The Least Ones - A True Story

– Great People are Humble before God

The Least Ones – A True Story

 

“What do you think you’re doing? Don’t bother Jesus with your children.  He’s tired! So shoo!”

Saddened mothers and disappointed little ones turned slowly away. All day they had talked of meeting this wonderful Jesus. What it would be like to see Him eye ball to eye ball and be the one to sit upon His lap.

 “I guess you have to be big and important before Jesus notices

you.”

“I thought He was different” added another.

“Well He’s not! Jesus is like all the other grownups who say children should be seen and not heard.”

The rest of the story

An angered Jesus arose from His rest and put his disciples in their place.

“Don’t you know anything? Don’t you understand value?  These little ones are the heart of my kingdom. You must become like them. Bring them to me…now!”

The disciples hung their heads in shame while Jesus opened His arms and called the children.

And they came—running! They looked into the kindest eyes they

ever remember seeing. With adoring faces they hugged Jesus and begged to sit close to Him.

“Jesus, let me sit on your knee.”

“Jesus, I have a loose tooth.”

“Jesus, I love you!”

Jesus, my cat is sick. Please pray for her.”

And the King of kings had the time of His life. He was in His element.

Each mother cried a few tears as the Savior commented on God’s greatness in her little shining star.

The fatigue was gone. Jesus was refreshed.

He is King—Creator—God. He is He returning soon to defeat the devil and shut the mouths of the wicked.

And yet, one of His greatest moments was His time with the small, the weak, the helpless, and the humble—the ones who knew they

needed Him desperately. Were they the least ones? No—these were the great ones!

"Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.”

Matthew 18:3

Dear Lord, I am grown but on the inside I am still a child in great need of You. I come to you now as a little one and humble myself before You. I NEED YOU!

Great People are Humble before God

 

                                                       The Fool

David was outraged! “Who is this Nabal? We were a wall of fire around his shepherds, his flocks. We laid down our lives against invading robbers.

“This is the thanks we get? No sharing in Nabal’s feast

tonight?  Nabal treats me and my men like dirt, the scum of the earth. This means… war!”

But Nabal’s wife heard the news. Abigail loaded up her donkeys with fig and raisin cakes, bread, corn on the cob and lamb stew for David and his men. She sneaked away and met David who was on his way to slaughter all that belonged to Nabal.

Abigail fell down on her face. She had heard of David’s flight from a murderous King Saul. She had heard the stories of his

bravery. She knew, David was a valiant man.

“My lord David, do not take vengeance on my husband. He is a fool, mean and contemptible… so true. God will avenge you. “

David halted, soaked in her wisdom—her loveliness as well. “Such a sweet lady!

How’d she ever get hooked up with Nabal?”

 Abigail took the sword out of David’s hand that day. She was right. God would get even.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch…

Nabal was in his glory—another successful sheep shearing. Drunk with wine he partied far into the night.

In the morning—Abigail told all!

Like lightening bolting from the sky, Nabal’s heart was struck. Terror hit hard. Ten days later it was all over. Nabal, the wealthy, wicked

farmer was dead!

Ten is the number of completion, perfection. God gave Nabal time to change—plenty of time. That's the true heart of God. He takes no pleasure in the death of a sinner.

God loves humility. He wanted to save Nabal. But humility never came and a man consumed with himself lost everything—most of all—eternity with God!

“God brings down the proud and saves the humble.”

Job 22:29(GNT)

Guilty!

Called to Greatness...Called to Impact! 

Great Men are Humble before God

Guilty!

“I know how bad I've been; my sins are staring me down.’

Psalm 51:3 (MSG)

David was bored and when he saw beautiful Bathsheba bathing—that was it!

“Oh, baby! She’s what I need. Married to me? No.

Married to another? No bother. I’m king. I can do anything.”

“Get me that girl… tonight!”

And Bathsheba came—like a little lamb. David took one look at

her, pulled her

into his arms, kissed her lovely face, and crossed the boundaries of

holy matrimony.

It didn’t matter that Uriah, Bathsheba’s husband, was in battle that very night

risking his life for his king. David got what he wanted!

The plot thickens. “David, I’m pregnant.”

The cover up

“General Joab, send Uriah home. He needs time at home…with his wife.”

“Sir, yes, sir!”

Uriah came home but slept outside the king’s gate. “Why aren’t you home?”

“Enjoy my wife while all the army of Israel camps outside in the open field?”

David fussed, “Lordy, Lordy, some sticky situation. How can I come out smelling like a rose?”

“General Joab!”

“Sir, yes, sir!”

“Put Uriah the Hittite on the front line of battle when the fighting gets tough.”

And so a noble soldier fell in battle and David made Bathsheba his wife.

But God saw

Nathan, the prophet, was listening. “What’s that you say about David, Lord?”  

Nathan packed his donkey and headed for Jerusalem.

“David, you have sinned against God! Much trouble will come to your family.”

“Aw, come on God. I just wanted a little fun. You made me this way. Others have done far worse.”

David didn’t say that! He made no excuse.

 He fell on his face. 

“Against you only have I sinned and done this evil in your sight.”

And God forgave David—immediately!

King David was called a man after God’s own heart. Why?—because he humbled

himself before God.

        Guilt had hung over him like a club.

                      He was tired of pretending.

          He wanted to be close to God—again. 

He repented!

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         This is greatness—humility before God for sin.
Dear Lord, Please forgive me for this sin_____________. I was wrong.

The Egotist - Great People Give God Glory

The Egotist

“First pride, then the crash - the bigger the ego, the harder the fall”

Proverbs 16:18 (MSG)

Young David looked into the mocking eyes of the giant who stood a whopping 9’7” tall.

God had already helped him kill a lion and a bear that went after his father’s sheep. God would do it again. 

Goliath sneered, “You’re dead meat, a joke, an insult to me! I’m gonna to feed your flesh to the buzzards. You’ll be toast today.”

David shot back unafraid, “It is the God of the Armies of Heaven that you spit upon today. He will hand you over to me and I will cut off your head.”

And—David did!

Another true story

David Wilkerson was a skinny teen. As a young boy his family moved quite often. He hated this. He could always count on a new bully.

When he set foot on the next campus his peers told him to get ready. He was going to be approached by Billy, the campus bully. Everyone took note of Billy. He was BIG!

David prayed, “Help, Lord!” A scripture flashed through David’s mind.

“It’s not by power, not by might, but by my spirit, says the Lord,”

Zechariah 4:6

The dreaded day came. As David walked home from school he saw Billy on the opposite sidewalk—Billy crossed over.

“Look at you, you skinny kid. I’m gonna knock your brains out.”

Under his breath, David began to whisper, “It’s not by might, not by power, but by My Spirt…not by might, not by power, but by my spirit…”

And as he circled Billy, David felt courage rising. He just kept circling with raised fists and whispering the verse! Nothing—ever happened. Billy walked away—mystified by David’s courage, confidence, and his fearlessness!

The next day, Billy hailed David a hero, a tough guy.

If you want to be a champion, turn to God, and give Him glory.

And a sure fire way to loose, refuse to trust in God—be an egotist.