Have you ever watched a child play with their parents? They run, jump, laugh, and explore without any fear or worry. They trust that their parents will catch them, protect them, and love them no matter what. They have a simple and pure faith that is beautiful to see.
But as we grow older, we lose that childlike trust. We face challenges, disappointments, hurts, and failures that make us doubt ourselves and others. We become cynical, skeptical, and anxious about the future. We forget how to trust God like a child.
Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18:3) He also said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” (Matthew 19:14)
What does it mean to trust God like a child? How can we regain that simple and pure faith that pleases God and brings us joy? Here are three lessons we can learn from the children in the Bible.
1. Trust God with your whole heart.
One of the most famous stories of childlike trust in the Bible is the story of David and Goliath. David was a young shepherd boy who faced a giant warrior named Goliath. Goliath was nine feet tall and wore armor that weighed more than David. He taunted the army of Israel and challenged them to send a man to fight him.
No one dared to face Goliath except David. David volunteered to fight the giant with only a sling and five smooth stones. He said, “The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.” (1 Samuel 17:37)
David trusted God with his whole heart. He did not rely on his own strength or skill, but on God’s power and promise. He did not let fear or doubt stop him from obeying God’s call. He faced the giant with confidence and courage, knowing that God was with him.
We can trust God with our whole heart too. We can face our giants, whatever they may be, with confidence and courage, knowing that God is with us. We can rely on God’s power and promise, not on our own strength or skill. We can obey God’s call, even when it seems impossible or risky.
Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”
2. Trust God with your whole life.
Another story of childlike trust in the Bible is the story of Abraham and Isaac. Abraham was an old man who had waited for many years for God to fulfill his promise of giving him a son. Finally, God gave him Isaac, the son of his old age.
But then God tested Abraham’s faith by asking him to sacrifice Isaac on a mountain. Abraham obeyed God without hesitation or question. He took Isaac and set out for the place God had shown him.
Isaac was also a child of faith. He trusted his father and followed him up the mountain. He carried the wood for the sacrifice on his back. He asked his father where the lamb for the sacrifice was. Abraham said, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” (Genesis 22:8)
Isaac trusted his father and trusted God. He did not resist or run away when his father bound him on the altar. He submitted to his father’s will and to God’s will.
We can trust God with our whole life too. We can submit to God’s will, even when it seems hard or painful. We can follow God’s guidance, even when it seems unclear or uncertain. We can surrender our lives to God, knowing that he loves us and has a good plan for us.
Romans 12:1-2 says, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
3. Trust God with your whole future.
A third story of childlike trust in the Bible is the story of Jesus and his disciples. Jesus was about to leave this world and return to his Father in heaven. He knew that his disciples would face many troubles and persecutions after he was gone.
He comforted them by saying, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” (John 14:1-3)
Jesus trusted his Father and trusted his future. He knew that his Father had a place for him in heaven. He knew that his Father would raise him from the dead and exalt him to his right hand. He knew that his Father would send him back to take his disciples to be with him.
We can trust God with our whole future too. We can believe that God has a place for us in heaven. We can believe that God will raise us from the dead and give us eternal life. We can believe that God will come back and take us to be with him.
John 3:16 says, “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.”
Trust like a child.
These are just three examples of how we can trust God like a child. There are many more in the Bible and in our own lives. The key is to have a simple and pure faith that does not depend on our own understanding, but on God’s love, power, and promise.
Trust like a child is not naive or foolish. It is wise and pleasing to God. It is the way to enter the kingdom of heaven and enjoy the abundant life that Jesus came to give us.
So let us trust God like a child today and every day. Let us run, jump, laugh, and explore without any fear or worry. Let us trust that God will catch us, protect us, and love us no matter what.