem to evolve over time. Today you may receive a handwritten note or a text. Consider creating a handwritten and designed thank you note for your Father in heaven for all that he has done for you. Put it in a place that can remind you of his gift of faith and grace for you.

Be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 5:18b-20

Isn’t it the best when you get to hear your students singing their hearts out to Jesus?  On the carpet during the day, in front of a beaming congregation, or a snippet here and there while riding the trike around the path outside, our kids’ singing brings joy to our hearts!

But have you ever had a day when a child just refused to sing?  You try all your tricks: ignore for a while to see if she comes around, cajole with a favorite, use a little reverse psychology, and still, nothing!

Have you ever felt the same as that child?  You just don’t feel like singing!  Maybe it’s the hymn itself. Maybe it’s the never-ending todo list that makes singing seem like a bit of a waste of time.  Or maybe there are significant concerns or challenges weighing on your heart that make singing seem a little ostentatious today.  Paul reveals the key to singing in our verses for today with three phrases: “filled with the Spirit,” “always giving thanks,” and “in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.”

“Filled with the Spirit.”  Last week, we remembered the Spirit’s work, the way in which he “seals us for the day of redemption.”  We remembered how the Spirit brings us into God’s family through water and the Word and then carries us with that Word to the last day.  Being filled with the Spirit frees us from getting stuck in the here and now and refocuses our hearts on eternity.

“Always giving thanks to God the Father.”  That word “always” can make these words into a pretty tall order. How in the world can we give thanks in the things that discourage us, even send us reeling?

“In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”  We take all of the things with which we struggle to the Lord in prayer, thanking God for his promises to bring eternal blessings to our lives, no matter what we face.  And we trust that God’s promises are true, because the biggest promise ever, that Jesus would take away the sins of the world, is true, proven so by his resurrection on Easter morning.

So, yes, despite whatever you are facing, sing!  In the classroom, take time to point out that singing is for all times: when we’re happy, but also when we’re feeling sad or disappointed, even when we’re facing a huge challenge.  Don’t be afraid to introduce your students to some songs about their Savior that aren’t just happy/clappy (and those absolutely have their place!), but those that also dive into the truths of what Jesus can bring us through, because of what he went through on the cross, for us.  In Jesus, in his name, sing!

Prayer: Dear Jesus, sometimes these words seem a bit much to our ears: “sing, in all things.”  Forgive us, Jesus, for the times when we’ve been so shortsighted that we can only see our immediate struggles and miss out on the long view of your promises.  With the news of what you’ve done for us ringing in our ears, help us to praise and thank you in all things and to lead our students to do the same.  In your name we pray this. Amen.

A Question to Consider: Which Christian psalms, hymns or songs are your go-to when you’re feeling happy about something?  What is your go-to for when you’re feeling sad or disappointed?  Consider sharing some of your favorites with fellow staff and using these or other simple songs for the different times your students may face as well.

You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

Ephesians 4:22-24

When I was little, I had a pop-up book of the story of “Dr. Doolittle.”  One of the pages inside featured a moving “push me pull you” llama, a creature with two heads, that could go in either direction by pulling a little tab.

God’s words through Paul in our verses today reminded me of that llama picture.  Doesn’t that picture sum up the life of a Christian well?  We know who we are through Jesus; as we read the Bible, we know more and more the ways in which we can show Christ’s love to others, yet our hearts remain just like that llama, with impulses pulling us in two different directions, the old and new self, at all times!

We read about love being patient and kind and long to emulate that, but an hour into our day a parent makes a comment and our blood boils!  We know that discontent has no place in our hearts, but at naptime, we strike up the old conversation about how our director or our school board doesn’t really care about us and doesn’t understand what it’s like to be on the front lines of the work we’re doing.  This can happen so easily and so regularly that we fail to even recognize it!  God is clear; these corrupt words, actions, and attitudes have no place in our hearts.  Quite likely after the fact, we are washed once again in a torrent of guilt.  What can we do?

Instead of asking, “What can we do?” we turn instead to God’s Word and recount the story of what Jesus did, for us.  When we were unable to put off our old selves, filled with all manner of vileness, wickedness, and sin, God took those old selves and placed them squarely on the back of his one and only Son.  Jesus bore the agony of wearing the sins of the entire world!  Then, God took his Son’s “true righteousness and holiness” and gave that to us, not to just show up every once in a while, but to be the very essence of who we now are as forgiven sinners.

