Zechariah 8:4–5: “Thus says the LORD of hosts: / ‘Old men and old women shall again sit / In the streets of Jerusalem, / Each one with his staff in his hand / Because of great age. / The streets of the city / Shall be full of boys and girls / Playing in its streets.'”

December 19th, 2021 by Pastor Ed in devotional

After years and years of captivity and oppression, after the destruction of the city of Jerusalem, God was promising that its streets would again be a safe and enjoyable place to live, both for the elderly and very young. When Jesus Christ returns, and rules and reigns from Jerusalem, there will be a 1000 years of complete peace and prosperity. Citizens will be able to allow their elderly parents as well as their kids to run free without danger of molestation. The streets will be completely safe. If you’ve ever been to Israel or watched the news concerning Israel, you understand the magnitude of this promise.

That day is coming soon but what of the kingdom now? This picture also helps us grasp what the kingdom of God should be like today. British pastor G. Campbell Morgan wrote that if a person wants to gain an understanding of the kingdom of God, they should not be looking into a room where adults are praying but into the streets where kids are playing. Little children are a joy to behold with their seemingly boundless energy and unlimited imaginations. Kids have the ability to become completely absorbed in their activity and lost to anything else going on around them.

Jesus taught that the kingdom of God is most easily seen in little children. He placed a small child in the middle of His disciples and said they had to become like them in order to enter the kingdom. Perhaps the lesson is something like this, we need to become like kids who when they are lost in their play, simply work together toward the purpose of their game. Rivalry or animosity is most often set aside so the goal can be achieved by everyone playing in the group. If we all became like a little child, then perhaps we can reach the world for Jesus in our generation.

“LORD, help us to see opportunities today to serve You like a little child, with boundless energy and unlimited imagination, without rivalry or animosity toward others.”