Faith to Cast

This week in Good News Club, we looked at the life of Moses. Exodus 1-2:10 tells the story of his birth and the very beginnings of what would eventually become freedom for the Hebrew people. At first glance, it appears to be just one of these simple Bible stories that we often teach to kids in Sunday School, because it focuses on a recognizable character. It's a story that kids are usually familiar with and makes for a great Veggie Tales DVD. But when we really meditate on the story, we see that there is something much deeper here that is vital for kids to grasp in this day and age.

With the birth of Moses we see a snapshot of the great amount of faith that the Hebrew people had in God. Even in the darkest times of their slavery and oppression, they trusted that God would eventually deliver them. At the time of Moses' birth, Pharaoh had ordered that all Hebrew baby boys were to be killed, for fear of their numbers growing out of control. With great faith in God, Moses' mother hid him for 3 months, in hopes that his life would be spared. Finally, realizing that she could no longer keep him hidden, she placed him in a papyrus basket, and sent him afloat in the Nile river. Because of God's divine protection, Moses lived and would eventually grow up to lead his people out of Egypt.

But just for a moment, imagine being in Moses' mother's place. Imagine the amount of faith she must have had in order to hide her baby for 3 months, and then having to let him go into the Nile river. Imagine the fear. Imagine the heartbreaking choice that she had to make in realizing that she could no longer control the circumstances that surrounded her family. And yet despite the emotions that must have been running wild, she trusted in God and His promises to those who had faith in Him.

1 Peter 5:7 says, "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." This is a verse that many people will quote to others going through difficult times. I remember hearing this from a friend of mine many years ago when I was struggling through a particularly dark period of life. "OK. That sound good, but easier said than done.", I remember thinking to myself. It's one thing to know something in your head, but quite another to know it in your heart.

But over the years since then, I've realized something very significant in my life. It is easier said than done, simply because it requires more of us than just saying the words. Letting go of the anxieties of life does not mean that our circumstance are necessarily going to change. And it doesn't mean that the road will be easy. Moses' mother still had to let go of her son. She still had to face the circumstances that were not going to be changed at that time. But as she cast her son into the Nile, she symbolically cast her fears on God as well. Because her faith was greater than her fear, she was able to accomplish the seemingly impossible.

When you are called to "cast all your anxiety on Him," there is a certain amount of faith that is required. Kids need to learn this at an early age, and they need to learn it from us. As moms and dads, teachers and leaders, we need to model this, not by just mouthing the words to them, but by showing them in our actions. They need to see adults that have a faith and trust in God despite the circumstances around them.

Most likely, you'll face something this week that will make you a little anxious. I challenge you to not react to your circumstances. Regardless of what you might be feeling inwardly, don't express it outwardly. Show your children, and others around you, a person that has a trust in God that rises above what might be seen, and reveals a faith that casts fear into the river of uncertainty.

Child Like Faith

Well, we kicked off another year of Good News at Hyde Elementary last Wednesday. Each year, there is always some anticipation as to how many kids will come, who will return from last year and if all of the pieces will come together as expected. There is also anticipation as to what God is going to do and how he is going to work in the lives of the kids. I've been part of leadership in Good News Club for almost 10 years now, and I have to say that I have never seen God work in such a powerful way as He did last week. Of course, he does amazing things every year, which is one of the cool things about being a part of Good News Club. But at this first meeting, for some reason there was a feeling that God is up to something BIG. There was a feeling of His Spirit moving in our midst despite anything we were doing as leaders. I could see Him in the eyes of each child as they sang, laughed and listened to the message of Jesus Christ. Man, I'm excited to be along for the ride!

To give you a little perspective, last year we started club with about 15 kids. This year we began with a total of 46. I'll admit, I've never been a big "numbers" person. Whether it's in Good News Club or church, the number of people who show up should never be the driving factor of what we do. If one child showed up on Wednesday, we would have gone about things with the same excitement and passion as if there were 100. But the numbers do show us something very significant. God is touching more and more lives through this ministry, and for that we have to give Him thanks!

When I got home on Wednesday evening, I spent some time praying and thanking God for such an awesome club. As I prayed and listened to God, I was compelled to open up my Bible to Matthew 18, where it says, "And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me," It never ceases to amazes me how much I learn about God from spending time with children. And it reminds me of how simple our faith really is. As adults, we constantly try to make faith a complex system of in-depth knowledge and facts that somehow bring us closer to God. But is it possible that just the opposite is true?

When I look into the eyes of these beautiful children, and see them worshipping God with complete focus, innocence, humility and simplicity, I see God. I see Him moving in an unhindered way that is very rare these days. I see the kind of worship that I think God really wants. And I see how I want to become in my relationship with God. Like a little child. Imagine what our churches would be like if we all worshipped God like this. Imagine the excitement. Imagine the expectation. Imagine the power. And imagine the fun we would have!