Thanks be to God!  By ourselves, we have no power to put off whatever corrupt desire our heart is taunting us with this day, but in Jesus, we cling to the knowledge that we are righteous and holy.  With the Spirit’s help, we strive to live as our new selves as we interact with all those around us, pulled not in two directions, but headed, for Jesus’ sake, in the one direction of heaven.

Prayer: Dear Jesus, forgive us for the many times our thoughts, words, and actions have aligned with our former way of life, with our old selves, instead of with the new self you created in us.  Be with us as we fight this battle each and every day.  Comfort us with your forgiveness when we fail, and drive us ever more with your promises to live as the new selves we actually are, through you. In your name we pray this. Amen.

A Question to Consider: Think privately about one “old self” sin that continues to rear its head in your life.  What are some Scripture passages you can remember to encourage you in your walk of faith each day and to comfort your heart when you fail?

Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.

Ephesians 2:19, 20

Belonging. We all ache for it, don’t we? Think back to yourself as a freshman in high school, stepping into that gigantic cafeteria for the first time. Whom would you sit by?  Would anyone notice you?  Those brief moments before a friend called out your name were agony!  Belonging is something we all crave. We long to be accepted, to be part of something!

The Ephesian Christians in our Scripture verses had been wrestling with figuring out a sense of belonging, too.  Their church was made up of people from different backgrounds, some Jews and others Gentiles (non-Jews).  For thousands of years, the Jews had special status because God had promised to send a Savior through them.  In this letter to the Ephesian Christians, Paul reassures Jews and Gentiles alike that they do indeed belong, not because of anything they had done or because of who they were on their own, but because of what Jesus had done and who they were in him!   These Ephesian Christians were “built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.” God wanted them to know that there was one thing, and one thing only, that made them truly belong: their connection to Jesus.

That connection to Jesus is the same thing that gives you and me that ultimate sense of belonging.  In Jesus, we are part of God’s household, his family.  Jesus left his home in heaven and became a foreigner, a stranger here on earth, for us!  He kept every word of the prophets that had been spoken about him, and finally gave his life for the sins of the world.  Now, on Jesus’ work for us as the cornerstone, God is building his family, stone by stone, brick by brick.  You, too, are part of that building because of what Jesus has done.

What reassuring words these are!  Our belonging isn’t based on what we bring to the table or don’t, but on the grace found in Jesus. So whether we feel too young and inexperienced, too old and out of touch, or somewhere in between, we stand in God’s family because of the grace of Jesus. Whether our place of service is exactly what we pictured or far from it, we can rest as part of his family and trust we are exactly where God wants us, in a place where we can use our gifts to bring him glory. As we work to share with children the awesome news that they are part of Jesus’ family, we get to remember that this same message is true for us, too. In Jesus, we belong!

Prayer: Dear Jesus, thank you for making me a part of your family, your building, because of your death on the cross.  Forgive me for the times when I have wallowed in self-pity, thinking only of how I don’t belong in a given place or circumstance.  In those moments, turn my eyes to you and remind me of how I am built on you, the chief cornerstone.  Through your blood, I belong in your family!  Thank you, Jesus!  Amen.

A Question to Consider: How does knowing you have ultimate heavenly belonging in Jesus help you to work as part of a team here on earth?

But [the Lord] said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10

“Little ones to him belong, they are weak but he is strong.” This line comes from “Jesus Loves Me” a popular children’s song for many churches and religious early childhood ministries. When we sing of “little ones,” we often think of children and babies. But we are the “little ones” too! We are weak, and Jesus is strong.

Before Adam and Eve sinned, how different things must have been! There was no pain, no sadness, and no weakness. After they disobeyed God, sin entered the world and mankind became very weak. We were also born into this sin and it is as if we, too, were with them in the garden that day. Although we try to read and obey God’s Word, we fall short. Every. Single. Day.

The world says that we are strong when we have power. The world says that we are strong when we have power in our jobs, over our finances, power in the community, and even power over other people. Not so! Christians struggle against this idea, knowing that it is God that makes us strong. Our sinful nature, our constant wrongdoing, our inability to be perfect—these show just how weak we are even if the world sees us as powerful. When we are weak, we go to our God for comfort, and then it is God who strengthens us. God’s power is much bigger than our weaknesses.

So what does God want us to do? He wants us to come to HIM for strength, not ourselves, not the world. He wants us to trust that HE has the power, that his grace—undeserved love, won for us through the blood of Jesus—is all we need.

How do we go to God? God wants us to pray to him. When we are weak, we pray to God and ask him to help us through our trouble. We ask him to help us resist temptations of the world. God always hears when we pray.

We also go to God by reading his Word, the Bible. We study his Word in church, with other believers, with our families, and also privately. Failure to stay connected to Jesus through his Word is like starving ourselves spiritually. Every time we read the Bible, God speaks to us and strengthens us.

We are strong in Christ. We were weak—but Christ makes us strong! By praying to God and reading the Bible we can be strong IN Christ, and then we can be strong FOR Christ. How thankful we are that God makes us strong through the work of Jesus! We can be at peace knowing that the work of Jesus and his love for us will carry us through this life until we see him again in heaven.

Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank you for the love you have freely given me. Thank you for strengthening me with your Word so that I can share that love and strength with others. Amen.

[Jesus] got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”

Mark 4:39-41

A kindergarten teacher ends each day of school saying to the class, “And remember! I love you, . . . your parents love you, . . . and Jesus loves you best of all.” Think of how much love parents have for their children, and yet Jesus loves the children even more! Jesus cares about the birds of the air and the flowers of the field, but he loves US, the people he redeemed, best of all. We can feel at peace knowing that he loves us and wants the best for us.

This was a lesson that Jesus taught the disciples that day when he suggested that they go to the other side of the lake. He suggested this trip to the disciples, who were experienced fishermen. And, as experienced fishermen, they also knew that the surrounding hills made storms common on this lake. But it seems this storm was different. This storm rattled the disciples to the core, so much that they feared for their lives.

Where was Jesus? Asleep! “Didn’t he care if they drowned?” the disciples asked. And then Jesus showed them, once again, that he is truly God. He calmed the storm by using the same two things that God used at the time of creation—his power and his words. It was completely calm immediately! Usually a storm will subside slowly, perhaps the thunder and lightning easing up first, then the wind and rain dying down to a sprinkle and slow breeze. But when Jesus said the words, the “furious squall”, as the Bible describes it, was immediately and completely calm!

Did Jesus care if they drowned? Of course Jesus cared. Jesus loved them “best of all!” Jesus reminded them of this when he said, “Why are you afraid?” He made peace during the storm and gave them peace in their hearts.

When we have storms Jesus wants us to come to him. Sometimes our pride and arrogance get in the way and we think we can handle everything on our own. Sometimes we resent God for not stopping the “storms” that come into our lives, and sometimes we doubt that he can help us. Sometimes we forget that he does care, that he “loves us best of all.”

Why are we still afraid? Jesus loves us so much that he gave his life. He died for all people, and with his death he took away all our sins. He that has power over the wind and the waves has claimed us as his forever. We are his forever because of the life and death of Jesus, so we need not be afraid!
Everything in the world is in the hands of our God. Jesus had full control over the storm in the boat that day, and he has control over our storms of today. Everything in the world—then and now—is in control the of our heavenly Father. So have peace in your heart—Jesus loves you best of all!

Prayer:

Dear Jesus,
Sometimes I am afraid and forget to trust you with my whole heart. Thank you for giving me peace today knowing that you love me and died for me. May I carry that peace with me all the days of my life. Amen.

Surely I was sinful at birth,
sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb;
you taught me wisdom in that secret place.
Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

Psalm 51:5-7

One of the joys of opening up the pages of the Scriptures with someone who is not overly familiar with them, is when they come to the realization just how real-life these accounts are. I have lost count how many times I have heard an expression like this: “Pastor, these people, weren’t always so good, were they?” Or this one, with a bit of brutal honesty: “Pastor, I’m not any better than them, am I?”

Go ahead and read the context for Psalm 51, 2 Samuel chapters 11 and following. Go ahead and get angry what David did, a man “after the Lord’s heart” who’s life’s story would earn a TV-MA rating on Netflix. Go ahead and ask: “How could David???” in righteous indignation.

And when you’re done going down that road, with the Ten Commandments by your side, go ahead and ask, not how could David, but how could I?

Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me. (And with thanks to Professors Mark Paustian and Ken Cherney and Daniel Deutschlander, the latter of whom now rests from his labors!, for I think I heard it from all three at one point or another) The sin you are capable of, you have done.

Conceived in sin, our actions have given evidence of the fact. Surely I was sinful at birth…and David continues: A broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.

How could David? How could you? How could I?

How could God?!? This is God’s mercy on display: he does not despise your broken heart. He does not turn a deaf ear to your confession. He does not delight in the death of sinners. He rejoices in cleansing you; washing you; forgiving you!

Prayer:

Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Amen.

Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

John 3:14-16

The veteran parent—twinkle in her eye—says to a newbie teacher: “I’ll only believe half of what they tell me, if you promise to do the same.”

How many stories do you have to tell from another school year? A few likely bring tears and, I pray, many more bring a smile and a laugh.

And the story, the over-arching story, the one to fill your ears and your hearts this very day, is his story.

• It’s a story told first to a member of the Jewish ruling council. Nicodemus is his name. A man who came to Jesus at night—wondering and questioning.
• It’s a story told to you, a story of love undeserved, a story of love that seeks your best interest, a story of a gift, a story of love come down from heaven in the person of Jesus Christ, a story of the only-begotten Son, for you.
• It’s a story of life! It’s a story that says death (which you were born into, and which you see all around you) is not the end of your story.
• It’s a story of faith, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
• It’s a story of eternal life, a story that casts a beautiful shade on all the other stories that you hear; stories that you live; stories that you tell.

The Holy Trinity has brought you into the story: baptized in his name.

The Holy Trinity has given you a place to hear that story, again and again, and through that story, he loves you and strengthens you and gives you a new way to live.

If you find yourself this day looking back over months that could be characterized as “the best” or “the hardest”; if you find yourself this day gearing up for new blessings and new challenges that come with the summer months, how blessed you are:

• To be part of a world that God loved, and loves.
• To be the recipient of this beautiful good news: For God so loved the world that he gave…
• To be a child of eternal life.
• To be put in a place where those words again get to come out of your lips and hit the ears of those so dear to your Savior Jesus, and to trust that the Lord will bless the telling and re-telling of that story for this generation, too.

For God so loved the world that he gave…and that gift is for you!

Prayer:
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—bless the hearing and telling of your story again this day. Amen.

Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world.

John 17:11, 17-18

It is a privilege to be part of our students’ preparation for eternity. Read that again…slowly. “…part of their preparation for eternity.” Wow. The Holy Spirit is using you to strengthen the faith of the youngest of believers.

Do you feel like that when you are cutting out a dozen or two paper caterpillars? What about when laminating sun shaped name tags or creating a new bulletin board to finish out the school year? Well, if you don’t feel like that during those times, just know that it’s true. He is using you.

In the verses above, as Jesus prepares to leave this earth, he is praying for God to protect his disciples.

We can pray that same prayer over our students. During this time of year, many of us will be saying goodbye to our students and watching them enter their next level of education. Our time with them is done and we pray that God has used us to prepare them, not only in their knowledge of the A,B,C’s and 1,2,3’s, but also in their faith walk with him.

In verse 17, it reads, “Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.” Sanctify means to set apart, to purify. What a prayer! Set them apart, Lord. Purify them. By what? The truth! His Word. That is why you have been teaching Bible lessons to your students all year. That is why you’ve been singing his praises with them. His truth sets them apart.

The laminating, the cutting, the preparation, the exciting times and the monotonous times. Doing your work faithfully and with a joyful heart has been a blessing to your students. He has used you to prepare them for a life that goes beyond the classroom. What a privilege.

Once this year’s group of students walk out of your classroom, soon and very soon, another group of children will enter in. The cycle will continue. The lesson plans will start over. The sensory tables will refill. And while that preparation is used to build the brain, we know the most important work is to strengthen the heart for Jesus. What a privilege we have. What a blessing to watch His lambs grow in the knowledge and love of their Savior.

Prayer:
Dear Jesus, make my students one in you! Help them to hold strong to the truths that they learned this school year and be with them as they let their light shine to others. Thank you for the privilege I have to share the gospel message with them. Help me be faithful in my work and produce joyful service in your name. Amen.

A Question to Consider:
Do you think your students can tell, from your attitude, that you are happy to be their teacher? Tell them! Let them know!

This is love; not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

1 John 4:10-11

If I’m being honest, this has been a difficult devotion to write. It is almost like I feel hypocritical encouraging you all to love like Jesus does, when I struggle to do it myself. But knowing I, like you, am a sinner/saint, I can struggle and still encourage at the same time. We all better be able to do that because the pressure to love perfectly is not on us. It was taken off our shoulders when Jesus hung on that cross. We will fall short. We will fail. But forgiven in Christ we can always ask God for a heart that beats first for him and secondly, for others.

Children have a good sense of how to love.

“But he took my blocks!”, “She skipped me in line!”, “I had that first!” and so on and so on.

Isn’t it funny how little kids can be mad one second and best friends the next? How impressive is that kind of quick forgiveness? You see it in the classroom all the time. Friends can be mad at each other during carpet time, but then attached at the hip once they get out on the playground.

When does that change? When does that become so hard? To freely forgive. I do not know about you, but I struggle with forgiveness sometimes. I struggle to freely forgive those who hurt me or make my life hard. And yet, “…since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.”

How can we not? How can we not show that kind of love to one another?

He provides. He is faithful. Honest. Loving. Merciful. True. Caring. Kind.

Wouldn’t it be amazing to perfectly be faithful, honest, loving, merciful, true, caring, kind? What if the world was like that? What if we, as Christians, led the way? All the time? What a beautiful world that would be.

It seems like such a simple constant, yet it might just be one of the hardest things to do.

I am going to encourage you to stay in the Word. When loving others becomes hard, dive deep in the Word and be reminded of his love for you. Shift the focus off your shortcomings and instead, place it all on his amazing love.

Open the Old Testament and be reminded of his faithfulness to His people.

Open the New Testament and be in awe of his love to the ones who were loved the least.

He is the perfect example. He has an unbroken track record of his love for you. A love that forgives us freely so we too can love.

A love like that. How can we not?

Prayer:
Perfect Savior, I am so grateful for your forgiving love and your example. Thank you for showing me how to love in every situation. Help me to be in your Word, daily, so that I am reminded and encouraged of how to love others. Amen.

A Question to Consider:
Who is someone that you could show love to today? Make a plan and show them that you care.

“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me – just as the Father knows me and I know the Father – and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.”

John 10:14-16

By this time in the school year, we may feel like we know our students pretty well. I know who loves the art center and who will pull out the blocks at play time. I know my right handers and left handers. I know who is struggling with letter recognition and who is already reading. But there’s so much about my students I don’t know. Even after a year together, children find ways to surprise me.

Jesus, our Good Shepherd, is never surprised. He knows us even better than we know ourselves. He knows what brings us joy and what makes us cry. And he knows our deepest darkest secrets. Every sin we have ever committed, Jesus knows about. That might distress us; we don’t want Jesus to know about our sinful thoughts, our careless words, and our selfish actions. The amazing thing is that Jesus loves us anyway. He did what no earthly shepherd would do for lowly sheep. He laid down his life for us so we may be with him forever.

Our Shepherd knows us, and we know the Shepherd. God gives us his Word in the Bible so that we may get to know Jesus. God’s Word points out our need for our Savior because of our sins. We read about God’s plan of sending his own son to take those sins away. We receive the wonderful promise of a home in heaven with our Good Shepherd.

Then God uses us to share this knowledge with others. We get to talk about Jesus with our students every day. We use God’s Word to teach and correct and train them. And our students share their faith and strengthen us as well. We know we are part of God’s flock.

King David wrote about our Good Shepherd with these familiar words, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” (Psalm 23:1-3, 6)

Prayer:

Savior, like a shepherd lead us; much we need your tender care.
In your pleasant pastures feed us; for our use your folds prepare.
Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus, you have bought us; yours we are.
Ever let us seek your favor; ever let us do your will.
Blessed Lord and only Savior, with your love our hope fulfill.
Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus, you have loved us; love us still. Amen.
Let All the People Praise You, p. 262: 1, 3

On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.
Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”

John 20:19-23

Peace – that’s not the first word most teachers associate with a busy classroom. Children play, shout out answers, sometimes argue. The classroom can be a joyful, noisy place, but peaceful? Not so often.

Peace – that’s probably not how the disciples were feeling that first Easter evening. They saw their Savior put on trial, crucified, and buried. Would they be next? Then some women told them that Jesus was alive. But that would be too good to be true. Confused, sad, scared – that’s what the disciples likely felt.

Peace – that was the first word Jesus said to his astonished disciples when he appeared to them in that locked room. With the realization that their Savior was alive, the disciples truly could have peace in their hearts. This peace was better than any earthly peace. Before his death, Jesus had told his disciples, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) Jesus brings everlasting peace. Troubles of this world will fade away, but we have what we need for eternity. We are washed clean of our sins, we will conquer death, and we will join Jesus in heaven. That is peace.

Jesus told his disciples not to keep this peace to themselves. “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” (John 20:21). The disciples’ lifework became sharing that peace with the world. We also are sent to share God’s peace. Every day we get to share the special news with our students: “Jesus loves you. Jesus took your sins away. Jesus will always be with you.” And they share that peace with us too. When they sing their Jesus songs and proclaim their faith, they strengthen us. And when they go home and share what they’ve learned, Jesus’ peace is spread even further.

Peace isn’t a quiet classroom. Peace is a classroom of people who talk about Jesus, who know his love and share that love with others, who sing and pray and praise God. Peace be with you.

Prayer: Dear Jesus, thank you for bringing me true peace through your death and resurrection. Let that knowledge strengthen me so I can share your peace with others. Amen.

But he was pierced for our transgressions,
He was crushed for our iniquities;
The punishment that brought us peace was on him,
And by his wounds we are healed.
We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
Each of us has turned to our own way;
And the Lord has laid on him
The iniquity of us all

Isaiah 53:5-6

Have you ever been unhappy to finish a good book? As you move through the pages, you become emotionally invested. Chapters go by until finally, the ending looms and the journey is complete. You are left with only heart-felt memories and an anxious hope that the author will continue the narrative in another volume.

Without a doubt, the Bible is incomparable to other texts with its holy author and divine purpose. But readers can still be emotionally engaged when reading it. It would be difficult to read any verse in Isaiah 53 without being drawn in by the prophet’s description of Jesus. Our text cuts directly to Calvary’s hill in the final moments before Jesus’ death.

We find Jesus bearing God’s judgement all on his own. Jesus was pierced. He was crushed. He was wounded. God laid on him the sins of us all. In Isaiah’s description, our Savior is finishing his work with no one there to help him. Oh, we are present in Isaiah’s account, but our role is not to help Jesus. We could not help Jesus. We are the very reason Jesus is in this circumstance. So, Isaiah rightly compares us to sheep that have gone astray. It is our waywardness that God cannot tolerate. It is, in fact, our punishment that our Great Substitute is accepting.

Further in Isaiah 53 we see that Jesus accomplished his divine mission with his death. Our Great Substitute died. Under normal circumstances, the last chapter would quickly follow. But this is God’s book with God’s words describing God’s plan and promises. God does not close his book here and leave us emotionally spent. If he did, that would surely be our finale as well. No, there is another chapter. Spoiler alert! In that magnificent chapter, God accepts Jesus’ sacrifice and Jesus rises. Jesus is not dead! He is alive!

That leads to the next chapter for us too! His death is our death. His life is our life. Just as Jesus was not left alone on Calvary’s hill, our death will not be the end of our story either. God promised us another chapter in our lives. Because of Jesus, we anxiously wait for our faithful God to deliver that promise of life in heaven. This time though, God will not need to describe it to us. Because of Jesus, he will allow us to experience it for ourselves! What a profound experience that will be!

Prayer: Dear Jesus, thank you for being our Great Substitute!  Thank you for fulfilling God’s promises so that we can experience the next chapter of our lives- in heaven with you!  Amen!

Questions for Reflection: How do I look forward to my life in heaven that is to come?  How do I help the children in my care look forward to their life with Jesus?

Want to know more?  What is heaven?  From WhatAboutJesus.com